Prosecutors said that Alex Murdaugh, the lawyer now on trial in the murders, was trying to cover his tracks when he offered a ready explanation to the police.
The trial of Alex Murdaugh begins on Monday, the centerpiece of a twisted tale of two fatal shootings and the downfall of a South Carolina legal dynasty.
Mr. Murdaugh, who comes from a powerful legal family in rural South Carolina, has already faced a wave of fraud and theft charges since the killings last summer.