SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton #22

[Edvis]

Only 1 in 986 octillion individuals understands this testimony.

It's painful to listen to but the state got to get it in there, less ammo for the defense to use.

 

[BrownRice]

DNA testing results aren’t entertaining? Who knew?
Seems this testimony is very important instead of boring MOO

I guess if you understand it

 

[LetsSolvIt]

DNA testing results aren’t entertaining? Who knew?
Seems this testimony is very important instead of boring MOO

This must be very important info but this examination is horrible, seems someone more experienced should have taken this part. The poor jury. Not a good situation. I'm afraid defense is going to shred this testimony.

 

[Elley Mae]

Quintizillion?

 

[Tiger Stripes]

I think the State could have chosen a better team member to examine Ms. Zapata. This female attorney hasn’t helped in my opinion.

Well, it seems to be a 2-part problem:
a) Agt. Zapata is used to using these terms (that are like Swahili to the rest of us...) in her day to day lab work, and
b) Prosecution Atty. SG herself *may* be unsure how to simplify (i. e., to "put into layman's terms") for the jury, therefore, Atty. G. just lets Agt. Zapata continue using her super-specialized verbiage.

Maaaaybe (?) Atty. CW will take a moment (or two ) to clarify all of these glorious statistics from Agt. Zapata. CW seems very common-sense smart like that (he knows how important it is for the jury to "get" this info., and its significance to the overall case).

All JMOO

 

[arielilane]

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[Edvis]

This must be very important info but this examination is horrible, seems someone more experienced should have taken this part. The poor jury. Not a good situation. I'm afraid defense is going to shred this testimony.

Agreed even with her standing there in plain sight, no impact verbally.

 

[Derph]

Visual aids would have helped A TON. Just to help put things in perspective. There are too many numbers and things to remember without a visual imprint. The jury isn't allowed to take notes so they are going to have to go with their memory. Yeah, they'll have all this evidence before them but it will just be numbers which will confuse them even more. I've tuned out practically all of the testimony this morning.

 

[arielilane]

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[arielilane]

Recess until 2:30 pm ET

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/AveryGWilks

The state calls its 50th witness, SLED DNA analyst Sara Zapata.

Zapata is going at GREAT length to explain DNA analysis and how it works.

English, please.

I'm not going to try to translate this stuff unless I'm confident I know what Zapata is saying.

Zapata has told us that it's 510 million times more likely that Maggie contributed DNA to the .300 Blackout ammunition than any other person And it's 15 octillion times more likely Paul contributed DNA to the shotgun shells than any other person.

Now onto the feed room. DNA collected there shows it's Paul's. (Or, at least, it's 15 octillion times more likely to be Paul than anyone else). So now we know definitively that Paul was shot with a shotgun, his DNA was left in the feed room, and Maggie was killed with a rifle.

This may very well all be necessary foundational evidence, but perhaps not at the length of time we're taking to make these very basic points that are not in dispute and have never been in dispute.

Zapata, translated: Maggie and Alex's DNAs were found on a 12-gauge shotgun. (Not great clarity as to which shotgun or the relevance of that gun). Not sure how much it matters, as we're pretty sure the shotgun used to kill Paul remains missing.

Zapata, translated: A partial DNA profile was collected from a cell phone, but SLED was unable to tell whose DNA it was based on the limited evidence collected and its inability to determine the number of DNA contributors. Prosecutor doesn't bother telling us whose phone it was.

Zapata, translated: Swabs of suspected blood from Alex Murdaugh's 2021 Chevy Suburban steering wheel included (almost certainly) Alex and Maggie's DNA.

So, Maggie and Alex's DNA were found in swabs of suspected blood on both the Suburban steering wheel and a shotgun.

Prosecutor Savannah Goude, basically: Could you try to explain this to us in English? Zapata, basically: No, not really.

Lunch weighs heavily on the mind.

Zapata, translated: Tested Maggie’s fingernails. They excluded a whole bunch of people from contributing to that sample, including Buster Murdaugh, Randy Murdaugh, John Marvin Murdaugh, the Beaches and the boat crash survivors.

Zapata, translated: SLED could not immediately visually exclude Murdaugh groundskeeper C.B. Rowe as a DNA contributor to what was found on Maggie's fingernails. But it was 11 times more likely the DNA came from an unidentified person than C.B. Rowe. So.

