After weeks of testimony from more than 75 witnesses who took the stand, disgraced South Carolina lawyerAlex Murdaugh, has been found guilty of the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
On June 7 of that year, Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were found shot to death near the dog kennels on the 1,770-acre property in Islandton, S.C., where the family’s hunting lodge was located.
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before delivering the guilty verdicts. Murdaugh, 54, very slightly rocked his head back and forth as the verdicts were read.
He washandcuffed moments afterhe was convicted of the murders. His surviving son Buster — who also testified during the trial — was in the courtroom when the verdicts were read.
Alex Murdaugh (center).Andrew J Whitaker/AP/Shutterstock
“The evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion,” state Circuit Judge Clifton Newman said.
Sentencing will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.
In July 14, 2022, more than a year after Paul and Maggie’s deaths, Murdaugh was indicted for the murders. He was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and was convicted on all charges on Thursday evening.
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Murdaugh’s murder trial began on Jan. 23, 2023. During the sensational trial that lasted for nearly six weeks, a cell phone video Paul took on the night of the murders was shown to the jury.
The video — which was taken near the dog kennels on the Islandton property — featured the voices of Paul, Maggie and Murdaugh.Murdaugh had initially denied being near the dog kennelson the night of the murders, but when he was testifying in his own defense, headmitted to lyingabout his whereabouts that evening.
“I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” Murdaugh testified.
However,Murdaugh denied killing Maggie and Paul, whom he frequently called “Mags” and “Paul Paul” during his testimony.
“I could never intentionally do anything to hurt either one of them,” he said on the stand. “Not ever.”
He testified that the reason he lied about where he was that evening was because of the paranoia he claims he was experiencing due to his drug addiction at the time.
“As my addiction evolved over time I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid,” Murdaugh said. “I’m sorry I lied.”
After the guilty verdicts were read on Thursday, lead prosecutor and Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters said in part ata news conference: “Alex Murdaugh tried one last con to prevent the accountability he has never had to face in his life, but the jury saw through that and properly found he murdered his wife and son in cold blood.”
Even after his conviction, Murdaugh has more legal woes. He faces dozens of charges for alleged financial crimes, including misappropriating money from his law firm, defrauding clients of funds and computer crimes.
Steve Helling
source: people.com
