Chris Wilson, Alex Murdaugh’s Best Friend, Says He Was ‘Betrayed’ After Learning About Stolen Money

One particular of Alex Murdaugh’s ideal mates did not pull any punches on the stand Thursday, detailing to jurors how he felt “betrayed” after shelling out months by Murdaugh’s side in the wake of his spouse and son’s murders—only to master the former attorney experienced stolen $192,000 from him.

“Shocked. Betrayed. Mad. I don’t know. Numb,” Chris Wilson advised a packed Colleton County courtroom before choking up. Wilson was Murdaugh’s legislation college roommate and explained he was “one of my best good friends if not my finest pal.”

The heartbreaking discovery came following Wilson mentioned he and Murdaugh experienced labored on a personal injuries scenario together in early 2021. Immediately after profitable the situation, he stated Murdaugh asked him in March 2021 to make out his $792,000 in legal expenses in a few different checks specifically to him. He claimed he prepared to use the funds to order annuities and that he had been cleared by his family members legislation firm—an explanation Wilson said he acknowledged because he “trusted his friend” of three a long time.

But Murdaugh at some point sent him again a part of the income, noting that he had “messed up” the payment framework and would spend him back again so Wilson could send the payment to his regulation firm. Wilson, however, said he only obtained $600,000 of those funds—and figured out around Labor Working day weekend from Murdaugh’s former law organization that he experienced been stealing revenue for many years.

“I wished to communicate to him facial area-to-face,” he stated, noting that he experienced been beforehand gracious to Murdaugh after Paul and Maggie experienced been brutally murdered on June 7, 2021.

Wilson stated that he confronted Murdaugh on the porch of his mother’s dwelling the early morning of Sept. 4, 2021, wherever his previous mate admitted to stealing the money—and confessed to thieving from quite a few other men and women and obtaining a two-10 years dependancy to opioids. He added that Murdaugh “broke down crying” as he confessed to his yrs-prolonged top secret Wilson explained he had “been fantastic about covering it up, particularly the medications.”

“I’ve shit you up. I’m sorry. I shit you up. I shit a good deal of persons up,” Murdaugh allegedly explained to Wilson, who pointed out that was their last verbal discussion.

Hours later, Murdaugh would contact 911 to report that he had been shot in the head whilst altering a tire on a South Carolina backroad. Afterwards, Murdaugh would confess that he experienced staged the botched assisted suicide plan with his distant cousin, Curtis Eddie Smith, to secure his $10 million insurance coverage for his only surviving son, Buster.

The perception into a single of Murdaugh’s closest interactions arrived on the 3rd week of his double-murder demo, where prosecutors allege he murdered his 52-year-previous spouse and 22-yr-aged son at their searching estate on June 7, 2021, in a twisted endeavor to address up his fiscal crimes. Murdaugh, 54, is experiencing two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon all through the fee of a violent crime in connection with the circumstance.

He has pleaded not guilty to the rates and his legal professionals insist that the former attorney experienced no motive to murder his “wonderful” relatives.

Wilson also famous on the stand that Murdaugh was very near to his family—and that his family also had a close relationship with them. All through cross-examination, Wilson said that he in no way saw any indications of opioid habit and famous that his family members was Murdaugh’s quantity a person precedence.

“He was not just my finest good friend. Our wives ended up close, our little ones were shut,” Wilson explained, noting that he spoke on the phone with Murdaugh virtually day-to-day.

Wilson mentioned that he experienced one particular of individuals informal chats at around 9:11 p.m. on June 7, 2021, just minutes after prosecutors allege Murdaugh fatally shot his household with two unique guns. In the get in touch with, Wilson stated he advised Murdaugh he was doing the job on a broken pool pump while he and his spouse were viewing The Bachelor on their porch.

Just after the brief chat, Murdaugh texted Wilson at 9:52 p.m., inquiring him to “call me if you’re up.” Wilson mentioned he known as his close friend again straight away, but Murdaugh did not respond to. Wilson said he named him back and Murdaugh answered expressing that he had just visited his mom and was virtually on his way household.

Minutes later, Murdaugh would get in touch with 911 to report his spouse and son shot outside their doggy kennels. Wilson claimed he was woken up a short time afterwards by his “hysterical” wife and quite a few mobile phone calls notifying him Maggie and Paul experienced been murdered.

Wilson stressed that people among the Murdaugh’s interior circle remained shut to the former law firm soon after the murders—worried about his psychological well being and that he may well do one thing drastic.

“I was nervous he was going to eliminate himself, as I think various people were,” Wilson claimed. “We talked regularly about being there for him.”