"Murdaugh" Episode Nineteen | Buster Speaks Out

0:11 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I am your host, Jim Chapman, and we are back with this nineteenth episode in the Merdall series, and we're going to jump right into it. The last time that I left you, the crime scene was reconstructed by crime scene reconstruction expert doctor Kenneth Kinzie. And as I said then, I think his testimony was a big key in this case. I think he resonated heavy with the jury in a positive way. And we move on from that to what I'm bringing you today. So let's talk about Buster Merdall, the only reviving family member outside of Alick. His brother and mother murdered on that property in Mozelle, and his father on trial for his life and accused of that murder. I just could not imagine how Buster must have felt. A few facts on Buster, of course, you know, he was to be the next generation of the Murdaal monarchy, if you will. He was twenty six years old at the time of his testimony twenty four at the time of the murders. His legal name Richard Alex Murdall. He was attending law school at

1:45 the University of South Carolina, something of a family tradition. That's where they all went to school, and all this was taking place just before the murder of his mother and brother. Now at this point in the trial, execution had rested and it was the defense's turn to call witnesses, and he was a witness for the defense, and he was witnessing in the defense of his father, and Buster was in a tight spot, right, So the defense they go first, and everyone's least favorite lawyer and I hate the first shade on this guy, Jim Griffin. I'm sure he's a fantastic attorney, but he is just not my cup of tea. I just don't geehaul with this guy.

2:36 I guess he just seems totally boring to me. He gets up and he is going to lead the questioning for the defense. I'm only playing a few clips because Jim Griffin aggravates me quite frankly. But there were some. Poignant moments between the questioning between he and Buster. And in this first clip, Griffin wants to establish the type of father that Alex was, and he wants the jury to get a sense of that from his surviving son, right, And he frames his questions to Buster so as to reflect that who was alex the father? Well, Buster answers that question in this first clip.

3:24 A gesture chair and your microphone, and if you'll state your full name and spell your last. Name, Richard Alexander Murdick Junior, m U R D A U G H. I go by Buster, mister Murdi, is is your father's sitting over here at defensive table? Yes, sir? Tell the jury a little bit about yourself. Where you're born, where you're raised, where'd you go to school? Right? Said? My name is Buster, twenty six years old. I live in hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I m hmm.

4:10 I was born in Savannah and lived in Beaufort for about two years when I was a little child. We moved to Hampton in about two thousand and I grew up in Hampton, went to Wade Hampton High School, and after high school, I went to a small college in Spartanburg called Wafford. Did Uh was your mother Maggie, Yes, sir, and your brother Paul, yes, sir? The U. When you moved to Hampton? Uh? Do you do you remember how old you were when you first moved to Hampton? Uh? Three or three? Or four, okay? And did you and did you live in Hampton in the house with in the city limits, yes, sir, the town limits.

4:59 Yes. And you did that for with your mom and dad and brother for how long? For? Yeah? Run twenty years. Right the UH? And you what schools did you go to coming up through? Uh in Hampton County? Would would go to grade school? Went to Ben Hazel Primary School, Hampton Elementary Elementary School, North District Middle School, Wade Hampton High School. And as you were growing up, what what were your interests buster.

5:40 Sports, playing sports, doing things outdoors, hunting, fishing. And was your father involved in those interests with you? Yes, sir, it was your mother also, yes, sir. And and and in what way? Well, my father coached every little league team I played on up until I started playing for the schools in which had a coach. And what about Paul? What were his interests growing up? Paul's interests were outdoors, mostly hunting, fishing, playing around in the woods. Did he also play sports at times?

6:21 He did? Yeah, he played basketball and baseball. And your dad coached him as well, he did? And would your parents attend all of your and Paul's sporting events. Since You're every game, and it was a rarity for them to miss one, and then if they had to, they would call him explain. And And at some point in time, did your parents buy this property off Moseille Road, Yes, sir, do you remember roughly when that. Was right around twenty and twelve. I think I would have been a sophomore in high school. And when that property was first purchased, did you move out to Mozille or are you still living in Hampton?

7:07 So we had a house in Hampton and also purchased the property of Mozelle which had a house, and for the beginning stages of owning Mozelle, Hampton was still working as our primary residence. But I believe it was Hurricane Matthew or one of the hurricanes came through and blew a bunch of pine trees over on the house, so it had to get work done to it. And from that point we moved out from Hampton to Mozelle while the house was getting fixed, and more or less it just kind of it never transitioned back to Hampton. It just almost like Mozelle became the primary residence.

7:49 And during this time, did your family also have a house at Edistone, Yes, sir, How frequently would you stay at the house of Edistone? Very frequently during the summertime, almost every weekend. And when your family essentially relocated to the Mozille property and making it primary residence, were you still living at home in high school? Or remember how old you were at that point in time. Yeah, I'm sorry, Joe, you say. Were you living at home at that point in time that while you were still in high school? Or yeah, you remember when when you transitioned to Moseielle and started staying there basically full time during the school year.

