. , buster murdaugh tak the stand. being together. celebrating together. ♪ ...without letting anything keep you apart. walgreens pharmacists are here to help you stay well. and stay...together. ♪ i used to pre-rinse dishes cause my old detergent didn't actually get 'em clean. but new cascade platinum plus has me doing dishes... differently. with double the dawn grease fighting power and double the scrubbing power. so you can load this, and get this. new cascade platinum plus. dare to dish differently. ♪ zyrteeeec...♪ works hard at hour one and twice as hard when you take it again the next day. so betty can be the... barcode beat conductor. ♪ go betty! ♪ let's be more than our allergies! zeize the day. with zyrtec. >>> family members of malcolm x intend to sue the fbi, cia and nypd, claiming they covered up the assassination. two men were exonerated after decades in prison. the city of new york paid $36 million in settlements to these men. all three agencies have declined to comment >>> alex murdaugh's surviving son too

prosecution was trying to hit home including the cellphone, the statement that i did them so bad, and buster murdaughid him so bad. along with other evidence about alex murdaugh, about the day of the murders. and i think that this may be a key point in the case where the jury are looking at this case and saying can we convict, is there reasonable doubt. and of course the defense wants to drum up as many points of reasonable doubt as they can so that jury does not convict. >> and this forensic engineer saying he could not have been the higher because of -- have been the shooter because he is too tall. does that bring unreasonable tout? >> doubt. >> this is a battle of experts. prosecution of course called their own forensic witnesses to testify about the shooting. and the expert for the defense saying that the 6'4" murdaugh could no way have been the one who shoot and a much shorter person took the shot. and that will be another point of reasonable doubt. so, yes, i think that this testimony could be something again that the jury will be looking at. and of course when the cases are all wrapped up and

so you have to have sympathy for buster murdaugh.witness to kick off the defense case with, even though there were two prior witnesses, because you can't attack him. if you are the prosecution, there's nothing you can do or say to really go after buster because you would look like big unsympathetic jerk. he was a good witness to humanize his father a and corroborate. i think it was impressive and jury probably resonated with his testimony. >> john: the prosecution tried to say alec did not show remorse the night of the murders when he was talking to police. buster seemed to contradict that in this exchange. >> his demeanor, he was destroyed, heart broken, i walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug and just -- just broken down. >> could he speak? >> not really. >> was he crying? >> yes, sir. >> john: that contradicts the prosecution, saying my dad was distraught over the murders. >> again, he really humanized him. the other interesting thing, we have noticed during the trial that alec murdaugh gets emotional when they overly

i heard a name, and that name was, he goes by buster murdaugh. >> i went to school with buster. we were younger, stephen played baseball with buster and a few classmates. and buster's grandfather and dad were the coaches of the team. he was, how do i put it, like you could tell he had money by the way he acted, and like privileged but not like a snobby, privileged person. he was quiet when i was around him. >> i don't really know buster that well. i mean, we see him, you know, whenever he's down with john or that sort of thing. >> that's very rare. >> right. i mean, i haven't had conversations about his life goals or where he sees himself in 20 years. >> you just don't really hear a lot about buster. he's paul's older brother. he went to wofford college in south carolina. he was kind of slated to follow in his father's footsteps. >> paul and buster were night and day. jacob and esau. paul was the outdoor guy. buster liked to hunt, but he was a studious person and took his studies seriously. what i'm told by people who were close to him that, you know, buster was the favorite chi

what they asked buster about, which i misinterpreted was about whether murdaugh said they did him wrongong. that's what they were asking buster on the stand. and for some reason, that's my mistake. i apologize. jessica, he blamed his addiction for this lie, paranoid thoughts he had that he lied initially, but also on the stand that he is very proud of being clean and sober now for several hundred days. but he has been lying all during that type as well. >> apparently he has been. i mean, i thought that he gave the only possible explanation he could give for why he had lied. he had to offer an explanation for why he had told that lie initially and repeated it. and so the paranoia from the opioid addiction was the only one available to him. but as you said, he also talked about having been sober and off the painkillers for quite a period of time. and he didn't explain why he never went back to the authorities or why he never went back to his friends and others to whom he had lied and corrected the record. >> because everybody knew -- if it's true that he's been on painkillers, everybody k

murdaugh said, i did him so bad, regarding his son paul. the defense has argued their client said, they did him so bad. busterad, so bad -- >> what did your dad say. >> they did them so bad. >> reporter: given that paul murdaugh was shot with a shotgun, buck shot and a bird shot, the defense seemed to lean on buster to convince the jury that his father would never have loaded a shotgun like that. >> you ever seen any guns on your property loaded in that fashion? >> no, sir. >> buck shot with a bird shot right behind it? >> no, sir. >> reporter: after buster finished this forensic engineer testified for the defense. he told the jury based on his crime scene analysis a person shorter than alex murdaugh, who is about 6'4", likely killed both maggie and paul. >> it puts the shooter or whoever fired the weapon, if they were that tall, it puts them in an unrealistic shooting position. >> what, if any, opinion do you have as to whether that person could be alex murdaugh shooting into that quail pin? >> it can't be. >> reporter: this expert also testified about how the sound of gunfire travels. >> if you were in the

