The state's 47th witness is Nathan Tuten, a Walterboro police officer and childhood friend of Paul Murdaugh.
Tuten on Paul: “Paul was the definition of a good person and good friend.” Loyal, reliable. On Maggie: “One of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever met in my life.”
Tuten says the Moselle property used to have just one entrance, the one by the cabin/shed/hangar/dog kennels. Maggie put in the mailbox there. Prosecutors making the point that folks normally used that entrance, not the other one.
Well, Tuten isn't helping make that point. He said the second entrance, closer to the main house, was created a few years after the Murdaughs obtained Moselle. “Friends used the entrance by the sheds more. Alex and Maggie would use the main gate entrance more.”
Prosecutor asks Tuten if the boys were home and hanging out down by the kennels, would it be common for Alex or Maggie to drive out that way and stop by to see them before leaving? Tuten says yes. That was normal. Will McElveen said the same thing earlier.
Prosecutor plays the dog kennel video for Tuten. Tuten identifies the three voices that can be heard. Maggie's, Paul's and Alex’s.
Bubba the yellow lab was “hard-headed,” Tuten said. He liked to chase chickens if they got out of the pen. “He would chase anything.”
Tuten testifies he worked as a courier at PMPED from 2019 to May 2022. He continued to work there after the tragedy. Alex was out of the office for a while afterward. He eventually came back in a little bit.
Tuten testifies he cashed checks all the time for Murdaugh, bringing the money back to Murdaugh in a Palmetto State Bank envelope. He testifies he sometimes brought the money back when people were in Murdaugh’s office.
He says the people he saw included Yemassee Police Chief Greg Alexander, Beaufort lawyer Cory Fleming and Bamberg attorney Chris Wilson. Prosecutor moves on without delving further into that.
Tuten testifies that after the slayings, he assisted with Jeanne Seckinger’s inquiry into Murdaugh’s thefts from the firm.
A month after the slayings, Tuten testifies, he drove Murdaugh to the airport for a trip to the Florida Keys with Maggie’s family. On the way, he says, Murdaugh told him he wanted to clear Paul’s name and beat the boat crash lawsuit.
Defense attorney Jim Griffin is crossing Tuten. He notes Tuten walked out of Murdaugh’s office after dropping off the money envelopes. Griffin: “Are you suggesting he was giving Greg Alexander any money?: Tuten: “I’m not suggesting anything.”
Griffin: “Do you know if that’s what the Attorney General was trying to suggest?” Prosecutors: Objection. Newman: Sustained. Griffin moves on.
Tuten testifies he only learned during this trial that Paul’s replacement .300 Blackout rifle - the alleged murder weapon - was missing. Tuten said he thought Buster's .300 Blackout - which had a thermal scope - was Paul's because Paul used it so often.
Suffice it to say that based on vibes alone, Tuten is not a defense witness.
Griffin tries to establish with Tuten that Paul liked working with his hands, so he wasn’t *always* on his phone. Tuten doesn't really agree. Griffin: But Paul had a habit of putting his phone down while he worked and forgetting it, then having to find it later. Tuten agrees.
Griffin establishes with Tuten that Paul got threats on different social media platforms after the 2019 boat crash. Paul stayed away from Hampton after that, Tuten says. “He didn’t go into very vivid detail about anything.”
Griffin steps down. On redirect from prosecutor, Tuten testifies he doesn't know of any threats Maggie received after the boat crash.
Prosecutor establishes with Tuten that if the lights were on at the kennels, someone from the main house at Moselle could see that. That does it for the jury. We're about to adjourn.
Judge Newman: We will not have court on Presidents Day.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters says the state is on track to wrap up its case on Wednesday.
We are done for the week. Story coming just as soon as I write it.