8:30 So when I was still in high school, we were living in the Hampton House and then I'd gone off to college, which is when the stuff happened and they moved out to Mozielle. So I was living in. And when did you go off to college? Twenty fourteen? Okay, so sometime after around twenty fourteen, family relocated to Moseille. For the most part, the alls of the hurricane damage is yes, there, tell the jury a little bit about the Mosielle property. I know they've heard a fair amount, but I think you probably know it better than anybody. Yeah, so the Mozelle property is it's roughly seven roughly seventeen hundred acres, and a lot of that is really not even accessible. It's a lot of swamp lands, a lot of stuff that you just you know, know road systems or anything like that. But a big portion of it is is you know, has road systems and everything.

9:32 And it's a big property. It's broken up into several different parcels that border each other. And you know, we have twenty some odd deer stands, deve fields, duck ponds just all over the property. So what type of honey did you and your brother and your father do? Mozille everything? Deer, duck, quail, dove, hogs, You have a duck pond? Do have a duck? Have a duck pond? Okay? And and the hunting was did you have a lot of friends come out and hunt as well? Yes, sir?

10:13 Okay. Now, now the jury has seen a uh aerial view of the property. And there's a main house, there's shed kennels, and then then there's a house sort of right on Moselle Road. What's what's what do you call that house? That's the cabin the cabin? And and did did you live in the cabin with friends over summers at some point in time. I did the summer of my sophomore year. After my sophomore year, me and two of my buddies lived in the cabin. Okay. And who are those buddies. Nolan Towton and Rogan Gibson. Okay, and the so we've we can get more of this.

10:55 We've heard about hogs and pigs on the property. To tell the jury a little bit about that about the Yes, sir. We had a lot of hogs, and if you don't know, hogs are very destructive to a piece of property. You know, we plant food plots for the deer, plant the fields for the doves and the ducks, and they basically go through and ruin it all. So given the high population of hogs, we you know, would frequently go out and hunt them, try to try to cut the numbers down a little bit. So another thing that Jim Griffin wants to establish is the lack of a responsibility that Paul had with guns. Why, well, he wants to justify that missing three hundred blackout that Maggie was shot with. And in this next clip you're gonna hear busters thoughts on that as well as the strange multiple shotgun loads in that shotgun. Remember I had told you there were bird shot in there were butt shot shotgun and shells in the shotgun that night. Here's Buster's thoughts on that.

12:07 What kind of guns did you have there at Moselle. We had a lot of guns. Do you have shotguns? We did shotguns? You have twelve gage shotgun. Twelve gag shotguns, twenty gage shotguns, sixteen gage shotguns, twenty eight gage shotguns. Right? And how many rifles type rifles did you have on the prophet? A lot? Can you just name some of them? Yeah, two seventy two, seventy short mag seven millimetersh eight three oh eight, two forty three, two twenty three, three hundred blackout. And what type of amo did you keep on the property?

12:49 Well, I mean all amos for those for those calibers. Sure. And where were the guns kept? Primarily in the gun room at the main house at Moselle. And was there table in the gun room there was? Were there times when guns were left elsewhere on the property? Yes? Where else on the property would guns be the left? Well? Just just myself, I mean I've I've left him up at the shed before I've left him on golf cart, you use that day left him in a truck. I mean, guns would just not always find their way back to the gun. Right. How about how about Paul? How was he with securing guns?

13:33 Not? Not good? What do you mean by that? He would Paul left guns probably more on the property than anybody else. And just and sometimes if he like, sometimes he would use my gun and then he would leave it and then I'd have to track it down. Right, did Paul carry guns in his truck? He didn't. Would he keep his truck locked up? No? No, not all the time? Okay. At some point in time, you and Paul received three hundred blackouts for Christmas? Yes, sir? You remember roughly that twenty sixteen or twenty seventeen sounds right, okay?

14:14 And what color was your three hundred blackout? It was black? And have you been sitting in this courtroom during the entire trial, yes, sir, And the jury's seeing a black three hundred blackout? Is that yours? It is? That is my three hundred blackout? Is that the one you got for Christmas? Yes, sir? And what color was Paul's? Paul's was black and tan and. We say black and tan, what part was ten and what part was black? So I so the receiver would have been ten in the I think in Beryl would have been ten. What part would have been black. Stock? Maybe? Okay? And so yours was all black? His was black and tan.

14:55 That's right. What happened to his that he got for Christmas in twenty sixteen. His gun was apparently stolen, lost, taken. Yeah, dude, how do you know that? That's just what Paul told me? Did what happened to your gun after Paul's was stolen? My gun became you know what we would both. Use and would what did that create some confrontation between you two at times? Yes, sir? And what why? Well? Kind of like I just touched on so he would use it. He's not very good about putting it back where he found it. I leave it somewhere, I go back and you know, want to get it and it's not there.

15:41 Did did did you notice were you aware that Paul got a replacement at some point in time? Sir? Well you heard about that in the courtroom, yes, sir, But up to that point you did you ever see Paul you the replacement? No, sir, I've never seen a replacement, and so. Every time in your presence, Paul was using a three hundred blackout, which one would it be mine? There's uh, I'm not gonna pull these guns out of buster, but there's a been just discussion in the jury is seen a twelve gage binelle with a mojo uh sticker on it?

