6 New Shocking Moments in Alex Murdaugh Case Trial as "Fireworks" Ensue

The Alex Murdaugh trial is heating up – and there is drama in the courtroom. The story of the South Carolina attorney accused of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, is rapidly becoming cinematic. It involves lots of money, criminal activity, and cover-ups. While no murder weapon has been found and there are no witnesses to the alleged crime, lots of evidence has been presented disputing the story Alex has been telling. This week, there was no lack of drama as there have been new developments about the case, allegations about paying witnesses off, and even a family member showing a rude sign in the courtroom. 

Buster Flipped the Bird at a Witness

Buster Murdaugh, Alex's 26-year-old son, reportedly put a middle finger up at a witness, Mark Tinsley. Cameras caught Buster showing the gesture to Tinsley while sitting in the front row of the courtroom behind his father. Tinsley, the attorney representing the family of Mallory Beach, the young woman who was killed in the boating accident involving Paul, was giving evidence on Monday. When asked to move further back by security, Buster reportedly got angry and kicked a water bottle. 

Alex's Sister Got in Trouble Too

According to reports, on Wednesday, Alex's sister, Lynn Murdaugh Goettee, was also called out for bad behavior when she was seen passing him a book through a member of his defense team. Citing a source with knowledge of the incident, CNN writes, "It was not shared with the victim's advocate, and Goettee had been admonished just five minutes before that."

The book – John Grisham's The Judge's List – was later confiscated. She also lost her front row privileges and both she and Alex were warned that if there are any more breaches, they will be banned from the courtroom for good. The Judge's List is a novel that follows the trail of a serial killer and a sitting judge in Florida. Investigator follows the trail of a serial killer and closes in on a shocking suspect, a sitting judge.

Lawyer Witness Made GoFundMe Donation to Other Witness

Mushelle "Shelley" Smith works as a caregiver at the nursing home where Alex's mother lives. She is also a key witness for the prosecution, as she has testified that Alex only visited his mother for 20 minutes – not the 40 he alleges – and even asked her to lie for him. On Thursday, the defense cross-examined Tinsley and grilled him over a $1,000 donation to a GoFundMe set up for Smith to "reward her bravery" in testifying against Murdaugh.

"He made a financial payment to a witness in the middle of a trial," Murdaugh defense lawyer Philip Barber argued to Judge Clifton Newman, asking him to bar the lawyer's testimony. However, the judge denied the motion. "That'll be good fodder for cross-examination," Newman said.

There Was a Bomb Threat in the Courtroom

The courtroom was evacuated Wednesday. Why? Someone made a bomb threat on the judge's chambers. "We have to evacuate the building at this time. We'll be in recess until we discover what's going on," the judge said. The threat was very serious," a police officer, who was in the courtroom, told People magazine. "Until we know what's going on, everyone needs to stay a safe distance away."

Murdaugh's Housekeeper Says the Clothes He Was Wearing Before His Wife and Son Were Murdered Disappeared

On Friday, Prosecutor John Meadors asked the Murdaugh's housekeeper, Blanca Simpson, to identify the clothes Alex was wearing in the Snapchat video recorded by Paul at 7:38 p.m. the night of the murders. She confirmed that he was wearing boat shoes and a blue polo shirt, which she never saw again.

According to the testimony, after the murders, Paul pulled her aside and asked her if she remembered the Vineyard Vines shirt he was wearing, but she didn't. Simpson said she also remembers ironing Murdaugh's blue polo shirt, a different material from the Vineyard Vines shirt. "I remember a polo shirt," she said. "I didn't say anything, but I was kind of thrown back. I don't remember him wearing that shirt."

Alex Asked Maggie and Paul to Come to Moselle on the Day of the Murders

Simpson also testified that Alex asked his wife and son to come to Moselle instead of the Edisto Beach house where she usually stayed. "She sounded like she was a little disappointed," Simpson said. "[Maggie] said Alex asked Paul to come home, too, because he's got to fix the mess up that CB had done," Simpson continued, referring to trees that had fallen over on the property after their groundskeeper, C.B. Rowe, planted them. Simpson went to the house before Maggie and Paul arrived, cooking them cubed steak and gravy, white rice, and green beans for the family.