Prosecutor Savannah Goude keeps trying to steer Zapata toward explaining these things in a way that makes sense to the audience. It is not working.

Zapata, translated: SLED found only Paul's DNA under his fingernails.

Zapata, translated: Various spots of Alex Murdaugh’s white T-shirt tested positive for both Alex and Maggie’s DNA, both Alex and Paul’s DNA, and both Alex and an unknown person’s DNA.

Zapata, translated: SLED found a bunch of DNA on Alex's shirt, including some from Maggie, some from Paul and even some from Nolan Tuten, one of Paul's friends

A younger, dumber version of me volunteered for this.

Zapata just testified that the cuttings from Alex Murdaugh's white T-shirt - which had Maggie and Paul's DNA on it - tested NEGATIVE for human blood.

Zapata suggests it is theoretically possible that the confirmatory tests could not detect blood because of the LCV testing - which Nguyen previously said she wouldn't have done.

It seems as if the state has shot itself directly in the foot with this LCV testing thing. Dyed the shirt blue, rendered it untestable by the defense, possibly hampered the confirmatory test (which came back negative for human blood), which defeats the whole purpose.

Honest to God, I'm struggling to listen without zoning out, but I'm pretty sure Zapata said she found Alex's, Maggie's and Paul's DNA on Alex's shorts from that night. SLED did not run confirmatory tests on possible blood on his shorts.

Zapata: Alex's DNA was found on his own shoes.

Finally! We get to the moment we've all been waiting for, the DNA swabs of the controversial blue rain jacket. SLED swabbed the inside of it to see who most likely owned the jacket. Zapata: No useful DNA found. Well damn.

 

[girlhasnoname]

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And the Razzie Award for worst Performance in the Commission of a Murder goes to Alex Murdaugh. JMO

He's on the phone walking around, nothing seems genuine to me at all. Poor Maggie and Paul.

MOO

 

[arielilane]

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[rescuemom]

Well, it seems to be a 2-part problem:
a) Agt. Zapata is used to using these terms (that are like Swahili to the rest of us...) in her day to day lab work, and
b) Prosecution Atty. SG herself *may* be unsure how to simplify (i. e., to "put into layman's terms") for the jury, therefore, Atty. G. just lets Agt. Zapata continue using her super-specialized verbiage.

Maaaaybe (?) Atty. CW will take a moment (or two ) to clarify all of these glorious statistics from Agt. Zapata. CW seems very common-sense smart like that (he knows how important it is for the jury to "get" this info., and its significance to the overall case).

All JMOO

I agree about the female atty. I think Ms Zapata is trying. I hope too it is explained. Is it good news or bad news for the t shirt evidence?? Alex looks uncomfortable so what does he think? Don't tell me he understands this??

 

[lonetraveler]

I think the jury will need cocktails with lunch today!

You have to assume that some of the jurors may be suffering from Super Bowl Flu and have zoned out a long time ago.

 

[Cindizzi]

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[rescuemom]

Well, it seems to be a 2-part problem:
a) Agt. Zapata is used to using these terms (that are like Swahili to the rest of us...) in her day to day lab work, and
b) Prosecution Atty. SG herself *may* be unsure how to simplify (i. e., to "put into layman's terms") for the jury, therefore, Atty. G. just lets Agt. Zapata continue using her super-specialized verbiage.

Maaaaybe (?) Atty. CW will take a moment (or two ) to clarify all of these glorious statistics from Agt. Zapata. CW seems very common-sense smart like that (he knows how important it is for the jury to "get" this info., and its significance to the overall case).

All JMOO

I agree about the female atty. I think Ms Zapata is trying. I hope too it is explained. Is it good news or bad news for the t shirt evidence?? Alex looks uncomfortable so what does he think? Don't tell me he understands this??

 

[BrownRice]

Visual aids would have helped A TON. Just to help put things in perspective. There are too many numbers and things to remember without a visual imprint. The jury isn't allowed to take notes so they are going to have to go with their memory. Yeah, they'll have all this evidence before them but it will just be numbers which will confuse them even more. I've tuned out practically all of the testimony this morning.

You’re right! I totally forgot about no notes. Yikes

 

[girlhasnoname]

I think the jury will need cocktails with lunch today!

Make mine a double

 

[lonetraveler]

I think the jury will need cocktails with lunch today!

You have to assume that some of the jurors may be suffering from Super Bowl Flu and have zoned out a long time ago.