Alex Murdoff was born to be a lawyer.

For nearly a century, members of the Murdaugh family served as solicitors (another name for local prosecutors) in five counties in South Carolina’s Lowcountry before establishing one of the area’s most prominent personal injury law firms. After graduating from the University of South Carolina’s law school in 1994, Murdough assumed his role in the legal family dynasty, joining his brother and father at Peters, Murdough, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED).

Eventually, Murdoff began volunteering part-time at the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and also served as president of the state trial lawyers association.

But his former law firm colleagues acknowledged during Murdoff’s murder trial this week that the 54-year-old may not be as legally gifted as his family lineage. In fact, two of them described Murdoff as a big and “crazy” lawyer who kept different hours than everyone else – and was able to keep a “good client” roster because he had the “gift of gab”.

“He was successful not because of his work ethic, but because of his ability to build relationships and manipulate people into settlements and clients to his liking,” Gene Seckinger, the firm’s chief financial officer, testified Tuesday. “Basically the art of bullshit.”

Ronnie Crosby, another former law partner who has known Murdoff for more than two decades, told the jury only that Murdoff “wasn’t a real student of the law.”

Details about Murdaugh’s allegedly questionable professional skills are crucial to prosecutors’ argument that he killed his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and his 22-year-old son, Paul, in a desperate attempt to gain sympathy and divert attention. from his financial crimes.

Murdoff has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in what has been dubbed the “trial of the century” in South Carolina. However, his lawyers have stressed that there is no hard evidence—or motive—to prove Murdoff wanted to harm his “wonderful” family.

Over the past two weeks, jurors have heard graphic testimony about how Paul and Maggie were shot on June 7, 2021, near their hunting estate’s dog kennel. But on Tuesday, after a landmark ruling by Judge Clifton Newman, prosecutors were finally able to. References to why he believes Murdoch was motivated to kill his family.

Both Seckinger and Crosby describe how the law firm learned Murdoff had been siphoning off millions of dollars from clients and the company over several years. Seckinger detailed how she confronted Murdoch about the missing money hours before the murders – and again three months later, when he finally faced his crimes and resigned from his position.

Murdaugh’s colleagues also provided a window into his personality and his home and work life. Seckinger, who has known Murdaugh since high school and considers him a friend, said PMPED is more of a family environment than a workplace.

“These lawyers work as a brotherhood,” she said. “They believed in him”

That trust, Seckinger said, allowed Murdoff to have a different work behavior than his peers, including being on the phone constantly and always being “loud . . . busy.” [and in a rush].” This allowed Murdoff to keep his job despite not being the smartest lawyer, who was sometimes forgetful and “all over the place”.

Crosby echoed his colleague’s assessment of Murdoff, who he said shined as a lawyer because of his personality. It added that Murdoff’s legal “quirks” included dropping out of depositions and partner meetings to answer the phone.

“He was good with people,” Crosby said. “Very good at reading people. Very good at understanding people. It made people believe that he cared about them and built relationships and trust with them.”

The lawyer also noted that he was extremely close to Murdoff and his family, with his two sons referring to him as “Uncle Ronnie”. Tearing up, Crosby added that Paul often took his own son hunting and fishing.

That tight bond prompts him to immediately drive to the Murdough estate in his car when he learns that Paul and Maggie have been murdered. He added that in the days after the murder, the law firm rallied around Murdoff and went home every day worried about his mental state.

Eventually, however, Cosby and Seckinger said Murdoff eventually faced mounting questions about the missing funds — which he eventually confronted. He resigned from PMPED on September 3, a day before his only surviving son, Buster, allegedly plotted assisted suicide to collect his $10 million insurance payout.

Cosby said the firm was forced to inform the South Carolina Bar about Murdoff’s alleged misconduct. Last July, the South Carolina Supreme Court barred Murdoff from practicing law in the state after an investigation into allegations that he posed a “risk of serious harm to the public or the administration of justice.”

But those who were once closest to Murdoch have admitted in court that they never knew the former lawyer they worked with for years.

“I don’t think I ever knew him,” Seckinger said. “I don’t think anyone knows him.”