Marriage proposals, underwear in mail: Fame a mixed blessing for Murdaugh trial star witness
From job offers and marriage proposals to ladies underwear in the mail, fame has been a mixed blessing for people close to the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, building careers and launching celebrity status.
That has especially been true for crime scene forensics expert Dr. Kenneth Lee Kinsey.
Dr. Kinsey was one of several key witnesses who testified on behalf of the South Carolina Attorney General's Office during the internationally followed double murder trial of Richard Alexander Murdaugh, who was convicted March 2 of killing his wife and younger son in June 2021 after more than a decade of alleged criminal activity that launched a dozen lawsuits and a Netflix documentary.
From the moment he first took the witness stand, Kinsey, with his intelligent, yet down-to-earth manner and beloved Southern drawl, became one of the "star witnesses" of the trial. Kinsey is like a mild-mannered yet entertaining Baptist Sunday School teacher who fights crime.
Kinsey, a cop with a PhD who is just as comfortable kicking down doors on the SWAT team as he is teaching criminology classes, cleverly stood his ground against Murdaugh's defense team and captivated the jury to the point that, after the verdict, they asked to meet with him the next day to thank him personally.
He has also had quite an impact on the throngs of avid true crime fans watching the trial.
Murdaugh Murders: True crime, trial fans love Dr. Kenny Kinsey
The price of Kinsey's successful investigation and testimony has been fame; some of the reaction has been heartwarming, but not all of this public attention has been wanted.
"I've had ten marriage proposals and I had a pair of underwear mailed to the house," Kinsey told The Hampton County (South Carolina) Guardian, part of the Paste BN Network. "My wife and I laughed it off, hoping maybe some friends had pranked me."
However, adds Kinsey, he may never know. The box containing the panties did not have a return address, and none of his buddies have come forward.
Kinsey has had people from as far away as Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, recognize him and approach him for selfies or autographs. Most days, when he's not on duty as Chief Deputy at the Orangeburg County (South Carolina) Sheriff's Office or investigating cases for clients, he goes out wearing a hoodie and tries to keep a low profile.
But then there are the sweet fans, people like Stephanie Truesdale, who followed the Murdaugh trial avidly and knitted dolls for each of her favorite courtroom characters, including Kinsey, and mailed it to him — with his permission, of course. (She also made dolls for Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the Murdaugh trial, and Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor.)
In return, Kinsey sent her a coffee mug depicting him on the witness stand that he had made as gifts for family and friends.
Kinsey now a hot item on the true crime, law enforcement circuits
Kinsey's new-found fame has lead to several unusual opportunities. He has participated in numerous television interviews after the trial, ranging from CBS 48 Hours to Netflix.
Most recently, he has been invited as a guest speaker for an Alabama Attorney General's Office conference and for CrimeCon 2023, a three-day true crime event in Orlando, Florida, expected to attract 5,000 visitors this year.
"It's been phenomenal," admitted Kinsey. "I'm so blessed, and it's so unexpected, but it's been really, really good."
Then there is the private sector work. Prior to the Murdaugh saga, Kinsey had already been working to launch his own crime scene forensics consulting firm after retirement, and the exposure of the Murdaugh trial was just the catalyst he needed to stop procrastinating and start his own brand.
The former SLED agent officially launched Kenny Kinsey & Associates on March 8, just a week after the trial. He was almost immediately contacted by Eric Bland of Bland Richter LLP, an attorney representing the family of Stephen Smith, and he is now actively on the private consulting team working to solve that unsolved 2015 Hampton County homicide.
More: Where does Hampton County, SC, go after Alex Murdaugh verdict? Pain, lessons linger
A plethora of other job offers soon followed suit. There are plenty of other cases like the Stephen Smith homicide out there, cold cases where families of victims await answers, closure and justice, and with his new-found big name, knowledge and experience, Dr. Kinsey may be the investigative savior these grieving families desperately need. And then there are civil cases, where companies and insurance agencies want to know just how someone died — and who should have to pay damages, if any.
In addition to the Smith case, Kinsey is currently working 10 other criminal or civil cases that require forensics investigation. He plans to stick to the Southeast — he turned down a case in Chicago recently — and is now working cases from the Carolinas to Georgia.
"I have enough work for a year," said Kinsey.
'Hired guns' now after Kinsey with 'both barrels smoking'
At the start of the Murdaugh murder trial, Kinsey, like most of the witnesses involved, was a virtual unknown outside of law enforcement circles. During the trial, he handled himself well against tough cross-examination by Murdaugh's defense, and his expert testimony stood up well against the expert witnesses hired by Murdaugh's team, including one witness that was paid $600 an hour to investigate and testify.
More: Stephen Smith's family's fund has raised $100K amid Alex Murdaugh trial. What GoFundMe can teach us
But a big name attracts big opponents and bigger battles. Kinsey is now finding that his courtroom opponents are getting tougher and shrewder.
"There is a price you pay when people know who you are," admitted Kinsey. "Now, in court, the hired guns come at you with both barrels smoking! I can take the simplest cases, and the insurance companies are hiring two or three experts to counter me."
With this challenging new career ahead of him, Kinsey is eyeing the end of a long and distinguished public service career that was inspired by the police careers of both of his parents. He has been nominated for a statewide law enforcement award, which will be announced over the summer, and he looks to retire from the life of a public servant and law enforcement officer before the end of 2023.
"I've already been a cop longer than my mother, and longer than my father," said Kinsey. "I think it's time to slow down. But it's been wonderful."