it and they put buster murdaugh on the stand when they put other people on the stand. until, apparently, overnight, that he decided he was going to testify today. >> that's incredible. randi kaye, we will have more of today's testimony and talk about it with legal experts, one defense attorney and the other prosecutor -- we will be right back. hey bud. wow. what's all this? hawaii was too expensive so i brought it here. you know with priceline you could actually take that trip for less than all this. i made a horrible mistake. ♪ go to your happy price ♪ ♪ priceline ♪ hey! did you hear? there are new covid-19 booster shots designed for recent omicron variants. thank you. pfizer. the more you want to do, the more we want to do. schedule yours at vaccines.gov. ♪ with downy infusions, let the scent set the mood. feel the difference with downy. mass general brigham -- when you need some of the brightest minds in medicine. this is a leading healthcare system with five nationally ranked hospitals, including two world-renowned academic medical centers. in boston, where biotech

people there had to give tribute to buster murdaugh. >> if buster murdaugh liked you, he'd try to helpcould. if buster didn't like you, he'd try to hurt you any way he could. >> i knew buster personally growing up, and the stories about buster taking care of people -- very real. and a lot of people will tell you, yeah, buster would have somebody taken out in a minute. >> you didn't want to get on the murdaughs' bad side. it would be beneficial to stay out of the murdaughs' radar. >> the murdaughs were like the mafia. you know you -- you just don't mess with 'em. >> we will be seeking the death penalty. the south carolina code provides that, under certain circumstances, that you can -- >> they're the ones who determine who gets prosecuted, who gets tried. is the death penalty sought? so not only do you have the power over the people, you've got power over the system. >> when you combine that with the fact that, for a number of these decades, the murdaughs were allowed to have a civil practice while they had the criminal authority. >> peters, murdaugh, parker, eltzroth & detrick has been

this is why they put buster murdaugh on the stand. x murdaugh, and he has been on the stand for about an hour. they have been talking about hunting and guns. they went turkey hunting and hog hunting, and there were two weapons used in the killings, and so the defense was quick to point out that one of paul murdaugh's weapons have been missing and one of the weapons have gone missing, and a ballistic ekxpert testified tha one of the shell casings would have come from a family weapon, and that is why it is important for one of paul's guns to have gone missing and raised doubt there. listen to this. >> how about paul, how was he about securing guns? >> not good. >> what do you mean? >> paul left guns on the property more than anybody else. sometimes he would use my gun and leave it and i would have to track it down. >> did paul carry guns in his truck? >> he did. >> would he keep his truck locked up? >> no, not all of the time. >> the goal there seemed to be by the defense that perhaps someone else got their hands on paul murdaugh's missi

. >> reporter: inside the courtroom for 21 days, buster murdaugh listening to painful testimony. >> i go by buster. >> reporter: tuesday, more than 60 witnesses later, alex murdaugh's surviving son on the stand describing his father on the night of the murders. >> what was his demeanor >> his demeanor was -- i mean, he was destroyed. he was heartbroken i walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug and just -- just broken down. >> did he speak? >> not really. >> did he cry? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: showing little emotion, buster's testimony framing details that prosecutors highlighted as questionable as normal, saying it was common for his father to shower and change clothes after working outside in the heat and routine to find guns left around the property and offering a differing opinion on the "i didim so bad" commeninvestigators claimed to have heard alex say in an interview referring to paul's murder. >> did him so bad. so bad >> what did your dad say? >> he said, "they did him so bad." >> is that the first time you'd heard him say, "they did him so bad" >> no, sir >> repor

now the only surviving son, buster murdaugh is testifying in his father's murder trial. >>> lawmakers in idaho want to make it a felony to give specific care such as sex reassignment surgery or puberty blockers. we're talking to a family trying to stop the bill. >>> a tale of two presidents and two speeches with two very different messages. russian president vladimir putin took the stage first early this morning in moscow, justified his year-long invasion of ukraine by blaming ukraine, the united states and other western allies for the war. hours later in poland, president joe biden delivered a rallying cry to the world declaring kyiv is standing strong, vowing the united states will keep supporting ukraine. biden accused putin of committing atrocities and said he would not succeed. phil mattingly is in poland with biden. one o of the main thems you heard bide ten talk about before, this idea of democracy versus autocracy. how did biden make his case? >> reporter: jake, if yesterday in kyiv, that surprise visit was a dramatic, deeply similar bottic moment about the war itself, today w

they played the recording and got buster murdaugh's opinion.tened to it, would you able to tell the jury whether it's i or they? >> yes, sir. >> i'll pull exhibit 153. >> so bad, so bad. >> what did your dad say? >> he said, they did him so bad. >> is that the first time you heard him say they did him so bad? >> no, sir. >> when is the first time you heard him say they did him so bad? >> the first time was that was the night i went down there, that night, june 7th. >> reporter: now, of course, the defense took over opportunity with buster on the stand, to try to paint a picture of a loving family that went to sporting events and called every day. but abby, there seemed to be a missed opportunity, they never asked him would your father do this, is he capable of doing this to the family. no question like that was ever asked of buster murdaugh on the stand. back to you. >> randi kaye, thank you for that. that does it for me. but don't know away, there's much more news ahead on cnn. you're staying in school, jacob! realtor.com. to each their home.

