Testimony coming Monday in Murdaugh murder trial

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Four agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will testify in the murder case of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh as part of discovery on Monday.

In addition to those four testimonies, a motion filed in Colleton County says SLED is going to have to provide incident reports, notes, search warrants and affidavits in the hearings.

The State is also going to ask for a protective order, or a gag order, preventing people involved from discussing details of this case outside of the courtroom.

The State’s reasoning is that the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh are generating a lot of public attention and the evidence, in this case, has sensitive information. The State hopes the temporary order will later become a permanent gag order.

The filing says, “There is no intent to keep litigation of this case secret from the public, but that this order is to protect the process and ensure evidence only comes out in a public courtroom.”

Judge Clifton Newman denied a gag order already in early August. Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys oppose the temporary protective order, according to the filing.

Newman will have the opportunity to review the gag order Monday and could make a decision on it as well as hear the testimony from SLED.

Alex Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to charges that he murdered his wife and son.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.