South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was found guilty on Thursday in the double murder trial that’s enraptured the nation.
Alex Murdaugh, who is 54 years old, stood accused of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul, whose bodies were discovered in June 2021 on the family’s hunting property.
Following the trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, the jury deliberated for a total of two hours and fifty minutes.
On Thursday, Alex Murdaugh, a former South Carolina lawyer who was disgraced and accused of murdering his wife and son to gain sympathy and divert attention from financial wrongdoing that could have ruined his reputation, was found guilty of their killings.
The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, deliberated for three hours before reaching a verdict. Murdaugh, who is 54 years old, was found guilty of fatally shooting his wife, Margaret, aged 52, and their youngest son, Paul, aged 22, in June 2021. He now faces a minimum sentence of 30 years to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
He was found guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, which carry an additional five years in prison.
During the reading of the verdicts, Murdaugh, who blinked frequently, maintained a stoic demeanor. The jurors were each asked if the verdicts were correct and responded affirmatively.
The sentencing has been postponed until 9:30 a.m. on Friday.
After the verdicts were announced, Murdaugh’s lawyers filed a motion for a mistrial. However, the judge rejected the motion, stating that the jury had sufficient evidence to find Murdaugh guilty and that the verdict was within its jurisdiction.
“The evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion,” Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman said.
Newman thanked the jurors later and said their verdict was supported by the evidence.
“All of the evidence pointed to only one conclusion, that’s the conclusion that you all reached,” he said.
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