16:25 Whose gun is that? That's fine? And what's mojo? Mojo is a brand of decoy. It's basically what it is is it's you know, say you buy a wood duck mojo and it sits on a pole, but the wings are motorized, so it's to replicate, replicate, you know, a more alive duck. And and did you why why is your but nelle have a mojo sticker? Because I thought a majo a decoy And in the box that came with a sticker, and I put a sticker on the gun barrel. And so that way you know that's your gun. That's right. I believe the evidence in the case is that that Mojo Bonelli when it was seized was loaded. Did you frequently put the gun away loaded?

17:15 Yes, sir? Why I you know, knowing that I might need it again at any point just you know, put it back on the shelf, kept the safety of them. Okay, And I think it was loaded with a three inch and a three and a half inch turkey load. Do you remember that you would load that gun with a three inch of three and a half inch, yes, sir, And why would you do that? I do that because when I go turkey hunting, the goal is to, you know, get the turkey close to you and shoot at the first tribe. And if I were to miss and the turkey goes running away and I try to shoot it again, I put a bigger shell, larger shell behind the smaller one for that purpose.

18:04 And that's something you commonly did, Yes, sir. Did you ever load in a twelve gauge twenty gauge twenty eight gauge a buck shot followed by a bird shot? No, sir, I've never done that. Have you ever known anybody to do that? Ny, sir, you know, have any reason to do that? No? I can't think of any reason to do that. And specifically, have you ever loaded in any gun a buck shot followed by dry lock steal waterfowl, waterfowl pellet? I have not you know anybody to do that? Ny, sir, you know any reason to do that? Nicir? So what about the opiate addiction that Alex told his lawyer's friends he had and used as his primary excuse for stealing millions of dollars from his clients. What did the family think, when did they know? And what was his mother's reaction? Miss Maggie Murdall to that boat right case where Paul's rack led to the tragic death of Mallory Beach. Well, Buster answered all of those questions in this club.

19:17 Excuse me, Buster, Were you aware that your dad had a opioid addiction? A little bit? I knew a little bit about the usage of pills. What did you know about I knew that I knew that either my brother and mom had found them at some point and then you know, told them like, hey, we found these and he I want to say, the twenty eighteen around Christmas, he went to a detox facility after Christmas, and that was my knowledge of it. Thought that that handled it. And then there were a couple more times after the fact where they would kind of go into this finding pills all that stuff, and then he did a few. He did a few kind of like at home, just self detoks a couple of times, and you know thought, you know, once he did that, that, you know, get off of him. But that was kind of my general knowledge about it all.

20:22 You thought he had beat. It, that's right, yes, sir. And when he was confronted with about his pills, what was his attitude? I don't know for sure because I wasn't there when a lot of the confrontations happened with them finding the pills. But I mean I've never heard anything just you know, apologetic and you know, sorry and would usually be a kind of regular, you know, kind of response. How did your family handle disputes.

21:02 Disagreements pretty I mean, you know, like adults pretty civilly, you know, you know, talked about it and stuff like that. I mean, and it just depends on the dispute too, Like you know, like I was a kid, you know, I get spanked stuff like that once you're not really a disagreement, that's. Just what you're a teenager and college a's right. Any reprimanded disputes you've gotten into with your father, was it all civil? Yeah? Definitely civil. I'm your father show patience with you and your. Brother, Yes, sir, he would.

21:43 Was there ever any violence in the family. No, sir. In February of twenty nineteen, your brother was in a boating accident. Was that cray, Yes, sir? And I believe where were you living at the town Columbia? And and was he only charge eventually, yes, sir. And what type of reaction was there to his involvement in the boating action, his criminal charges in the community. And have I would say, a negative reaction in the community. The media spike kind of got kind of got going after it. There was a lot of a lot of articles in the media about you know, our family and stuff like that.

22:24 And to your knowledge, was Paul being threatened or bullied on social media or anything like that. Yeah, he was definitely being bullied or on social media, you know, just people sending random messages. And I would talk to him. I know a lot of times he'd be walking down the sidewalk and you know, a car comes by and they would yell some stuff at him. I knew he would go out, you know, in a bar and you know there's somebody that wants to talk about it and you know, make a scuff about it. What was your mother's reaction to all the negativity of on in the boating accident. It you know, it kind of consumed her. She's she's big on on reading all of it. And when she read the negative stuff, it you know, made her feel upset and whatnot. And it it ultimately, it ultimately kind of caused her to distance herself from Hampton at this time, you know, primarily living at Moselle. She quit going to the to the grocery stores in Hampton, quit going to the pharmacy, quit going to get food. And Hampton just thought that there was a real, you know, kind of a bad, kind of a bad vibe in Hampton. Like you go, She felt like people were staring at her and talking about her and stuff.

23:45 Where would she do her shop? She moved over to Waterborough and started going over that way. Right. Were were you sued in the boating accident? Yes, sir, was your dad suit? He was was your other suit? She her estate became sued. But before she was murdered, had she been sued? I don't know, I can't remember. Okay, maybe, and you know, do you know if Paul had been sued? No, I don't know that he had been sued. What was your mother anxious about the civil lawsuit, Yes, sir, What was her biggest concern her?