very little weight and although aid missable. >> to buster murdaugh in the stance today, this was futurecast c ccast - fascinating because the interview that murdaugh did with investigators whether he said they did him bad or they did him bad. here was what the son was asked today in court. watch. >> what did your dad say? >> they did them so bad. >> it is one of those things where that's a matter of opinion. it is not like he can identify the voice, that's totally a matter of opinion of what he said. >> well, yes, it takes away from the credibility of buster murdaugh in this case. what they did with him is they addressed this issue when they slow down that recording at 30%. i thought that was compelling for the jury to listen to. there are a variety of other ways to attack this issue. what they did with buster is they provided a perpetual stew. he may have taken a shower and left the water there. the candles only take ten minutes to clean. you know and there are vehicles beyond the property and social media threats. he was the soup of the defense of the witness and that takes away from

i'm 26. >> reporter: buster murdaugh sharing how he first heard his mother and brother had been killedd called me and asked if i was sitting town andown. >> reporter: and key for the defense, buster's defense about how often his father showered given the state suggesting that he washed up and changed his clothes after allegedly killing his wife and son. >> how frequently would his dad take a shower or bath? >> he could take them a lot. >> reporter: and what about the police interview where one investigator testified that he thought du murdaugh said i did so bad regarding his son paul. and buster weighed in after the video played. >> what did your tdad say? >> they did him so bad. >> reporter: and defense seemed to lean on buster to convince the jury that his father would never have loaded a shotgun like that. >> have you ever seen any guns on your property loaded in that fashion? >> no, sir. >> buck shirt with a bird shot right behind it? >> no, sir. >> reporter: and this forensic engineer testified for the defense, and he told the jury based on his crime seen analysis a person shorter

>>> and we're keeping a very close eye on the courtroom in south carolina, right now, alex murdaugh's son buster is on the stand testifying in his father's double murder trial. details on his testimony ahead. >>> we're going to start with the duelling speeches by russian president vladimir putin and president biden who set to speak in poland next hour after that surprise visit to ukraine yesterday. nbc's josh letterman is in warsaw, poland, for us and keir simmons in moscow. president biden has been meeting with poland's leader this morning. what are we expecting to hear from president biden and how might the message be different from what we heard in kyiv? >> well, yesterday in kyiv, lindsey, president biden's message was really one of reassurance, focused on the ukrainians. today, we're going to hear a broader message from president biden as he tries to make the case according to white house officials that a year ago there were real questions about the nato alliance, about its staying power, about whether it was going to be able to rise to the challenge posed by russia's war. the white house o

that's why the defense really has its challenges set up for them this week as we prepare for buster murdaughand paul murdaugh's phones, their cell phones, locked for good, ceased all activity at 8:49 p.m. that's a problem for the defense because eight witnesses have testified that alex murdaugh was at the murder scene around the time of the murders at 8:44 p.m. there was a video extracted from paul murdaugh's cellphone that was recorded at 8:44. he has denied to investigators that he was ever there earlier in the night, not until he found his wife and son dead, but eight people now say they hear his voice on that cellphone recording. we know also from the timeline he left the house at 9:06 p.m., said he went to his mother's home for about an hour, but the caregiver has told the jury that he was only there for about 15 to 20 minutes. that's also a problem. we also know from the timeline the gps data from that data that was released last week that he slowed his car down on the way to his mother's home in the very same area where maggie murdaugh's phone was found in the woods. the state is sugg

prosecutors were saying that alex murdaugh said i did him so dirty. the son, busterdid him so dirty. not only did he say it then but he repeated to me again. the final thing is you want buster to add some context to his father. there was a notion that his father showered after the murders because he was showering to get rid of anything on his body. his son noted that my father showers very regularly. and finally, with respect to visiting his mom, the prosecution had suggested that that was done as an alibi. no, said buster, my dad visited his mom quite often and it wasn't on any set schedule. so i think to that extent buster really laid it out and provided the element of reasonable doubt, which is what a defense attorney always looks for. >> joey, one other big moment in court yesterday that i want to get your take on. alex murdaugh's defense attorney getting up, pointing a gun at the prosecution and kind of laughing and saying, tempting. it was a wild moment inside the courtroom. let's watch it and then i want to get your take on the other side. >> so i am not 5'2"

. >> reporter: buster murdaugh taking the stand in his father's defense, describing the first time heaw his dad after learning his mom and brother had been shot to death. >> he wasestred, heartbroken. i walked in the door and saw him, gave him aug hdown.. m was worried the family could lose millions in a lawsuit over paul's involvement in a fatal boat crash. >> it consumedn e disputed audio of hisnterew they did him r so bad. >>ust did them so bad. >> what did your dad them so b >> was that the first time? >> reporter: buster saying he used the is expression since the night neither askg voice. >> he's got a bird in his mouth. >> reporter: the voice prosecutors and seven witnesses say is alec him at the crime scene. a forensic he's to tall to have fired tire first of all it was 5'2" to 5'4". >> that's the most likely explanation. >> reporter: but the prosecutors questioning the expert's qualifications. >> have you taken shooting reconstruction classes? >> no. >> any certification in reconstruction? >> no. >> any classes in gunshot wounds? >> no. >> reporter: and we're expecting to hear

