Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul sent Snapchat video to friends on the night he was murdered

Jury selection began on Monday for the trial of Alex Murdaugh, who is accused of murdering his son Paul and wife Margaret

Prosecutors say a Snapchat video sent by Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul on the night he and his mother Margaret were murdered will form a key part of their case.

Margaret Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found shot dead on their rural South Carolina property on 7 June 2021.

More than a year later, Mr Murdaugh, 54, was charged with their murder. He has pleaded not guilty, and jury selection for his murder trial began in Colleton County on Monday.

According to a motion filed by the South Carolina state attorney’s office obtained by WCSC, prosecutors called representatives from Google and Snapchat to provide evidence at the trial.

They are seeking expert testimony from the tech companies about a Snapchat video Paul Murdaugh sent to “several friends” at approximately 7.56pm on the night he was killed, according to WCSC.

“The contents of this video is important to proving the State’s case in chief,” the document states.

In previous court filings, prosecutors have said they believe the Murdaughs were killed somewhere between 8.30pm and 10.06pm.

Judge Clifton Newton has already signed off on allowing representatives of the two tech companies to give evidence, according to WCSC.

Prosecutors say Mr Murdaugh, who hails from a powerful South Carolina family of lawyers and judges, killed his wife and son as a distraction from his many alleged financial crimes, which included money laundering and stealing settlement cash from clients.

Mr Murdaugh has been disbarred and faces an additional 100 charges for the alleged tax evasion scheme which prosecutors say netted him more than $9m.

Once a jury has been selected, the trial is expected to last about three weeks.