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Alex Murdaugh— Case Archive
personpersonMicah SturgisMicah SturgisCell-phone-forensics expert retained by the defense to analyze device activity, steps, GPS records, and the trial timeline.← All People
Expert witness

Micah Sturgis

Courtroom still of Micah Sturgis.

Cell-phone-forensics expert retained by the defense to analyze device activity, steps, GPS records, and the trial timeline.

Appeared2023 Murder Trial
274 lines·7 proceedings·2 mentions

About

Micah Sturgis testified for the defense on Day 22. He disclosed his compensation and explained that his review relied on device extractions and reports supplied by the State.

Sturgis said the State's cell-phone timeline was mostly accurate, while identifying interpretive differences and two KnowledgeC database items absent from its report. His analysis addressed Maggie Murdaugh's phone, including Apple Health steps, orientation and backlight records, Raise to Wake, camera and call activity, missing June 7 GPS information, and the period when the screen remained off as Alex Murdaugh's Suburban passed the recovery location. He attributed certain events to human interaction but could not identify the user or determine the user's intent, and he declined to offer an opinion about how a thrown phone would move.

On cross-examination, Sturgis agreed that Maggie's phone locked at 8:49:31 p.m. and remained locked until its recovery, although activity around 8:53 to 8:55 likely reflected handling by an unidentified person. He also agreed that his review showed no user interaction with Paul Murdaugh's phone after about 8:49 p.m. The State tested the foundation for parts of his analysis, and Sturgis acknowledged that he had not researched the relevant GPS-cache duration, did not know the software version used in the courtroom demonstration, and had not replicated the movement test on an iOS 14.6 phone.

On redirect and recross, Sturgis distinguished Raise to Wake from orientation changes, said slight movement could illuminate the screen, and explained that a camera event could be deliberate or accidental. He offered a qualified opinion that earlier extraction or Faraday shielding might have preserved June 7 GPS data, found no corresponding step periods between Alex's and Maggie's phones, and explained that step entries recorded totals over intervals rather than a uniform pace. During later State rebuttal, Paul McManigal used same-model testing to challenge any inference that throwing the phone would necessarily illuminate its screen, distinguishing Sturgis's gentle pickup demonstration from more forceful throwing tests.

Trial Record (7)

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

Micah Sturgis testified for the defense as a cell-phone-forensics expert, analyzing device records related to phone handling, screen activity, steps, GPS data, and the trial timeline. He identified possible human interaction while limiting his conclusions about the user's identity, intent, and how a thrown phone would move.

Day 22

DirectMicah Sturgis - DirectMicah SturgisPhillip D. Barber2highlights116lines spoken

Summary

Micah Sturgis explained Maggie Murdaugh's phone activity, identified limitations in the available GPS and timeline data, and offered qualified interpretations of screen, camera, movement, and call events.

Highlights (2)

Quote“No. There's too many variables and I'm not an expert on physics.”— Micah SturgisSturgis expressly limited his expertise and declined to opine about how a phone would move if thrown from a vehicle.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“The only thing that I can figure is when the phone come -- or, excuse me, the call came in, that the person hit the side button to turn it off and put it down and flipped the phone over and the backlight comes on.”— Micah SturgisThe statement captures his qualified interpretation that a person interacted with the phone around an incoming call, without identifying that person.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossMicah Sturgis - CrossMicah SturgisJohn B. Conrad2highlights89lines spoken

Summary

Micah Sturgis agreed that Maggie Murdaugh's phone showed likely handling but could not identify the handler, and he acknowledged limits in his GPS-cache research and iOS-version testing.

Highlights (2)

Quote“I said there was data that was on the phone from June 8th, and that -- correction, June 9th, and that data likely could have been on there had it been preserved properly.”— Micah SturgisSturgis qualified his opinion about potentially missing location data and corrected the date on which later data appeared.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I don't have any 14.6 phones.”— Micah SturgisSturgis acknowledged that he had not replicated the demonstration using the iOS version associated with Maggie Murdaugh's phone.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
RedirectMicah Sturgis - RedirectMicah SturgisPhillip D. Barber1highlight30lines spoken

Summary

Micah Sturgis distinguished Raise to Wake from orientation data, qualified the camera event as user interaction of uncertain intent, and addressed GPS-cache preservation and non-overlapping phone-step periods.

Highlights (1)

Quote“No, we're not talking about the orientation. We're talking about the actual Raise to Wake function on the phone.”— Micah SturgisSturgis drew a clear distinction between two kinds of phone activity that had been addressed during cross-examination.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
RecrossMicah Sturgis - RecrossMicah SturgisJohn B. Conrad1highlight22lines spoken

Summary

Micah Sturgis confirmed the kennel video's stated time and location, then clarified the limits and comparative accuracy of iPhone step data.

Highlights (1)

Quote“It would be unlikely to stop for an entire minute. I think if you stop for that long of a period of time, a new entry would be made.”— Micah SturgisSturgis qualified how a lengthy pause might appear in the phone's step records while acknowledging that he did not know a definitive iOS cutoff.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 26