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Alex Murdaugh’s Body Language While The Verdict Was Being Read By Body Language Expert Patti Wood

Alex Murdough's Body Language During the Verdict in the Murder Trial

ALEX Murdaugh's fear and anxiety were


revealed in court as a jury found him guilty of murdering his wife and son, an expert has said.

The disgraced lawyer appeared "restrained" as the verdict was read and his behavior toward his living son Buster was "revealing," according to body language expert Patti Wood.

Murdaugh, 54, stood stone-faced as the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on Thursday after five weeks of shocking testimony from more than 70 witnesses.

The jury decided to convict him of the double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul after just three hours of deliberations.

Wood said his demeanor during the verdict was different to the emotional testimony he gave in the trial.

"He's trying to keep his head centered but he's looking downward," Wood said of his composure as the verdict was read.

Murdaugh kept his mouth in a straight line but downward curves hinted at "suppressed sadness," she told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive interview.

She said that it appeared as if the patriarch had a "desire to self-comfort from the stress" and his rapid blinking was a sign that his anxiety was increasing.

Wood, who has done readings on high-profile cases and celebrities, also pointed out Murdaugh's "strange" behavior, including the moment he was being taken away in handcuffs.

"When they put the cuffs on him, he rubs his hands together," she said.

Typically, this is what we see as thieves relish when they talk about money.

"It's usually a body language motion to say 'Ha, ha, ha, I've got it' but in this case, it's almost like 'OK, I clean my hands of it.'

"It was very interesting."

Wood added that Murdaugh's suppressed behavior might be a sign that "reality is setting in."

"We didn't see that during the trial," she said. "He seemed disconnected but what we're seeing now is that fear as the verdict was being read."

'REVEALING' BEHAVIOR IN COURT

Murdaugh reportedly turned to his son Buster and mouthed "It's OK" as the verdict was announced.

However, while being taken out of the courtroom in cuffs, Murdaugh did not look back at him again.

Buster, whose legal name is Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr, is the only surviving child of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh.

"I think it's revealing because it means that he's not looking at his son for comfort," the body language expert said of Murdaugh's exit.

"He's not looking at his son to give comfort and, as the findings of this trial have shown us, it shows that he only thinks about himself

"He's focused on himself."

Buster, 26, was not present at the time of the murders in June 2021 but did take the stand during the trial to defend his father.

Buster said that Murdaugh was "heartbroken" and "destroyed" after the murders of Maggie and Paul.

Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
     

How Do You Know You Have Found the Right Person? How Do You Know You Have Found THE ONE? What Are the Signs of a Healthy Partner?


. When we are with the Right Person, it feels like we have found True North. When you are with a True North honest person, you feel safe, comfortable, calm, and sometimes both calm and energized in their presence. You may even notice that your breathing changes, moving from high on your chest to your belly, is easy deep flowing breaths, and your voice changes, becoming warmer, fuller, and richer. You feel you can be fully yourself, say and do anything. When you are with the wrong Person, you are under stress. Your limbic system creates the freeze-flight-flight-fall—faint or friend response, but when we are in the presence of a True North, we feel the opposite of stress. If you feel like you are your natural self, with no need to be "on," it's a sign you may have found your Person.

 

2. You feel good after you are with them. You can get a highly charged feeling of euphoria when you meet the Right Person, which means you still feel good after you are with them. Your body has not had to go overdrive, so you feel good. When you're with an emotionally toxic person, your central nervous system goes on overdrive to protect you. It may push tons of adrenaline and cortisol into your system while you are with them, giving you a high, but that's your body in danger mode of Freeze, Flight Fight, Fall, or Friend response. It's very different from the pleasant limerence high of love, and one of those differences can be monitored by how you feel AFTER you are with them and how you feel when you are about to see them. Do you think overstimulated with racing thoughts and worries about what you said and did or what they might say or do, or are you pleasantly excited?

 

3. You find yourself sharing fond memories from your life. You self-disclose, but not to the point of feeling discomfort. You tell good stories, and they don't push you to say anything that makes you uncomfortable or too vulnerable when they have not yet earned your trust. Instead, they self-disclose in kind and share memories of good times with emotionally healthy friends and family. People sometimes say after a first date, "We met and stayed up all night sharing stories of our lives." You know it's the Right Person if your bond is sharing happy stories, not trauma-bonding stories.

Toxic people will ask for and share trauma stories, pushing past normal self-disclosure boundaries when they have not earned your trust. It may seem intoxicating to share your secrets and have someone look into your eyes, listen, and hold you as you self-disclose your past pain, but that is not healthy bonding if you haven't built a trust-filled relationship.

4. You notice that they consider your feelings and comfort and work to ensure you are happy and safe. They ask questions about you and your life, listen, and ask follow-up questions showing a more profound interest in knowing you. If it's cold, they notice if you are warm enough. If you have been quiet, they check in to see if you are ok. If you don't eat something on your plate, they ask if it is ok or if you want something else. They notice you when driving and ensure you are comfortable with their driving habits, like the speed at which they drive and turn left safely. They can detect your boundaries and comfort and don't push those boundaries. For example, they may touch your arm, notice you move closer, smile, and know you are comfortable with their touch, but if your nonverbal response were discomfort, they would not escalate their touching/

5. They keep their word. If they say they are going to do something, they do it. Their behavior is reliable. You can count on them.

6. They speak well of their family, friends, and others.

 

 

 

 




Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.