. >> reporter: buster murdaugh taking the stand in his father's defense, describing the first time hesaw his dad after learning his mom and brother had been shot to death. >> he was destroyed, heartbroken. i walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug. just broken down. >> reporter: at the time of the murders buster said his mom was worried the family could lose millions in a lawsuit over paul's involvement in a fatal boat crash. >> it kind of consumed her. she was big on reading all of it, when she read the negative stuff it made her feel upset. >> reporter: the defense asking buster to weigh in on the disputed audio of his dad's interview with police, whether alex said i did him so bad or they did him so bad. >> just so bad, they did them so bad. >> what did your dad say? >> they did them so bad. >> was that the first time you heard him say that? >> no, sir. >> reporter: buster saying he had used the expression since the night of the murders, but neither side asking buster about the third voice on the video. >> he's got a bird in his mouth. >> reporter: the voice prosecutors a

thank you. >> buster murdaugh also testified that he was aware of his father's opioid addiction, and a detox facility in 2018 to try and get clean. the defense expected to have more expert witnesses today, they say they hope to wrap their case by the end of the week. savannah >> thank you. >>> we want to turn to today's legal expert, lisa, good morning. interesting to have the surviving son testify on his father's behalf, partly what he said and what he testifies to and part of it is that the fact that he is there and supporting his father >> yesterday was a hearts and minds day for this jury. and we can talk about the minds later. that's the expert witness. but on the heart side, we're all children, and to see this young man in court, he's very young, supporting his father every day, taking the stand, in a way clearing up some of the discrepancies in the testimony, i know a lot of people think he wasn't that emotional, i think for the jury, that's going to matter much less than the fact that this son has lost his mother, his only brother, supports his father, who is, you know, accus

. >> martha: that is buster murdaugh on the right-hand side of the scene. is the surviving son of alec murdaugh taking the stand in defense of his father's double murder trial, in the trial. you can see that murtaugh was smiling at his son. buster was asked what happened when he first saw his father the night of the murders. >> his demeanor was -- he was destroyed, heart brown. i walked in the door and saw him. gave him a hug. just broken down. >> could he speak? >> not really. >> was he crying? >> yes, sir. >> martha: fascinating. during cross examination, buster testified that he was not aware that his father was accused of killing his wife, maggie and son, paul, was having serious financial troubles at the time of the killings. that will be coming out more no doubt in the continuing cross examination. the defense is laying out their case right now. so more than two weeks after the toxic train wreck in east past stein, ohio, the epa on the ground now ordering norfolk southern to clean up the damage and to pay for it. >> in no way, shape or form will norfo

. >>> what alex murdaugh's son buster said about his father on the stand. >>> first back to ginger. >ma, missouri and arkansas all in the risk today into central illinois for damaging winds and tornadoes. much more on this to come. your local weather in 30 seconds. drew: it is a windy day, it's a cold day with a chance of isolated showers this afternoon. a level 1 light storm. upper 40's to lower 50's. that is it. frost advisors, freeze warnings overnight. spots in the 20's and 30's. thursday and friday it's a level two on the storm impact scale. rain mixed with snow. >>> also ahead, is a four-day workweek in our future? i'd vote for it. we'll be right back. ♪ i like to move it, move it ♪ ♪ you like to... move it ♪ we're reinventing our network. ♪ ♪ ♪ fast. reliable. perfectly orchestrated. the united states postal service. the pepperoni on panera's new toasted baguette. is sliced a little thicker. to hold more flavor. so when fresh mozzarella melts over it... that detail... will be big. try the new toasted baguettes from panera. zero dollar delivery fee for a limited time. (cecily) i

. >> buster murdaugh will be first witness called by the defense and the first member of the murdaughily to testify. >> alex murdaugh is accused of murdering his wife and home at their home in 2021. prosecutors say he killed his family in an effort to distract from financial misconduct allegations against him. >>> police have arrested a suspect in the murder of an arch archbishop. he was apprehended on monday. police say that the suspect modena is the husband of the late bishop's housekeeper. police are still searching for a motive. >>> and it in new mexico, prosecutors have downgraded the manslaughter charges facing alec baldwin over a fatal shooting on his movie set. he no longer enhancement charge. here is more from new york. >> reporter: it is incredibly significant that the new mexico district attorney's office announced on monday that they no longer plan to charge alec baldwin with the firearm enhancement charge. he still faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter. each charge carrying up to 18 months in prison. but know that this firearm enhancement charge is no longer on the

