Day 16 - February 15, 2023

Judge Newman initially excluded evidence of the September roadside shooting, finding that the proposed presentation failed logical-relevance and Rule 403 analysis and risked suggesting a propensity for violence. Lead SLED investigator David Owen then described the investigation, Alex Murdaugh's repeated interviews, the inconsistencies investigators identified, and the eventual extraction of Paul's 8:44 p.m. kennel video. The jury also viewed the admitted August 11 interview, although its audio is not transcribed in the supplied reporter record. On cross-examination, Owen acknowledged that investigators missed an opportunity to search Almeda promptly, did not collect clothing seen in a June 7 Snapchat video, and found no trace blood in the Moselle house. He also conceded that his county grand jury statement that blood spatter had been found on Murdaugh's shirt was incorrect in light of a Hematrace report finding no human blood in the tested areas. Redirect addressed alternative-suspect inquiries, witness contradictions, and physical evidence, including a 12-gauge shotgun that could not be excluded as the weapon used against Paul but was not conclusively identified. Cell-phone-forensics expert David Grubbs testified about Paul and Maggie Murdaugh's phone records. He said Paul's phone remained locked with its screen off from 8:49 until 10:18 p.m., briefly illuminated twice, and died around 10:34 p.m.; he could not determine what caused the later screen activations. Grubbs also explained that Maggie's phone would not record an orientation change while locked with its screen off under its version of iOS. After the jury left, the court reversed its earlier roadside-evidence ruling, finding that defense questioning had opened the door to examination about Murdaugh's relationship with Eddie Smith, including drug payments and indebtedness.