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Prosecutors in the Alex Murdaugh trial continued to grill the suspect, who took the stand this week to testify in his defense.
Under intense cross-examination, Murdaugh detailed his 20-year addiction to opioids that supposedly impelled him to lie about his whereabouts on the night of the murder and forced him to steal from his law firm and his clients.
Alex Murdaugh told the jurors that his struggle with oxycodone addiction began in the early 2000s after knee surgery due to an injury sustained while playing college football. Murdaugh said that he became extremely dependent on pain medication after undergoing multiple surgeries due to lingering issues with his knee injury.
Alex Murdaugh said that his dependency on opioids was exacerbated to the point where he took more than 2,000 milligrams of painkillers a day (60-70 tablets) in the months leading up to the 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
Prosecutors remained dubious about the testimony as a dosage of that magnitude could be potentially lethal. However, Murdaugh explained that with years of drug usage, he had built up a high tolerance which insulated him against an overdose.
Alex Murdaugh details the opioid addiction that allegedly led him to steal from his law firm
During the trial, Alex Murdaugh told the jurors that he had tried on several occasions to seek help for his addiction but relapsed after each attempt at detox. This led him to steal from the law firm and clients to support his opioid dependency.
Alex Murdaugh told the jurors that he spent $50,000 a week on drugs. The money was acquired from his cousin, Curtis Smith, who was involved in a bizarre plot to shoot Murdaugh in the head under the disgraced lawyer’s orders so his elder son, Buster, could collect a $10 million life insurance policy.
Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and two weapons charges in the killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.
Prosecutors argued that Murdaugh killed his family to gain sympathy and avoid being exposed in the community for his alleged financial crimes. Shortly before the murders, Murdaugh was fired from his law firm after they discovered that he had stolen millions from his clients and law partners.
During his testimony, Murdaugh admitted that he lied to SLED agents about his whereabouts on the night of the murder. This was after prosecutors provided video evidence that proved the suspect was at the crime scene five minutes before they were shot multiple times near the family's dog kennel.
Murdaugh told jurors that he had a "pocket full of pills" when he was interviewed by the agents the day after the double homicide.
At the time, Murdaugh told the agents that he was at the house taking a nap before leaving the premises to visit his ailing mother.
Alex Murdaugh blamed his opioid addiction for his misdeeds but has maintained his innocence in the double homicide. When Murdaugh was confronted on the stand, he defended himself, saying that he lied due to his paranoia stemming from years of substance abuse.
