The Clay County contractor charged with the murder of Susan Mauldin, began this week, with opening statements on Thursday. Binderim faces a first-degree murder charge and could receive the death penalty if convicted. As Action News Jax reports, Mauldin was reported missing in October 2019 after hiring Binderim for home renovations that were never completed.
Evidence from the investigation reportedly places Binderim as the last person to see Mauldin alive. Surveillance footage allegedly shows him leaving Mauldin's home on the day she disappeared, after which he was seen at a landfill where, according to First Coast News, the remains of 65-year-old Mauldin were eventually found.
In the courtroom, the prosecution presented a narrative that Binderim purchased concrete and heavy-duty construction bags on October 24, 2019, the day before Mauldin's disappearance. Prosecutors allege that these materials were used to dispose of Mauldin's body. This was supported by video evidence of Binderim dumping about 300 pounds of materials at a landfill that same day, as reported by News4Jax.
However, much depends on the defense's counter-argument that claims the case is based on circumstantial evidence. Binderim's DNA was notably absent from Mauldin's two fingernails found at the landfill in Georgia. His lawyer argued that the 37 minutes of surveillance was not enough time for Binderim to commit the alleged murder and clean up afterward. "Reasonable doubt," Binderim's lawyer told News4Jax.