24:30 I would say her biggest concern was reading articles after you know, Mark Tinsley had made a statement about how much money he was wanting to collect in the civil lawsuits, and I think it was to the tune of like forty million dollars or something like that he was trying to trying to get in that that made her anxious? And what what was your reaction to statements like that? Well, I mean, I knew what he was saying, but I mean, it's not to me. It just didn't seem you know, I didn't think I don't have forty million dollars, so right?

25:13 And was your dad anxious about the lawsuit? To your knowledge, didn't appear to be overly anxious about it. What took priority the criminal case against Paul or the civil case? The criminal case? Right? So, at some point Paul finds out that his brother Paul and his mother Maggie were killed. Who told him? What was his reaction? And as importantly, what did he observe as his father's reaction? What about those subsequent days after this? Buster talks about it in this club bus.

26:00 Rolling, and I'll talk about the weekends leading up to June the seventh, Yes, sir, And and we showed the picture of the lake weekend that where you were went up to Kiwi with the proctors and the brand statters. Yes, sir. And then the following weekend, I believe was Memorial Day. Were you with your family on Memorial Day weekend? Yes, sir? And who was present? A lot of people were present. I was there, my brother was there, my mom and dad, my brother had some friends staying with us, and those are the people sleeping there. And then people are you know, in and out throughout the day, throughout the weekend.

26:40 It was a fun family weekend, Yes, sir. Okay, there was a normal Memorial Day weekend at a stowe with your family and friends. Yes, right, okay, I'm gonna show you this is I'm gonna show you the finished Exhibit one twenty three. And I want to get you to identify as buster. Don't just say what it is. It's a picture of my mom and my dad and I on a boat. Do you have a Moral Day weekend? Yes, sir? Yeah, we moved defendance Exhibit one twenty three in the avenues. Good submit it just a photo of buster, yes, sir.

27:31 And then I I believe this same weekend there was a birthday party or cookout. Is that right? Yes, sir, Doug, if you could play exhibit defense exhibit sixty one, please, it's in evidence. And I let just take a look at that.

28:12 Thank you so much, Thank you, batter. Your mom make a cake for your dad, yes, sir. And that was a group of friends. When's your dad's birthday? Do you know exact day? It's not a test, you just say you don't know. If you don't, no, I don't. I don't know the exact day. It's around a Memorial Day, that's right, twenty seven maybe. The Then the following weekend, there was a baseball tournament in Columbia. Cry, yes, sir, till the jury about that weekend?

28:53 What what happened there? That was the weekend South Carolina was hosting a regional baseball tournament. And me and my mom, my dad, and my girlfriend went to the to the baseball games. And where was the game Columbia? And it was a super regional or regional a regional, yes, sir? And and and what what days that weekend did you go to the game? Saturday and Sunday. Did your mom and dad stay in Columbia that weekend? They did? Where they stayed on Saturday night? Yes, sir? Okay, and you Jill tailgate with them on Saturday or Sunday, Yes, sir, we did. And was it a normal weekend? It was fun weekend, yes, sir. And that Sunday would have been June the six, is that right, yes, sir? And and then on June and the sebventh, we we went through a host of number of telephone calls with you and your dad and mom leading up to nine o eight nine ten. On June seventh, Blush, when did you first find out that your mom and brother were murder.

30:14 My? My dad called me. I can't I can't remember the exact time, but it was later and he called me on the phone. He asked me if I was sitting down and I was like yeah, and then he you know, sounded odd, and then he then he told me that that my mom and and brother had been shot. What'd you do? Well, Brooklyn? My girlfriend was with me, and I think she heard the She could hear my conversation kind of over the phone, and so she just started packing packing stuff and I kind of just sat there for a minute.

30:58 I was I was in shock. But eventually we got our stuff together and drove down to Mozelle. Do you remember what time you got to Mosille? It was? It was early in the morning, late in the morning, you know, if we left around ten thirty eleven, got there sometime probably around two o'clock in the morning. And when you got there, did you see your dad? Yes, sir. What kind of condition was he in? What was his demeanor? Yeah? His demeanor was I mean he was destroying his heart broken. I walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug and just just broken down.

31:45 Could he speak? Not really? Is he crying? Yes, sir? Who else was in the house? You remember? Yeah, my girlfriend Brooklyn and I got there. My out in the driveway, and my uncle Randy and Uncle John were out there. Chris Wilson and Corey Fleming had just gotten there. They had pulled in behind us. And when I walked in, several of the partners were there. Ronnie Crosby was there, Lee Cope was there, Mark Ball was there, Austin Crosby was there, William Barnes, my buddy Nolan was there, and I'm sure, I'm leaving some out, but that's just what I remember.

32:32 And do you remember how long you stayed there? Stayed there several hours probably, you know, probably three or four hours till about four or five o'clock in the morning. And where did you go? And then we left Moseille and we went to Almita. When you say we, who are you talking about? My girlfriend, my dad and my uncle John? And I know this a trivial, but what was your dad wearing when you first saw him? Shorts? T shirt? Okay? And did you help him? Pat?

