Jurors found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son after a six-week trial in South Carolina.
The jury came to a decision after only three hours of deliberations. The wife of the prestigious former South Carolina lawyer, Margaret, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were found dead in June 2021 near their family property. Authorities determined that both Margaret and Paul had been shot multiple times.
Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial. Murdaugh, 54, strongly denied his guilt. Despite there being almost no direct evidence of the crime, such as direct witnesses or bodily signs of the shooting; prosecutors based their indictment on a video showing the former lawyer at the scene of the crime that night despite his statements to the contrary.
The prosecution defined the crime as an attempt by Murdaugh to gain sympathy and divert the public eye from his alleged financial crimes, which he will be tried for at a later date.
He now faces 30 years to life in prison, which Judge Clifton Newman will decide this Friday at his sentencing.
Judge Clifton Newman addressed the jury after they returned a guilty verdict for disgraced lawyer #AlexMurdaugh in less than three hours. Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on June 7, 2021. pic.twitter.com/pfiv6Qxvnv
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) March 3, 2023
