The prosecutor told the jury Monday that attorney William Lumpkin tried to commit the perfect murder, but the defense countered that Stan White's real killer was the man who first accused Mr. Lumpkin of murder. After a week of jury selection in the capital murder trial, attorneys gave opening statements Monday and testimony began in Richmond County Superior Court.
Testimony continues today.
Instead of figuring out how to pay Mr. White, Mr. Lumpkin used the month of August to plot murder, Mr. Craig said. He told the jury how Mr. Lumpkin bought anchors and scouted a remote Savannah River access road in Burke County, near where Mr. White's body was found in the river. Mr. Craig said Mr. Lumpkin picked up a friend about 9 a.m. Sept. 2 to help him and showed the friend the items he would use to bind Mr. White's body after he killed the older man at his downtown Augusta law office. But that account, defense attorney Michael Garrett told the jury, came from Mr. Williams, a convicted forger and thief who even Mr. Craig described as a hustler. Mr. Garrett said.