33:16 I did, yes, sir? What did you do to help him? Pack? Got his bag and went into the closet, grabbed some T shirts, grabbed some shorts, grabbed toilet kit, put in the bag and what why were you doing the package? Just trying to help him? He you know, he was so upset. We were all upset, but just trying to expedite the process of getting out of me. When when you went in to pack your your dad, was there a T shirt laying on the floor. I couldn't remember. Did you get shirts from above them? Sweat? Where did you get the T shirts from?

34:01 Got him from the closet and there's like a wooden It's like wooden shelves up on the wall. And I was getting the T shirts from there. Were there a lot of T shirts on the show? Yes, sir. Do you know whether or not one of the T shirts fell on the floor when you were packed? I don't know whether one of them fell on the floor or not, but I mean certainly could have happened. When you got to Mozille. Were you able to get some sleep? Nice, sir. Did you go back to Moselle the next. Morning, Yes, sir? And who went with you?

34:43 Me, my girlfriend Brooklyn, and my dad and maybe John Marvin. I don't know if he was riding with us or already out there separately, but he was somewhere in the mix. Do you remember roughly what time you got to Moselle. I mean I think we got there rather early. You know, nobody they slept and yeah, about early in the morning sun comes up. Just did did did you take a shower and Brooke then take a shower at Almeda or did you do it over at Moseille? No, sir, We we slept at well, tried to sleep at Almeda, and then we took everything back with us to Moseille and we showered there.

35:26 Do you know where your dad took a shower that morning? Mozelle? And when you went back over in the morning. Do you know what your dad was wearing when you we're traveling from Almeda. No, not specifically, but I know that you know, I know what I packed could have been any of that. It's just athletic shorts and T shirts and stuff.

36:07 And after you b got to Mozelle and I, I guess, just carrying the days forward, were you with your dad? Well? How often were you with your dad once you got back to Mozille on on the eighth? Every day. For how many days? For a good while? Okay, so let's talk about where you stayed on the nine of the eighth. You remember. M night of the eighth, would have either stayed back at Almeta or that's that's potentially when we made the transition over to John Marmon's hunting lodge.

36:51 What were you what when you say we are you including your father? Yes, sir kay? Did you drive together, Yes, sir he did. Was he pretty much in your eyesight for the first few days, yes, sir, And so after the eighth and then you come up on the ninth a Wednesday. Do you know whether you were at Meeta or spending the night at at your uncle John Marvin's place. Yeah, I think at that point we had switched over to his place over at Greenfield. Now, and you call it Greenfield. That's the name of this his hunting.

37:34 Yes, sir, just the name of the property over all property. Now, how far is it from from Almeta to Greenfield? Yeah? A couple of minutes, I mean, yeah, right down the raid m h. And did and and do you remember how long you stayed at it at Greenville with your death? Yeah, I mean several days. And you know, I think anywhere from the ninth to the Yeah, probably that rest of that week through that weekend.

38:20 Yeah, on Thursday, June tenth. And what happened? Your grandfather died, so. The family who was together and stayed together, Yes, sir. Do you ever remember your dad disappearing for any periods of time? Nay, sir. Were you close physically close to him most all the time, yes, sir, except when you were sleeping. And I believe the funeral for your mom and brother memorial service was on that Saturday, yes, sir. And then that Sunday was the funeral for your your father, grandfather grandfather, Yes, sir, And at some point in time you went to at did you go to Somerville at some point in time?

39:13 Yes, sir. Do you remember when you went to Somerville. Right right? You know, beginning at that next week? Hey, I want to ask you if that Defendants Exhibit one twenty nine mark for identification purposes refreshes your recollection as to when you left to go to Somerville. Yes, sir, I went And want to tell the Jerry what what is that? What's that document you have in your hand? It's a it's a text threat between my girlfriend and. I and and does it have so based on that text communication between you and your girlfriend and refreshes your recollection, when did you leave to go to.

39:54 Summerville June fourteenth? And looking through there refreshing your recollection? How long did you stay in Summerville? Stayed in Summerville until stayed in Somerville until the seventeenth. And then what do you remember doing after you left Somerville. On the seventeenth we left Summerville to go to Lake Kiwi. And so when you were in Somerville from the fourteenth to the seventeenth. Who were you staying with? Staying with my grandparents? And then you went to Kiwi? Who did you go with?

40:39 Went with my dad and I my grandparents, my aunt and uncle and their children, their children's boyfriends. And how was that? So you're with your dad from the night of June seventh and through the Kiwi trip, Is that correct? Yes, sir? Yeah, And you remember what you did after the Kiwach Lake kiwe Trump. Now, at some point in time you decide, you know, I've got to go back to rock Hill? Yeah, yes, sir, remember roughly when that was? No, I mean, I think it was some time following all this, but I couldn't. I can't tell you exactly when I went back to work.

41:32 When you just decided to go back to rock Hill. You had you had a job in Charlotte, Is that right, Yes, sir. Did you have any discussions with your father about your personal safety? Yes, sir. Did he make any offers to you? He did? What offers did he make to you? He offered me to pass for the objection, here's safe. Stop serving here soon? Thoughts you're an offer? Is not here saying it's an offering? The objection, Sustin.

