‘The person I thought I knew loved his family’: Partner at Alex Murdaugh’s former law firm takes the stand

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - The defense continued their case Wednesday morning, calling a three-decade long friend of Alex’s to the stand.

Mark Ball is a partner at Alex Murdaugh’s former law firm and testified that they’ve known each other for 34 years. Ball says he was one of the first to the scene the night of the murders, and the defense asked him what he saw investigators doing when he got there.

“Had any roadblocks or barriers been put up to stop cars from coming in there,” Defense Attorney Jim Griffin said.

“None.”

He pointed out a few different things he saw that struck him as odd, such as water being allowed to drip onto Paul’s body and people walking around the area. From a wider view, Ball says he and Alex raised their children together so the defense asked him about Alex’s relationship with his family.

“The person I thought I knew loved his family, or appeared to love his family very much - he’d take their calls he’d do all of those things. After September 3rd I’m not sure I know that person,” Alex Murdaugh’s former coworker Mark Ball said.

As a refresher, September 3rd is the day Alex was fired by his law firm because they said he was stealing. The prosecution pounced on the idea that the defense’s own witness never knew who the defendant really was.

“Effortlessly and easily lied to you for years and you didn’t know it? Is that correct,” State Prosecutor Creighton Waters said.

“Didn’t know it, didn’t catch it.”

The state there pushing Alex’s pattern of lying, hoping the jury will see that witness as one who supported their case more than the defense’s.

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