Alex Murdaugh convicted for the murder of his wife and son

 Alex Murdaugh convicted for the murder of his wife and son

    In less than three hours of deliberation on Thursday, the jury in the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh found him guilty of the murder of his wife and son. This was the most severe and grisly charge that the disgraced former South Carolina attorney faced. Alex Murdaugh, who is 54 years old, hails from a powerful and prominent family of local lawyers and solicitors. He was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the killing of Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh on June 7, 2021.

    The prosecutors have revealed that they will seek life in prison without parole for the murders, which spares him from the death penalty. Judge Clifton Newman has set the sentencing for Friday at 9:30 a.m.

    Alex Murdaugh kept a stoic expression as the verdict was read out. However, his only remaining son, Buster Murdaugh, was seen wiping tears from his eyes. While being handcuffed, Murdaugh appeared to mouth “I love you” to Buster. The jury members never looked in Murdaugh's direction, keeping their heads down.

    Legal analysts said that the speed with which the jury reached its decision was astonishing, considering there were 70 witnesses and a three-week trial with so much to parse through. Misty Marris, a trial attorney and legal analyst, expressed her shock at the verdict being delivered so quickly, during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.

    The verdict came after a six-week trial, which was heavily focused on brutal gore, phone forensics, a mysterious blue tarp, extensive financial wrongdoing, and the defendant's lies. Earlier on Thursday, the defense team of Murdaugh delivered their closing arguments, arguing that law enforcement was too quick to suspect him as the main suspect in the killings by the dog kennels on the family's vast estate.

    During his closing arguments, defense attorney Jim Griffin attempted to cast doubt on the prosecution's case against Alex Murdaugh. Griffin pointed out several instances where he believed the agency had failed to carry out proper investigations, such as not examining hair found in Murdaugh's wife's hand, neglecting to take fingerprint evidence, not looking into footwear and tire impressions, and neglecting to test DNA on the victims' clothes.

    Griffin claimed that the prosecution had already made up their minds and decided that unless they found someone else, Alex Murdaugh would be the one to blame for the murders.

    On the other hand, the prosecution argued that Murdaugh's motive for committing the murders was to create a diversion and delay investigations into his financial wrongdoings. Griffin mocked this theory, calling it nonsensical, and pointed out that Murdaugh had attempted suicide in September 2021, which he believed was a natural response to being exposed.

    The sentencing for the 54-year-old, who took the stand in his own defense, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday. He has been found guilty of using a rifle to kill his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and a shotgun to kill his son Paul, 22, on the night of June 7, 2021, at the family's Moselle hunting estate in South Carolina's Lowcountry region. Prior to being disbarred, he was a well-known attorney in the state, belonging to one of its most distinguished families. He faces 30 years to life in prison for each murder conviction, with the prosecution not seeking the death penalty.

    According to prosecutor Creighton Waters, "Justice was done today." He emphasized that no matter one's family, wealth, or prominence, if someone breaks the law and commits murder, justice will be served in South Carolina. Judge Clifton Newman, describing the evidence against Murdaugh as "overwhelming," denied the defense's request for a mistrial. The trial, which lasted six weeks, captured the attention of not just South Carolina, but also the entire nation, with media coverage including live broadcasts, true crime podcasts, and a Netflix docuseries. Murdaugh admitted to lying about his alibi but continued to deny involvement in the deaths of his wife and son.

    “It’s completely illogical, irrational, and insane for someone to kill their loved ones when their criminal conduct is exposed,” argued defense attorney Jim Griffin in his closing arguments.

    Griffin acknowledged that Murdaugh had lied about his whereabouts on the night of the murders, but stated that the lies were to conceal his drug addiction and financial difficulties and not because he had killed his family. “Addicts lie,” Griffin said, “because they have a closet full of skeletons, and they don’t want any more scrutiny on them.”

    The prosecution claimed that Murdaugh's motive for the killings was to distract and delay investigations into his mounting financial problems. Prosecutors argued that he used two family-owned weapons to commit the murders, and that he had the opportunity to do so since he was present at the crime scene, as evidenced by a key video and confirmed by his own testimony, just minutes before the killings.

    “Everyone who thought they knew who he was, he’s fooled them all. He fooled Maggie and Paul, too, and they paid for it with their lives. Don’t let him fool you, too,” said prosecutor Creighton Waters.

    After the verdict, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson described it as a “great day for the people of South Carolina.” He expressed that the verdict gave a voice to the victims, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, who were murdered on June 7, 2021, by someone they loved and trusted. Although they cannot be brought back, justice has been served, Wilson said.