Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murder of wife and son

Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and son. Judge Clifton Newman handed down the sentence, without parole, in the the South Carolina Circuit Court in Walterboro: "I sentence you to spend the rest of your natural life in prison for murdering your wife, Margaret, and your son, Paul. You probably loved them too much. I sentence you for the rest of your life to prison."

In addition, Judge Clifton Newman told Alex Murdaugh that he was sure the crime would haunt him for the rest of his life: "I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the nighttime when you’re attempting to go to sleep. I’m sure they come and visit you. I’m sure." The defendant replied: "All day and every night."

Alex Murdaugh defended his innocence

After just three hours of deliberations, the jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty for the murder of his wife and son after a six-week trial. The bodies of the prestigious former lawyer’s wife, Margaret, and his 22-year-old son, Paul, were found lifeless in June 2021 near their family property. Authorities determined that both Margaret and Paul had been shot multiple times.

Murdaugh, 54, strongly denied his guilt, even moments before he was sentenced. At that time, the former attorney spoke before the Colleton County court and reiterated, again, that he was not responsible for murdering his wife and son: "I am innocent. I would never hurt my wife, Maggie. And I would never hurt my son Paul."

However, despite the lack of direct evidence of the crime, the dozens of witnesses who testified during the trial helped to determine Murdaugh's guilt. The prosecution defined the crime as an attempt by the former lawyer to gain sympathy and divert public attention from his alleged financial crimes. He will face trial for those charges at a later date.