Friday headlines: Murdaugh denies killing wife, son during testimony

Disbarred former lawyer Alex Murdaugh took the witness stand Thursday in his own defense in his double murder trial that is making international headlines. He emotionally denied killing his wife and younger son.

But Murdaugh admitted to stealing from clients and pocketing a check that was meant for his law firm, actions revealed by prosecutors earlier in the trial, which today will be in its 24th day in Colleton County.

Murdaugh also admitted to lying about his whereabouts the night of murders, confessing that he was at the kennels where the victims were found. He insisted the paranoia from a painkiller addiction led him to lie about his movements that night.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave,” he said about lying and stealing. “Once I told a lie — then I told my family — I had to keep lying.”

In other headlines:

North Charleston, county officials grapple with schools. Charleston County School District superintendent Don Kennedy said he wants to meet with North Charleston officials to talk about a proposal for the city to leave the district and form its own school system. Meanwhile, a state legislator says he’s going to file a bill to split off the city’s schools.

Aylor’s cause of death revealed. The sudden Jan. 2 death of Charleston attorney David Aylor was found to be from accidental drug overdose, according to Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal.

First responders save man from Ravenel Bridge. Charleston police and firefighters on Wednesday night safely brought down a man from the outside railing at the apex of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

City of Charleston honors Ukrainian soldiers. Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and nonprofit CHS 4 Ukraine honored the strength of 10 Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in the war. The city of Charleston is also holding a vigil Friday night in front of City Hall at 6 p.m.

N. Charleston seeking developer for mixed-use project. The city of North Charleston said 70 acres of land could soon be the site of a high-density development that would connect to the park and is offering the space to developers.

Charleston’s Rainbow Market OK’d for partial demolition. The city of Charleston has cleared the way for a developer to partially demolish the Rainbow Market Shops for a new hotel development.