Click on thumbnails for larger image.
Lines formed on both sides of the front of the court, causing spectators to stand close together in line in order to secure their spots.
Colleton County Courthouse, framed by a tree on the front lawn.
The county sheriff’s office has been tasked with assuring the safety of everyone involved in the trial, with a check-in process that includes bag checks and passing through metal detectors.
Food trucks have been feeding trial goers and the media, coming from all over the state.
A food truck employee smiles out the window during a brief break from the lunch rush.
Journalists and members of the media have been among the frequenters of the food trucks that have situated themselves around the court.
Spectators lined up outside of the court well in advance of afternoon admission to the trial.
A Colleton County Sheriff officer checks a spectator’s bag on the way into the courtroom. Clear bags are the only bags allowed in the courtroom, and the list of items allowed in is limited.
A sign tells of the history of the town of Walterboro, situated in front of a fountain by the courthouse.
Some people waited in line for hours in advance in order to assure a spot in the courtroom.
The food trucks have been essential to feeding the large number of people visiting Walterboro for the trial.
A map of Walterboro located downtown helps visitors to navigate the town.
Media overflow has been annexed to the Colleton County Wildlife Center across the street from the court. The wildlife center is home to snakes, turtles, fish, and even a baby alligator.
Red rocking chairs can be found all over the town of Walterboro, dubbed the “front porch of the Lowcountry”, including at the Wildlife Center.
Signs featuring the red rocking chair that is symbolic for Walterboro adorn many of the streets around the courthouse.
Roads have been closed around the courthouse for much of the trial.
Police presence was increased on Wednesday afternoon at the courthouse following the bomb threat.
When court adjourns, many people flock to the food trucks to grab lunch and socialize with others attending the trial.
More red rocking chairs featuring artwork sit on a main street.
People waiting to get into the courthouse chat with one of the sheriff officers and press toward the entrance.
Defense attorneys were to begin their portion of the case against Alex Murdaugh in Walterboro on Monday, Feb. 20, after the prosecution rested its case on Friday. Murdaugh is charged with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of his wife and son in June 2021. Carolina News & Reporter was at the Colleton County Courthouse on Feb. 8. a day that included testimony on alleged financial crimes committed by Murdaugh that the prosecution argued were the motive for the killings. The morning session was interrupted by a bomb threat and subsequent evacuation of the courthouse. The Murdaugh family is well known in the South Carolina Lowcountry, which is helping attract a large turnout of both spectators and local and national media to the trial.