. >> john: you mentioned his son buster, screen right besides you, and issue that alec murdaugh was notthe expected emotion the night of the murders. as you pointed out, buster testified to the exact opposite of what the prosecution is contending. what he said yesterday, listen here. >> his demeanor, he was destroyed, heart broken. i walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug and just broken down. >> could he speak? >> not really. >> was he crying? >> yes, sir. >> john: suggested he was very emotional the night of the murders. here is the thing that i can't quite figure out here, mark. unless there's some weird family dynamic going on that we don't know, if buster murdaugh suspected his father of killing his mother and his brother, you would expect there would be hatred in his voice. here is this kid taking the stand defending his father to the hit. >> right. you've got it, john. that's why this witness was extremely compelling for the defense. he did two major things. number one, essentially saying i believe in my father's innocence, and he's not saying that, he's not allowed to

alex murdaugh changed clothes, two different outfits. here's that exchange with buster dad take a shower or bath? >> he could take them a lot. he, you know, working out there, if he goes outside and sweats a lot, he comes back in and takes a shower. >> was appear normal routine for him? >> it was. >> reporter: this was key because the state suggested that alec murdaugh killed his family and then washed up and changed clothes. none of the lawyers asked buster murdaugh if his father was capable of this, if he might do something like this? nobody asked that directly. he talked about what a loving family it was, but was never asked that directly. f >> thank you. >>> united airlines with a new family seating policy. details, next. ♪ what will you do? will you make something better? create something new? our dell technologies advisors can provide you with theools and expertise you need to bring out the innovator in you. think he's posti about all that ancient roman coinage? no. he's making real-time money moves with merrill. so no matter what the market's doing, he's ready. a

all eyes were on murdaugh's older son buster as he took the stand today in his father's defense.now. exactly what did we hear from buster today? we understand he wasn't on the stand for very long. >> yeah, you know, it was a little surprising, and speaking with our colleague pducer juliet arcodia who is in the courtroom today, she said the sense she got from people there, people in the crowd watching some of the reactions from the jury, people did seem to be surprised that the testimony was not longer than it was. the time when buster was on the stand, she told us that the jury was leaning over intently listening to what he had to say. he began by taking questions, addressing questions, testifying that his father was a good tad. he talked about life prior to the murders. he also talked about his conversations with his father the night of the murders. listen. >> my dad called me. i can't remember the exact time. i was in shock. he was destroyed, he was heartbroken. >> when the prosecution went to cross examine buster, that's when things were a whole lot shorter than people expecte

or drama that the family is being reprimanded for the conduct and contact with surviving son buster murdaughnd, and with this gesture, they have been passing a book of john grisham, and so they have been moved back farther from the stand. >> never a dull moment. >>> and now, a special moment with damar hamlin at the nfl awards ceremony and the people who saved his life. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we all have a purpose in life - a “why.” no matter your purpose, at pnc private bank we will work with you every step of the way to help you achieve it. so let us focus on the how. just tell us - what's your why? woo! hey you. i am loving this silversneakers® boxing class. thank you aetna. yeah? well, i'm loving that zero dollar monthly plan premium. thank you, aetna. ah-ha. smartest move we ever made. well, it sure is. and by the way did you finally make that appointment with your dentist? i sure did. gotta keep this million dollar smile. if you're turning 65, call 1-888-65-aetna to learn about the benefits you may want. and let's make healthier happen together. ♪ inner voice (kombucha brewer): if i just stare at t

maybe i'm wrong on that, but every person that has worked with him, i mean, short of buster murdaugh,d they didn't ask on the stand yesterday has said definitively without question that is 100% his voice. it was a video that paul murdaugh, his son was taking in the kennel of a dog he was housing for his friend, and you can clearly hear maggie's voice off to the side and a third distinct person, alec murdaugh has a very distinct voice that several people have identified in the background. the time stamp was 8:49. the time of these murders, the time of death was between 8:50 and 9:10. it was all right there in that period of time. it places him there very close to when the murders occurred, when he said multiples times in interviews that he never went down to the kennels after dinner that night. so the time line is sort of thrown up in the air by that video, and i think, you know, they have not provided an answer to it yet. the jury has not heard an answer. to be clear, this is a plan to call him. a potential. i don't necessarily think it's 100% ironclad. can they watch today and reasse

alex murdaugh's surviving son buster spoke publicly for the first time about the night his mother, maggie, and brother, paul, were found dead. he says he rushed to his father's side. >> what was his demeanor? >> his demeanor was -- i mean he was destroyed. he was heartbroken. >> reporter: buster described his family as tight-knit and murdaugh as a devote the father. but prosecutors as painted murdaugh as aanipulative man whnnple fors. they claim maher dogue killed his wife and son as part of a separate civil case involving his son, paul, who was charged with boating under the influence in a crash that killed a 19-year-old girl. police body camera from the night of the murder shows murdaugh suggesting the boat crash as the killer's motive. >> my son was in a boat wreck. he's been getting threats. i know that's what it is. >> reporter: before wrapping its case last week, the prosecution showed jurors footage of investigators questioning murdaugh two months after the murders. >> did you kill maggie? >> no. did i kill my wife. >> yes. >> no. >> reporter: prosecutors also played video recorded

