Skip to content
Alex Murdaugh— Case Archive
personpersonRoger Dale Davis Jr.Roger Dale Davis Jr.Caretaker of the Moselle dog kennels who knew the property's routines, hose placement, and family voices.← All People
Witness

Roger Dale Davis Jr.

Courtroom still of Roger Dale Davis Jr..

Caretaker of the Moselle dog kennels who knew the property's routines, hose placement, and family voices.

Appeared2023 Murder Trial
251 lines·6 proceedings·3 mentions

About

Roger Dale Davis Jr. testified from approximately four years of twice-daily work maintaining the Moselle kennels. He described feeding the dogs, washing the pens, carefully rolling the hose, and leaving the property at 4:30 p.m. on June 7.

Comparing his routine with later photographs and the kennel video, Davis said the hose had been used after his departure and that the amount of water near the feed room and adjoining pens was unusual. He also marked the dogs' locations on a kennel diagram and identified Paul, Maggie, and Alex as voices on the video.

Cross-examination tested his interpretation of the water by raising less-careful spraying and an overturned dog bowl as alternative explanations. Davis acknowledged those possibilities but explained that he tried to prevent puddling near the feed-room door; on redirect, he described the sloped concrete, drainage, lighting, and deterioration in that area. Questioning also established that he could not precisely date his last sighting of Paul's .300 Blackout rifle and that he saw no firearms at Moselle that day.

Trial Record (6)

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

Roger Dale Davis Jr. described his June 7 kennel work, compared his routine with the later condition of the hose and standing water, and identified voices on the kennel video. Questioning explored alternative explanations for the water and the limits of his firearms observations.

Day 5

CrossLaura Rutland - CrossLaura RutlandJim GriffinMentioned

Summary

Jim Griffin challenged the initial Moselle investigation, eliciting limits in Rutland's visual observations and interview questions while examining the search warrant, unidentified boot prints, consent searches, and the investigation's initial suspect assessment.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Day 17

DirectRoger Dale Davis Jr. - DirectRoger Dale Davis Jr.David A. Fernandez2highlights145lines spoken

Summary

Roger Dale Davis Jr. described his June 7 kennel routine, said later photographs showed a disturbed hose and atypical water accumulation, marked the dogs' locations, and identified Paul, Maggie, and Alex on the kennel video.

Highlights (2)

Quote“I'm very particular how I roll that. If you notice the pressure on that hose, somebody used that hose after I did because it's twisted. And the nozzle is too far up. The nozzle, I could always have it and make sure it was laying down flat. That nozzle is too far up.”— Roger Dale Davis Jr.Davis directly compared the photographed hose with his consistent storage practice and concluded that it had been used after his afternoon work.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Normally, no. There was too much water right there. You can tell where the concrete has already started drying, but there's too much water right there around the second and third pen.”— Roger Dale Davis Jr.His assessment identified the photographed water as inconsistent with the pooling he ordinarily observed after cleaning the kennels.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossRoger Dale Davis Jr. - CrossRoger Dale Davis Jr.Jim Griffin2highlights86lines spoken

Summary

Roger Dale Davis Jr. agreed the hose had been used after he left but described ordinary sources of kennel water, unlocked firearm practices, affectionate family interactions, his nearby whereabouts, and routine dog and feed-room activity at Moselle.

Highlights (2)

Quote“Well, not particularly him. He would like it to be wrapped, but he wouldn't very particular how as long as it was wrapped up out of his way.”— Roger Dale Davis Jr.Davis qualified the suggestion that Alex was exacting about how the hose was wrapped, distinguishing Alex's preference from Davis's own meticulous practice.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Every time I always see them, they, you know -- I've never seen that man even raise his voice at his wife or kids, so -- or his wife. I've never seen him even -- none of them argue. But he always -- anything she wanted or the boys wanted, he would try to get it.”— Roger Dale Davis Jr.Davis gave his firsthand account of the family interactions he observed while working at Moselle, while limiting the statement to what he personally saw.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
RedirectRoger Dale Davis Jr. - RedirectRoger Dale Davis Jr.David A. Fernandez2highlights20lines spoken

Summary

Roger Dale Davis Jr. clarified kennel drainage and water damage, described his June 7 evening routine, and said he saw no firearms at Moselle that particular day.

Highlights (2)

Quote“When they done that room, they didn't -- like I told that gentleman over there, they didn't seal that bottom plate like it should have been, and it would allow water -- when you sprayed the concrete off, that water kept just getting -- slowly getting underneath the concrete until it started rotting out around the door jams and stuff.”— Roger Dale Davis Jr.Davis attributed the feed-room deterioration to inadequate sealing and repeated wash water rather than merely to water remaining on the concrete surface.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I was done at 4:30. 5:00, I had done had my shower and I was in my recliner.”— Roger Dale Davis Jr.Davis fixed his stated June 7 work completion and home routine to specific times.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 18

DirectDavid Owen - DirectDavid OwenJohn MeadorsMentioned

Summary

Lead SLED investigator David Owen traced the investigation from the Moselle crime scene through Alex Murdaugh's recorded interviews, identified repeated inconsistencies, and explained the delayed recovery of the 8:44 p.m. kennel video.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Day 28