Chris Wilson

Wilson testified for the State about his legal work with Alex Murdaugh, disputed litigation fees, several June 7 telephone calls, and a later confrontation with Murdaugh. He explained that their longstanding friendship and professional relationship led him to rely on Murdaugh's representations about how $792,000 in fees from the Faris/Mack Trucks litigation would be handled.

Wilson authenticated checks, correspondence, phone records, and a promissory note connected to the fee issue. He said Murdaugh directed him to issue three checks personally to Murdaugh, representing that the firm had approved the arrangement and that the money would fund annuities. According to Wilson, Murdaugh later returned $600,000, and Wilson supplied the remaining $192,000 from his own funds before representing in a July email that the full amount was available. Wilson testified that the shortfall was never repaid.

Wilson said that after learning in September that Murdaugh had been stealing, he confronted him and heard Murdaugh admit theft from the firm and clients and disclose a long opioid addiction. The court separately excluded Wilson's proposed account of what another person told him about the roadside shooting, ruling that testimony hearsay.

Wilson also described calls with Murdaugh on June 7 and his later arrival at Moselle after Maggie and Paul were killed. He said Murdaugh sounded normal during the earlier calls and appeared quiet, crying, and devastated at Moselle. On cross-examination, Wilson agreed that he knew of no fee problem that day, perceived no panic or financial crisis, had observed no outward signs of opioid addiction, and could not firmly recall every call's duration or connection. On redirect, he clarified that Murdaugh initiated the June 7 communications, that Wilson did not cover the shortfall until mid-July, and that the September disclosures were unexpected.