. >> reporter: on the stand, alex murdaugh's surviving son, buster, spoke publicly for the first time about the night his mother maggie and brother paul were found dead. he says he rushed to his father's side. >> what was his demeanor? >> he demeanor was -- he was destroyed. heartbroken. >> reporter: buster described his family as tight knit and murdaugh as a devoted father. prosecutors say he was manipulative and conned people out of millions for years. they claim murdaugh killed his wife and son in an attempt to distract from a decade of alleged financial crimes before they came to light as part of a separate civil case involving his son paul who was charged with voting under the influence in a -- boating under the influence in a crash that killed a 19-year-old girl. police body camera from the night of the murder shows murdaugh suggesting the boat crash as the killer's motive. >> my son was in a boat wreck. he's been getting threats. i know that's what it is. >> reporter: before wrapping its case last week, the prosecution showed jurors footage of investigators questioning murdaugh

that is buster, alex murdaugh's younger son.son, paul, who was killed along with the mother, who had been killed, this is very interesting and we will be watching this closely. he is a defense witness, bill. they think he will be helpful to their case. >> bill: he is there to -- maggie is 52 and she is dead. son paul age 22 is dead. buster age 26 is now on the stand. we'll see how it goes over the coming hours to come. in the meantime a new hour begins for us right now. >> dana: growing tensions as the u.s. sends a stern warning to china against helping china in ukraine and beijing said the u.s. is fueling the fire. it would cross a red line causing serious problems. welcome to a new hour of "america's newsroom." >> bill: i'm bill hemmer. feels like it is coming together, doesn't it? maybe not for the best. but we'll see how it goes.

hire plot that would have resulted in a multimillion-dollar life insurance payout for murdaugh's only living son, busterhe told law enforcement when he confessed to organizing this crime, because they caught him when he made a phone call from the hospital, he said, i thought my life was over and i wanted this to happen so i could at least leave something to my son, buster. >> reporter: the trial started on january 23rd. murdaugh has maintained his innocence. >> he's being questioned and the questioning is pretty aggressive. they decided that night, he did it. without forensics, without secel phones, without any of that. >> reporter: murdaugh's lawyer said the law firm was concern the he was estating money and were opening an investigation. >> months upon months of going through all of the files and finding, you know, just -- following the numbers. >> reporter: local lawyer mark tinsley testified that he was suing murdaugh on behalf of malley beech's family and approached him about coming to a settlement in october 2020. >> she says, i'm broke. what are you saying in response? >> there's no way. i mean,

. >> on the stand today alex murdaugh surviving son buster spoke publicly for the first time about theggie and brother paul will frown dead. he rushed to his mother father side. >> his demeanor was destroyed, he was heartbroken. >> buster described his family as tight aunt and alex murdaugh as a devoted father. but prosecutors have painted murdaugh as a manipulative man who'd conned people out of millions of dollars for many years. claiming he killed his wife and son to take away from a financial crimes before they come to light as part of a separate civil case involving his son paul. who was charged with the voting under the influence add a crash that killed a 19-year-old girl. police body cam from the murder sees murdaugh as the motive. >> my son was in about reg, and that's what it is. >> reporter: before wrapping the case last week, the prosecution showed euros-footer of investigation two months after the murder. >> did i kill my wife? >> prosecutors also played video played by paul myrdal before his death, showing his father wearing a different outfit from the white shirt and t-sh

he was heartbroken. >> reporter: buster described his family as tight-knit, and murdaugh as a devotedd murdaugh as a manipulative man who conned people out of millions of dollars for years. they claim murdaugh killed his wife and son in an attempt to distract from a decade of alleged financial crimes before they came to light, as part of a separate civil case involving his son, paul, who was charged with boating under the influence in a crash that killed a 19-year-old girl. police body camera from the night of the murder shows murdaugh suggesting the boat crash as the killer's motive. >> my son was in a boat wreck. he's been getting threats. i know that's what it is. >> reporter: before wrapping its case last week, the prosecution showed jurors footage of investigators questioning murdaugh two months after the murders. >> did you kill maggie? >> did i kill my wife? no, i didn't. >> reporter: prosecutors also played video recorded by paul murdaugh just before his death, showing his father wearing a different outfit from the white t-shirt and shorts he had on when police arrived. cbs ne

buster. >> i also learned that alex murdaugh's sister lyn and buster have been reprimanded by the court. ter murdaugh made an obscene gesture. they have been warned they can be barred from the courtroom. >> thank you for that update. >>> in addition to that, coming up on cnn this morning -- jake tapper said what about what jake tapper said? i mean, what jake tapper said and jake tapper said. >> that was florida senator rick scott yesterday on the program as he tried to use jake tapper to argue his case. we'll have jake tapper on to tell us what he actually head. that's ahead. >> did jack tapper say something? when it comes to reducing sugar in your family's diet, the more choices, the better. that's why america's beverage companies are working together to deliver more great tasting options with less sugar or no sugar at all. in fact, today, nearly 60% of beverages sold contain zero sugar. different sizes? check. clear calorie labels? just check. with so many options, it's easier than ever to find the balance that's right for you. more choices. less sugar. balanceus.org avoiding triggers,

. >> surviving son of alex murdaugh took the stand in his father's defense. >> buster described his father as being destroyed after the murders of his mother and brother. >> just broken down. >> he cried? >> yes, sir. >> conservative entrepreneur vivek ramaswamy officially launches his 2024 g.o.p. campaign. >> we are going to need to rediscover that national identity that we all share. >> ashbury university is planning to end its 24/7 religious revival. >> over 50,000 people have traveled to the area to participate. >> when so many people gather with this much love in their hearts, it's amazing. ♪ i'm getting those good vibes ♪ i'm living this good life ♪ i'm breathing on god's time ♪ and i ain't going to waste one breath ♪ i'm soaking in. >> steve: live from new york city on this 22nd day of fen, february, currently 33. going for a daytime high of 43 later on in the day on this, the first day of lent. it is ash wednesday. and welcome. >> ainsley: that's right. >> steve: welcome to hour two of "fox & friends." it's a holiday here around the world. and ainsley, appropriately enough, you are

