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Alex Murdaugh— Case Archive
personpersonAnnette GriswoldAnnette GriswoldAlex Murdaugh's longtime paralegal at PMPED and a witness to the law firm's discovery of disputed client disbursements.← All People
Witness

Annette Griswold

Courtroom still of Annette Griswold.

Alex Murdaugh's longtime paralegal at PMPED and a witness to the law firm's discovery of disputed client disbursements.

Appeared2023 Murder Trial
248 lines·14 proceedings·10 mentions

About

Annette Griswold testified for the State about more than nine years working as Alex Murdaugh's paralegal, including her handling of larger cases and disbursements. She explained the firm's payment procedures and his instructions to issue certain checks to Forge rather than Forge Consulting, including transactions connected to the Hershberger and Thomas Moore matters.

Her principal financial account concerned the missing Faris fees. After expense money arrived without the expected fee payment, she sought information from Chris Wilson's office and learned that the fees had reportedly been paid directly to Murdaugh. She testified that Murdaugh maintained the money remained in trust, leading her to alert financial officer Jeannie Seckinger before Seckinger planned to question him on June 7. Griswold did not claim to know what was said during their closed-door conversation.

Griswold said the killings shifted the firm's attention toward supporting and protecting Murdaugh. When the fee issue resurfaced in September, she found a Faris check payable to him in his office with mobile-deposit markings and brought it to Seckinger. She testified that the discovery showed her his earlier explanation was false. The firm terminated him the following day and began a broader review.

In continued direct testimony, Griswold described Murdaugh as a constant user of his cell and office phones and said it would be unusual for him to go anywhere without his cell phone. After the kennel video was played, she identified the voices as Paul, Maggie, and Alex Murdaugh and expressed complete certainty in that identification.

Cross-examination brought out Griswold's favorable experiences with Murdaugh, including his support during her family's hardships, as well as her description of his apparent grief and changed demeanor after the killings. She limited parts of that account to her personal knowledge. On redirect, she explained that the firm continued to employ and trust Murdaugh until the September check discovery changed her understanding of his conduct.

Trial Record (14)

20232023 Murder TrialJan 23, 2023 – Mar 3, 2023Called by prosecution

Annette Griswold testified as Alex Murdaugh's longtime paralegal, tracing disputed law-firm disbursements and the Faris fee inquiry, describing a deposited check that contradicted his explanation, and identifying his voice on the kennel video.

Day 9

ProceduralRule 404(b) Hearing Argument and SchedulingMentioned

Summary

The parties contested whether alleged financial misconduct supported motive or fear of detection. The court found enough evidence for the law-firm misconduct threshold but deferred final admissibility decisions pending the Satterfield documents, proposed Mark Tinsley testimony, bank witnesses, and further argument.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Day 12

Day 13

DirectAnnette Griswold - DirectAnnette GriswoldCreighton Waters2highlights150lines spoken

Summary

Annette Griswold described suspicious Forge and Faris fee disbursements, an unresolved law-firm inquiry on June 7, and her September discovery of a deposited fee check in Alex Murdaugh's office.

Highlights (2)

Quote“It was my understanding it would probably be sitting there another year until the workers' comp portion case -- portion of the case was settled, so those funs didn't need to go anywhere.”— Annette GriswoldShe explained why the Thomas Moore disbursement appeared unnecessary and unusual to her.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Yeah, what Faris fees. That was the furthest thing on my mind.”— Annette GriswoldGriswold explained how the killings and concern for the Murdaugh family displaced the pending financial inquiry.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
DirectAnnette Griswold - Direct (Continued)Annette GriswoldCreighton Waters2highlights11lines spoken

Summary

Annette Griswold described Alex Murdaugh's customary phone use, identified Paul, Maggie, and Alex as the voices in State's Exhibit 297, and read an excerpt from his text message in State's Exhibit 441.

Highlights (2)

Quote“He was always on his phone, always on his cell phone, always on his office phone. He would quit one conversation and grab another. Sometimes he would have both phones to his ear.”— Annette GriswoldGriswold gave a detailed account of Alex Murdaugh's customary phone use rather than merely agreeing with counsel's characterization.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I hear Paul Murdaugh, Maggie Murdaugh, and Alex Murdaugh.”— Annette GriswoldGriswold expressly identified all three voices she recognized in State's Exhibit 297.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossAnnette Griswold - CrossAnnette GriswoldJim Griffin1highlight77lines spoken

Summary

Annette Griswold described Alex Murdaugh as family-oriented but difficult to work for, recounted his changed demeanor after the killings, and explained her fear over reporting the Faris check before reading Exhibit 441 in full.

Highlights (1)

Quote“I was hoping I was wrong. I was hoping that my gut feeling was wrong, and that what I was looking at was not money being stolen and that he was not doing that.”— Annette GriswoldGriswold explained her uncertainty and fear when she encountered the canceled check that raised concerns about theft.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
RedirectAnnette Griswold - RedirectAnnette GriswoldCreighton Waters1highlight10lines spoken

Summary

Annette Griswold said Alex Murdaugh remained professionally trusted until her discovery of the Faris fee check showed her that he had lied and stolen the money.

Highlights (1)

Quote“When I found the check, I knew that he had lied to me and that he had stolen that money.”— Annette GriswoldGriswold stated her personal conclusion upon discovering the Faris fee check.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 14

Day 22

CrossMark Ball - CrossMark BallCreighton WatersMentioned

Summary

Mark Ball said Alex Murdaugh repeatedly gave him an account contradicted by the kennel video, described the firm's discovery of extensive client thefts and Alex's removal, and explained why he immediately doubted the later roadside shooting story.

Mentioned in this proceeding.