42:13 Did did you take any security precautions? No? Did you want any security protection? No, sir, I didn't. Why not, Well, I didn't. I didn't want to carry a gun or anything like that. And I also didn't want like a private security detail following me around, just for lack of privacy in and at the time the places that I that I was staying in the places that I were going, like I was staying at rock Hill in my girlfriend's house, who has yeah, alarm systems and security cameras and whatnot. And then other than that, I'm staying in hotels, which you know, I just felt.

43:14 Did it some point in time you and your father announce her a reward? Yes, sir, I'm show you what a marchis defenders exhibit. Ask if you identify this. If you can't identify this, yes, sir, this is the reward, Yes, said news release up about the reward, Yes, sir, your honor, we've moved. Did it? Did you worked on this language with your dad? Yes, sir. Can can you read to the jury the first two paragraphs please, beginning with Alex and Buster Murdoch.

43:55 Yes, sir, Alec and Buster Murdock announced today a reward of one hundred thousand for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who brutally murdered Paul and Maggie on June seventh of twenty twenty one. I want to thank everyone for the incredible love and support that we have received over the last few weeks. Now is the time to bring justice for Maggie and Paul. Buster and I, along with Maggie's mother, father, and our entire family, asked that anyone with helpful information immediately call the SLED tip line or Crime Support Sorry, crime stoppers. Thank you. Now, there's a in the body of this there's a expiration date on this reward. What's what's your understanding of purpose of having an expiration date?

44:46 I'm not really sure. Well, you say this says to be eligible, the person claiming the reward must submit the tip to SLED out of crime Stoppers by September thirty one, twenty twenty one. Yes, sir, what. Happened in September early September twenty twenty one, Buster talking about the Yeah do you remember your dad? Yes to Detox roadside shooting. Yes, sir, from from that moment that your dad went to the hospital and went to Detox.

45:29 Did he ever come back home to his property, his clothes, his belongings. Nice knowledge, Nice. There's been questions about whereabouts? Whereabouts on Alex's clothes can tell the jury before he went off to Detox where his clothes were? How many different locations he had clothes? So had closed at Moselle had closed it, Greenfield had closed it, probably a few closes at Almeta had closed it, Ringy and Christie's house had had to close a lot of places.

46:14 Do you have closed down to Chessie or yep? Yep, CHESSI Ok. They have closed at a stove, yes, sir? Do you have closed in his car? Yes, sir, you can't leave the ws. How many nights after June seventh to your knowledge did your dad spend at Moselle nine? How many nights after June seventh did you spend at Moselle nine. I'm gonna did you have the snapchat video? Can you pull that up please? Of the tree? You know this is the Snapchat video of this in evidence. I'll get the exhibit Nomber for the record. Shortly the uh buster. You recognize that shirt?

47:09 Ah? Yes, sir, what kind of shirt is It's like a you know, short sleeve, button down shirt. Is it a Columbia shirt? No, it doesn't look like a Columbia shirt. What color is it's blue? Did your dad have a foam green Columbia sports shirt? Maybe? Is this it? No? This is blue. Did do you you know if your dad ever ordered any of vinny vine or I don't know. Did you order?

47:54 Did you order close after your mother and Bruh murders? Maybe he ordered clothes, but he he doesn't wear a lot of vineyard vines. Okay, have you ever seen him five vineyard vine? No, sir? Sometime in August, did did you go with your dad where you you played in a golf tournament? Yes, sir, I went played in a golf tournament and he came and wanted to watch us play in it. And what kind of golf tournament? It's a It's a golf tournament that a buddy of mine puts on in Summerville every year. It's called the jess So Invitational. It's just a bunch of guys that are friends come together and play in a golf tournament.

48:46 And did you look up the date of that tournament before testifying today, I did. And what date? What's what wee can? Was that tournament in August? Stuff? Excuse me? In twenty twenty one? Yeah, it's the last weekend in August of twenty one. Do you know if you were in the well? Was there a house? Uh, Johnny Parker had that your dad kept stuff in? Yes, sir, there's a there's a small house in between Johnny Parker's house and my uncle Andy's house. It's I think I think mister Johnny built it for his mom or or mother in law or something when she was sick.

49:26 But yeah, there's a little little two bedroom house right there. And did your dad stay there? He did? He did. I don't know if we mentioned that as one of the places where there was clothing. Yeah, that'd be one. That'd be another one, all right. So there are a lot of places, yes, sir, were you were you there? Did you observe your dad talking to Blanc about anything where you're getting ready to go on the golf trip? Nice, sir, Okay, you were not a president nicer. I don't think I was present. Where did you go in any other golfing outings in all August with your dad. You know, yes, earlier and earlier August of that year, we played played go off down in Hilton Head with the people from the trial Arris convention.

50:19 Now you've have you been sitting in this courtroom mhm since day one? Yes, sir, every trial started every day. Just very briefly, well you you've heard us money during this trial, that your dad was stealing money from clients. Did you know anything about the. Okay? And just lastly, roughly, how long would it take to clean a dog run down at the kennels? Two dog runs for e Now. Roughly i'd say ten minutes or so.