buster accomplished on the stand. he also talked about a video that was brought up and there was some verbiage in that video, alex murdaughid him so bad, referring to paul. buster correcting that saying he heard they did him so bad. >>. >> so bad, so bad. >> what did your dad say? >> he said they did them so bad. >> was that the first time you heard him say they did him so bad? >> no, sir. >> when was the first time? >> first time i heard him say that was the night i went down, the night of june 7th. >> reporter: again, the defense sort of normalizing the defense sort of normalizing things there saying this was a phrase he had said multiple times, that it shouldn't be held out by the prosecution as perhaps a confession or anything else. this is his son who says he can recognize his voice and he heard a different version of that statement. >> you know, charles, it's interesting. you've been a lot more courtrooms than i have and i've covered a few murder trials. facts are one thing. demeanor is another. there's been a lot of come men tating that buster seemed very stoic. there should -- among jurors that he should be more e

>> randolph murdaugh jr. >> what did he go by? >> buster. buster is named after. >> was he solicitor? >> yes, sir, he was the solicitor for 46 years. from 1940 he took over when my great grand daddy got killed and he served until 1986. he was the longest serving prosecutor in the country. >> you knew him well, he was your grandfather, correct? >> i knew him extremely well and loved him dearly. >> idolized him, did you not? >> yes. >> he was the prosecutor for all that time as well, is that correct? >> yes, sir. >> then your father, mr. randolph, he became solicitor not long after that, is that correct? >> when my grandfather retired because you weren't allowed to be solicitor after age 72, my dad took over, filled his unexpired term and then he ran. >> he became the chief prosecutor for this area right here as well? >> yes, sir. >> how long was he solicitor? >> from 1986 until 2006. >> 2006? >> yes, sir. >> actually worked a case with him about a guy who killed a trooper. >> he was a fine, fine, fine man. >> yes, he was. >> and excellent law

the lawsuit was called to give a preview of testimony on monday and during the hearing murdaugh's surviving son buster a finger. >> sandra: that was interesting. minutes from now, two briefings set to be underway, one at the white house, one at the pentagon, shocking new details. we'll take you to the briefings as soon as they be again. and we'll get reaction from mark esper. we'll be right back. well, you can try using the buick's massaging seat. oh. yeah, that's nice. can i use apple carplay to put some music on? sure, it's wireless. what's your buick's wi-fi password? it's buick envision. that's a really tight spot. i used to hate parallel parking. all together: me too! the buick envision. built around you. all of you. get 3.9% apr for 5 years and no monthly payments for 90 days on buick envision models. ♪ living with plaque psoriasis? otezla is a pill that can help you achieve clearer skin. with no routine blood tests required. and doctors have been prescribing otezla for over 8 years. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhe

this comes a day after murdaugh's surviving son buster took the stand.alterboro, south carolina, with more on what's happening inside the courtroom. talk to me about the mood if there was any shift with what buster said and also what new we've learned since then. >> reporter: e yeah, buster took the stand, this is the first time he has spoken about the death of his mother and younger brother publicly. i think generally there was an expectation that it would be more emotional, that there would be sort of an outpouring of defensive love and support for his dad. we certainly did not see that on the stand yesterday. buster did talk about the fact that his father was devastated and heartbroken in the wake of these murders. he also talked to defense attorneys that it was not uncommon that his father would have changed clothes in between the videos we see of him on the property that night and when police investigators arrived. he said, look, it was june. he was working on that property. it was hot, it was not uncommon for him to shower and change his clothes. h

the defense called alec murdaugh's eldest son buster to the stand to paint a picture of a loving familying his testimony, buster described his father as being destroyed after the murders of his mother and brother. he later went on to contradict the prosecution's assertion that alec is heard on video during an interview with investigators following the murders saying that he harmed his family. >> this is so bad. iti did him so bad. >> what did he say. >> he said they did him so bad. >> his testimony also in the prosecution's theory that alec killed his wife and eldest son with a shotgun and missing assault rifle similar seized from family property. buster said they often went hunting on the property so it wasn't unusual for weapons to go missing from the family's gun room. during cross, the state hammered away at its theory that alec committed the murders to distract attention away millions of dollars accused of stealing from his clients in law firm. and wrongful death malory beach killed in a boating accident involving alec's youngest son paul in 2019. asked about his father's financial

. >> reporter: the defense will call witnesses which could include murdaugh's surviving son buster asbeck, nbc news. >> we want to bring from danny cevallos. danny, good morning. it is good to have you here. let's talk about the case that the prosecution presented. they did not have a murder weapon. no dna. what they did present was a very detailed timeline that frankly contradicts the story of alex murdaugh. did the prosecution do what it needed? >> they may have done too much. by that, because prosecutors have the burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, they go to overkill. the state introduced evidence of the financial crimes of murdaugh. they fought to get that introduced. that could bite them. this evidence can be a little boring for a jury and hard to understand. number two, the motive may be a little difficult to follow for the jury because the motive is essentially this man's life was caving in financially and being investigated. then he killed his wife and son to engender sympathy. the state on the other hand has circumstantial evidence and especially on friday, they reall

