MURDAUGH CONVICTED OF KILLING WIFE, SON
Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder Thursday in the shooting deaths of his wife and son.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty of two counts of murder at the end of a six-week trial that pulled back the curtain on the lawyer’s fall from grace.
Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge when court is scheduled to reconvene for sentencing today.
About 30 members of the public seated in the courtroom were largely quiet as the verdict was read. A court officer had earlier warned them to be quiet.
Murdaugh’s surviving son sat about four rows behind his father and defense team, frequently resting his face in the palm of his left hand before and while the verdict was read.
After the verdict was read, the defense moved to have a mistrial declared and the outcome tossed out, but Judge Clifton Newman denied the motion and commented on the massive amount of evidence and testimony jurors heard.
“The jury has now considered the evidence for a significant period of time, and the evidence of guilt is overwhelming,” he said.
The state’s legal team emerged from the courthouse to a celebratory atmosphere. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson thanked the prosecution for the past six weeks of late nights spent at a local hotel.
“It was all worth it. Because we got to bring justice and be a voice for Maggie and Paul Murdaugh,” Wilson said.
Through more than 75 witnesses and nearly 800 pieces of evidence, jurors heard about betrayed friends and clients, Murdaugh’s failed attempt to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme, a fatal boat crash in which his son was implicated, the housekeeper who died in a fall in the Murdaugh home, the grisly scene of the killings and Bubba, the chickensnatching dog.
In the end, Murdaugh’s fate appeared sealed by cellphone video taken by his son showing Murdaugh at the scene minutes before experts believe Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were killed at dog kennels on their property.
The now-disbarred attorney admitted stealing millions of dollars from the family law firm and clients, saying he needed the money to fund his drug habit. Prosecutors told jurors that Murdaugh was afraid all of his misdeeds were about to be discovered, so he killed his wife and son to gain sympathy to buy time to cover his tracks.
Murdaugh’s lawyers are likely to appeal the conviction based on the judge allowing evidence of the financial crimes, which they contend were unrelated to the killings and were used by prosecutors to smear Murdaugh’s reputation.