51:01 Okay, And what do you have to do? You got to get the hose, turn the hose on, spray out, spray out the dog kennels. You you know, put the bet on top of the wooden box of the BET's not wet. Now what do you spraying? Dog newer? Yeah, springing you know, dog pit and it spreads out and you've got to that's right, Yeah, you gotta spread, make sure it's all out of there, spread to the back. All right, thank you. That's all happened. Now the prosecution at this point they're wanting to get up there and ask their own questions, but they have to be careful. The last person you want to look like you're attacking in this trial is Buster Murdaal, who's lost every single person in his immediate family at this point, his brother and mother are dead and his father's on trial for it.

51:56 So they make what I. Consider a brilliant decision, and they allow my favorite lawyer in this case, the awesome John Metters, to lead the questioning. And incidentally, I did a little digging on John Metters and absolute stud of a lawyer, a special prosecutor in fact for the state of South Carolina. They only call him for high profile murder cases and he is paid by the state on a per case basis. This guy is the shit. Well, in this first clip, you're going to hear an amazing open Remember, he has to be delicate.

52:43 He doesn't want to offend this jury by looking like he's being anything but delicate to Buster Murdal. And he also asked Buster about Moselle's layout, which is very important to the movements of Alex, especially as it were to a timeline. So here's what that sign of life. Can I call you a bus Yes, sir, I'm John and first off, tell you I am sorry about your mother. I'm sorry about his mother, and I'm sorry about. Your brother, thank you. And I'm sorry about your grandfather.

53:24 Thank you. He was nice to me when I was a young assistant Slicterra, I'm sorry for your loss, Yes, sir, I appreciate it. Thank you. I don't have any questions for you, buster. Okay. When you are leaving the main house, you told mister Griffin that the the main entrance was the brick entrance, Yes, sir, but there's also a side entrance or by the kennel's entrances. It, I'm yes, sir, just a totally different entrance. And the mailbox was at the side entrance, yes, or the mail the miss the kennel att yes, okay, why was that? Do you know? I don't know. I think it's just the I really don't.

54:06 I don't even. But the packages would come to, you said the kennel side, they would come to the shed and a lot of times y'all would use that kennel entrance takes it to go just like you'd used the main one. Right, yeah, you would. I would say that I more so tended to use the the main one. The one that I'd say is the is the brick fillers. But yeah, I mean you could certainly leave either way. But if you were leaving the main entrance and you got down, you're leaning the house and you're going toward the brick and then you know, it's kind of a why where it kind of cuts off to the kennel too, right, Sure, so you go straight or left. If you were leaving at night, going straight, and if you were looking out to the left and the lights wrong, you'd be able to see the lights on that the kennel just from that little while, wouldn't you.

54:59 Maybe, depending on what lights were on and whatnot. I mean if it was fully lit up, maybe. And just from that wine instead of going straight, if you from that distance, you'd be able If the light's wrong fully, you'd probably be ab. To see maybe, yessir al Meda. Where your grandma and green Daddy were. Is that close to the I think it's close to the law. Firm, isn't it Almeda? Yes, close to the law firm. I wouldn't say so. I mean anywhere in Hampton is close to anywhere in Hampton because it's not very big. But I mean it's it's a ten ten minute twelve minute drive out to Almeda. I would think from from the law firm.

55:40 I think, mister duck, could you bring that one thirty one? Did I ask him to do that? And then I'm still how can be exposed drifting equipment? That's sure, so you don't have to get But you see, is this kind of way you said everybody would park? It's right so if you look, no, sir, you can so if you look right off. This one one you might want to come down to you if you don't mind it. This is. So if you look right over here, this is kind of what I'm referring to, is like the back corner of the house, and it would basically you would come around there's a big oak tree here, you come around it and then you basically pull up and you would probably stop the hood of your car right and you know, right off the back corner.

56:31 Of the house, so a bit closer to here than the over here. You about right in here, so right in. Here, yeah, I mean, because you don't want to pull up super close to it, yeah, be right off. But there was a driveway, all in paved driveway in here. Right there is a paved driveway over towards the side of the house. Okay, and really not many tire tracks. Grass looks good in here. I don't know when these pictures were taking it. It's a little dead right there, but there is a driveway right there's a driver. You can't have to see that, thank you? Please? Wait when did you. When did you first mention that to anybody? That that's far from ino in the yard there?

57:12 What do you mean? I mean, like, when did you first discuss that with anybody as far as far as part that your grandma, I'm good Dad's house. When was the first time you talk to me about about that? A couple of days A couple of days ago, A couple. Of days ago, okay, that's the first time you mentioned that? Sure, okay? And then that would have been after Shelley testified, right, Shelley Smith. I guess I don't really remember when miss Smith testify. Miss Smith, did you bring that to somebody's a teacher or did somebody ask.