. >>> and now, over to the trial of alex murdaugh, and on the stand is his lone surviving son buster, and this is the first time that he has ever spoken public about it the deaths of his mother and brother. randi kaye isoutis outside of t courthouse there in south carolina. what have you heard? >> yes, you are right, kate. this is the first member of the murdaugh family to testify, and it is his only testifying son, and they were trying to paint a loving family and how the murdaughs would call each other including alex, paul, maggie and buster, and they would go to sporting events together and golf together and hunt together, and they wanted to knock down this image of how he would kill his family and then shower afterwards because he was seen earlier in a snap chat video wearing clothes differently than what investigators said he was wearing when they arrived. this is what buster said on the stand. take a listen. >> how frequently would your dad shower or take a bath? >> well, a lot. if he goes outside and sweats a lot, he comes back in and takes a shower. >> was that normal routine

murdaugh's only surviving son buster is expected to take the stand in his father's deference.vid vaccine to official shot schedule for kids as young as six months old. the agency recommending children between six months to 18 years old should get two doses of the primary series vaccine followed by a booster. the cdc first recommended the covid vaccine for young kids in june of 2022. now to this: united airlines is making changes to its family seating policy. of the company announcing a new seat map featuring yesterday that's going to allow parents to book seating arrangements with their kids under 12 years old for free as it should. the new policy comes less than one year after federal officials urged airlines to make a more friendly -- family friendly approach. that policy change by united is set to take effect next month. those are just some of your headlines. send it back over to you, steve. >> steve: thank you very much, ashley. come up with east palestine becoming a household name from ohio. the ripple effects of the toxic train derailment are now being felt by kids just

the fact he would hire someone to assist him in suicide, which murdaugh says because his son, buster, could get a $10 million insurance policy, those facts nay paint a picture of someone who was in desperate circumstances and making rash decisions. the one thing that's critical and weighs on both sides here though is that eddie took a polygraph test about his alibi on the night of the murders of maggie and paul murdaugh and he failed that test. so if prosecutors do put him on the stand, that evidence comes in, which plants another seed with the jury. so at this point, it is up in the air whether he will in fact testify. we know that he is being strongly considered. the prosecution has said they plan to wrap up their case midweek, which would be tomorrow. it looks like it's probably going to extend beyond that. the defense is very eager to begin their side of this story and start presenting their witnesses, but whether or note this alleged sort of assisted hit man, if you will, will take the stand, is yet to be seen. >> catie beck, thank you so much. i know you'll keep us posted on tha

it's also important just a few minutes before this happened, alex murdaugh's same sister lynn and his living son bustershed in court for their conduct. buster on the court record telling me he was making obscene gestures at a witness while that witness was testifying. so now his sister and son have been moved back in court further away from alex murdaugh, further away from that witness box. and they've been warned if this continues to happen, they will be barred from the courtroom. >> randi kaye, appreciate it. legal perspective now from julie rendleman who is a current defense attorney and former defense d.a. in new york city and attorney mark o'meara. what do you make from this testimony from the friend of mr. murdaugh? >> i'm not sure i make that much of it. the issue really is about the time, because the question is whether or not he was calling him in order to establish a alibi. and one of the things he does say that is an issue for the prosecution, is he seemed very calm. he seemed completely fine. didn't seem excited. so the argument -- i'm sorry, for the defense is he is not very excited, then

murdaugh did not file that shot? >> it in my opinion it's very unlikely he fired that shot. >> bill: buster painted a picture of a familyenjoyed being around one another and his dad as being destroyed after the murders of his mother and brother and later went on to contradict the prosecution's assertion that alex could be heard on video during an interview with investigators following the murders saying he harmed his family. >> this is so bad. so bad. >> what did your dad say? >> he said they did them so bad. >> during cross the state hammered away that alex committed the murders to distract attention away from millions of dollars he was accused of stealing from clients of his law firm and mounting wrongful death lawsuit from the family of mallory beach killed in a boating accident involved alec's son, paul in 2019. asked about his father's financial issues buster said he had no indication anything was wrong. dana and bill, the defense says it could wrap its case as early as friday. this morning they have indicated that at least thinking about putting alex murdaugh on the stand but arguing they don't want the prosecutio

murdaugh jr. >> what did he go by? >> buster. that's who buster is named after, my grandfather. >> was he solicitor? >> yes, he was the solicitor for 46 years. from 1940 he took over when my great granddaddy got killed and he served until 1996. he was the longest serving prosecutor in the country. >> and you now him well. he was you remember grandfather. >> i knew him extremely well. loved him dearly. >>' idolized him. >> yes. >> he was the prosecutor for all that time as correct? >> yes, sir. >> and then your father, mr. randolph be, he became solicitor not long after that, is that corrected? >> when my grandfather retired because you weren't allowed to be solicitor after age 72, my dad took over, filled his unexpired term and he ran. >> and he became the chief prosecutor for this time as well? >> yes, sir. >> how long was he solicitor? >> 1986 until 2006.2006. >> yes, sir. >> i worked a case with him about a guy that killed a trooper. >> a fine, fine, fine man. >> yes, he was. >> excellent lawyer. >> he was. and he was an excel