Richard “Alex” Murdaugh, a South Carolina lawyer, has been found guilty of the murder of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in a high-profile six-week televised trial.
After three hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a verdict, finding Murdaugh guilty on two counts of murder and two weapons-related charges. Murdaugh, who unexpectedly took the stand to plead his innocence, was visibly shaken as the verdicts were read. He rocked slightly and turned to his son, Buster, nodding to him before being cuffed by sheriffs deputies.
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Murdaugh’s brothers were not present in court, despite one, John Marvin, testifying on his elder brother’s behalf. Immediately after the verdict, Murdaugh’s defense counsel called for a mistrial, which was denied by the judge.
Murdaugh had been held in jail in South Carolina since October 2021 on felony counts of fraud, following the disappearance of millions of dollars from a settlement involving the death of a housekeeper. During the murder trial, almost 75 witnesses were called to testify. Prosecutors argued that Murdaugh killed his family members to distract from his financial crimes.
The case, which was the subject of a recent Netflix documentary, has raised questions about power and corruption in South Carolina’s low country.
Throughout the trial of Alex Murdaugh, defense lawyers raised concerns about missteps by investigators at the murder scene and evidence mishandling thereafter, leading to issues that they believed conferred reasonable doubt. However, in the closing days of the trial, prosecutors sought to undermine Murdaugh’s defense that unknown assailants were responsible. This led many observers to believe that a not guilty verdict was becoming increasingly remote.
Following the verdict, South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson expressed hope that it would restore faith in the justice system, as many had misgivings that Murdaugh could be successfully held to account. However, the verdict does not resolve questions over at least two other deaths connected to Alex Murdaugh, the disbarred lawyer whose family had held considerable sway over the judiciary for close to a century.
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At the time prosecutors estimated the murders took place, he claimed he was visiting his mother and had not been at the dog kennels that night. However, cellphone evidence showed that he had visited the kennels, and he admitted so on the witness stand. Prosecutors argued that he had left the estate soon after to visit his mother to help establish an alibi. Investigators never searched his mother’s house, which some believed gave the defendant time to recover and dispose of the murder weapons and clothing that was likely to be heavily soiled with blood evidence.
The case leaves many issues unresolved. South Carolina state investigators are still looking into two deaths that preceded the murders of Maggie and Paul – housekeeper Gloria Satterfield in 2018 and Stephen Smith three years earlier. The jurors heard graphic testimony about the crime scene and visited it before the case was handed to them. The estimated angles of the fatal shots were discussed, and whether one assailant could have committed both crimes.
Maggie , 52, was killed with five shots from a hunting rifle, while Paul Murdaugh was hit with two shotgun blasts, and both died instantly. However, when police arrived at the scene after He called 911 at 10:07 pm that night, they did not warn the community that a shooter or shooters were at large. It was only after state investigators were brought in and he confessed to embezzlement that murder charges were eventually filed.
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