57:56 You about it? I couldn't. I'm not sure, and I think you keep forgetting my old cross. You testified that how many times had you been there with your dad? I wasn't quite clear with your answers, mister Griffin, I'm not trying to be difficult, but. I understand, and I can't give you an approximate number. But I mean I've been out there with them several times. And would you always call? You said you called? Did you always call when you got there? Yeah? I feel like most of the time you would call just to tell, you know, because the ladies getting nervous, you know, if you if you aren't, if you hadn't called, and they see a car pulling in the driveway, you know, it's just easier to call and let them know, like, hey, we're gonna be pulling around, you know, please unlock the door or we'd like to come out.

58:45 Had you ever been over there at six thirty in the morning? Have I ever been out there at six thirty in the morning, any, I mean, just like overall my I guess, yeah, I mean, I mean I I've been out there at six point thirty in the morning before going hunting and what not. And you call then also then right, well that was going into the house, I mean yeah, yeah, sure, I would just let him know, especially six thirty in the morning. Sure. Now in this last clip matters. He starts kind of working Buster a little bit, especially as it relates to the problems Alex was having as it relates to money in the stress that goes with all of that, And he even touches on the murder itself, and he asks Buster his perception on the aftermath of those murders, and Griffin even gets up and asks a one question rebuttal, So here's all that in this club.

59:49 Your mom loved Edis though, didn't she? Yes? Sir? She did? I love Edis stuff. She was actually getting some work done down there, wasn't she? Yes? Or she was getting some work done on the house. And on this date, June seventh, Literally there were people inside doing work that day, weren't they? I think so? And her plan was to stay down there that night, wasn't it. I don't know. I don't know what her plan was you had. I think the last time you've been to Moselle, you said, was the spring, maybe a few months prior to this, Okay, And you have to say yes for the courtor Woard not from me? Yes, sorry?

1:00:30 And you talked to your mom that day on June seventh, yes, sir, And I think you had talked to Paul the last time on the fifth, If I'm not mistaken, June fifth, that's what you told them on the interview. Sure, and mister Griffiths to ask you about the financial troubles and that have come out here. You had no knowledge of your financial your dad's financial difficulties at all. Did you, sir? I mean you really didn Suir, I really didn't. And as far as you knew financially, the family was sound, yes, sir, he went to Watford. I did go to Watford. Go Terry for the record, thank you. But everything as far as you knew financially was okay. And when did you learn it?

1:01:16 What? Uh m hmm. I guess on September the for whatever that day in September. Was so back in the birthday. I guess for your dad memorial day, Danadeta stuff. Sure defense exhibit and I apologize, I don't know what number it was just played. I believe that mister Chris Wilson is hugging your dad, Yes, sir, okay, he's a family friend. Yes, sir, okay. You didn't know then that he owed your dad owed Chris Wilson or stole one hundred and ninety two thousand from him, did you? I did not, And I'm not saying that big mean, but you really didn't know that that's that's correct, didn't I? And this voting, the voting accident that mister Griffin asked you about, that was pressure on the family, wasn't it.

1:02:22 I don't know that pressure is the right word. I mean, it's it's definitely in an uneasy feeling. You know, your your brother is criminally charged and then you myself and my father have civil charges. Mean definitely unsettling. I mean it called stress within the family, didn't it? It was it was stressful. I wouldn't say within the family because I mean, you know, we supported each other and. I'm not I'm not questioning that, but I mean as your mom felt ostracized, yes, sir, she more so wanted to say that and stuff. Yes, sir. I mean you were a little frustrated with Paul yourself, weren't you, in terms of using your ID and getting all that and that case is out of okay, But I mean you didn't like it when he used your ID.

1:03:07 You sell. And I'm not trying to go anywhere buster, but he'd use your ID sometimes you didn't want him. To questions, gonna ask questions comments? What's the question? Was the question? Did you like it? Did he he used your id? Didn't? He stretches over? I'm sorry, can you say it again? Did Paul use your identification? Yes? Did that frustrate you sometimes? He was shown the tree video with the shirt and the pants. You remember that, yes, sir? When you saw your dad on the night of June seventh, what do you have on.

1:03:49 When I had made my way up to the house, he was wearing shorts and a and a T shirt. Who took who laundrew just closed. At that period of time? Uh? Would have been Blanco. And then my mom also does laundry sometimes. But on a day to day. Did Blanca take care of your dad's clothes, laundry and clean and folding? Yes, sir. Mister Griffin asked you about I leant to do that. You never went back to Mozelle after this incident? Well, I mean after if you take June seventh on June, I mean I've I've been back to Mozelle since then, but I've never slept on another night at Mozille.

1:04:32 Did your dad try to get you to go hunting? Out there again one time, or suggest it? He he asked if I wanted to, and if I wanted to that I could, But you didn't want to, No, sir, didn't didn't want to go. That's all I had to thank you, Yes, sir. Thank you. What a masterful job by metters there. Amazing really, And that's all I've got for you today. Look tomorrow, if you are a Patreon subscriber, a bonus episode just for you folks is dropping tomorrow and it is fire. You're gonna want to check it out. And many of you may remember the DC Madam scandal. It is on a particular senator that was involved in that scandal, and I got that full story for you, and that is just for Patreon subscribers. That's coming your way tomorrow Friday.

1:05:42 Thank you so much for listening, supporting. Check us out at patreon dot com slash Exposed podcast Files for more and until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman. Much love, m