lex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer accused of murdering his wife and son to gain pity and distract from financial crimes threatening to topple his reputation, was found guilty Thursday in their slayings.
After deliberating for three hours, the jury of seven men and five women convicted Murdaugh, 54, of two counts of murder in the fatal shootings of Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021. He faces 30 years to life in prison without parole.
The jury also convicted him of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, which carry five more years in prison.
Murdaugh blinked repeatedly but was stone-faced as he stood in court as the guilty verdicts were read. Each juror was then asked whether the verdicts were correct and said yes.
Sentencing was deferred until 9:30 a.m. FridayLinkedin
U.S. NEWS
Alex Murdaugh guilty in murders of wife and son
Murdaugh, 54, stood trial in the fatal shootings of his wife, Margaret, and their youngest son, Paul, in a case tied to a slew of financial crimes.
TAP TO UNMUTE
Senator Dianne Feinstein hospitalized for shingles
March 3, 2023, 3:07 AM +03
By Erik Ortiz
Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer accused of murdering his wife and son to gain pity and distract from financial crimes threatening to topple his reputation, was found guilty Thursday in their slayings.
After deliberating for three hours, the jury of seven men and five women convicted Murdaugh, 54, of two counts of murder in the fatal shootings of Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021. He faces 30 years to life in prison without parole.
The jury also convicted him of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, which carry five more years in prison.
Murdaugh blinked repeatedly but was stone-faced as he stood in court as the guilty verdicts were read. Each juror was then asked whether the verdicts were correct and said yes.
Sentencing was deferred until 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Electronic data leads jury to find Alex Murdaugh guilty of double murder
Lawyers for Murdaugh moved for a mistrial after the verdicts were read. The motion was denied by the judge, who said that the verdict was a matter for the jury and that there was enough evidence for it to have found Murdaugh guilty.
"The evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion," state Circuit 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.
The relatively short deliberation period followed a lengthy trial that began in late January and included nearly six weeks of testimony from 75 witnesses, including Murdaugh.
In closing arguments earlier Thursday, the defense depicted Murdaugh, who was disbarred last year in the wake of the charges, as a family man with a loving relationship with his wife and children.
Defense lawyer Jim Griffin stressed that the state had no direct evidence that he pulled the trigger before calling 911 on the evening of June 7, 2021, to say he had found his wife and son's bodies near kennels at their hunting estate in rural Colleton County.
Investigators had testified that Paul was struck twice by a shotgun, while Margaret was shot multiple times with an AR-style rifle. Neither weapon has been found. Agents said they matched the murder weapons using shell casings from family firearms.Reddit
Pocket
Flipboard
Pinterest
Linkedin
U.S. NEWS
Alex Murdaugh guilty in murders of wife and son
Murdaugh, 54, stood trial in the fatal shootings of his wife, Margaret, and their youngest son, Paul, in a case tied to a slew of financial crimes.
00:22 /00:28
TAP TO UNMUTE
Senator Dianne Feinstein hospitalized for shingles
March 3, 2023, 3:07 AM +03
By Erik Ortiz
Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer accused of murdering his wife and son to gain pity and distract from financial crimes threatening to topple his reputation, was found guilty Thursday in their slayings.
After deliberating for three hours, the jury of seven men and five women convicted Murdaugh, 54, of two counts of murder in the fatal shootings of Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021. He faces 30 years to life in prison without parole.
The jury also convicted him of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, which carry five more years in prison.
Murdaugh blinked repeatedly but was stone-faced as he stood in court as the guilty verdicts were read. Each juror was then asked whether the verdicts were correct and said yes.
Sentencing was deferred until 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Electronic data leads jury to find Alex Murdaugh guilty of double murder
Lawyers for Murdaugh moved for a mistrial after the verdicts were read. The motion was denied by the judge, who said that the verdict was a matter for the jury and that there was enough evidence for it to have found Murdaugh guilty.
"The evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion," state Circuit 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.
The relatively short deliberation period followed a lengthy trial that began in late January and included nearly six weeks of testimony from 75 witnesses, including Murdaugh.
In closing arguments earlier Thursday, the defense depicted Murdaugh, who was disbarred last year in the wake of the charges, as a family man with a loving relationship with his wife and children.
Defense lawyer Jim Griffin stressed that the state had no direct evidence that he pulled the trigger before calling 911 on the evening of June 7, 2021, to say he had found his wife and son's bodies near kennels at their hunting estate in rural Colleton County.
Investigators had testified that Paul was struck twice by a shotgun, while Margaret was shot multiple times with an AR-style rifle. Neither weapon has been found. Agents said they matched the murder weapons using shell casings from family firearms.
Image: Alex Murdaugh
Alex Murdaugh is led outside the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., by sheriff's deputies after he was convicted of two counts of murder Thursday. Chris Carlson / AP
The prosecution built a sprawling case based on circumstantial evidence to convince jurors that Murdaugh was guilty, using electronic data and video extracted from the victims' cellphones to suggest that only he had the motive, means and opportunity to kill his wife and son.
According to prosecutors, Murdaugh had been swindling clients for years, and he used the money, in part, to feed an addiction to pain pills.
Recommended
U.S. NEWS
Over 170,000 without power, tornado sirens sound as winds hit Texas and South
Murdaugh had also been under strain from a lawsuit involving Paul, who at the time of his death was facing trial on three felony counts of boating under the influence in connection with a 2019 boat crash that killed a teenage passenger.
During the state's closing arguments Wednesday, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said that Murdaugh had much to lose if his financial malfeasance was exposed but that the deaths of his wife and son promptly stopped the law firm's investigation and stymied the boat crash case to his advantage.
One of the state's key pieces of evidence was video extracted from Paul's cellphone of the kennels, in which three voices — those of Paul, Margaret and Murdaugh — could be heard talking about a dog in the minutes before 8:50 p.m.
Murdaugh repeatedly told investigators that he was napping and then had gone to visit his mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, before he returned home to find his wife and son dead.
Asked why his voice could be heard in the video, Murdaugh admitted on the stand last week to having lied about his location before the murders because of his drug addiction and general paranoia.
But Waters said in closing arguments that it defied belief that another killer or killers knew to go to the family's estate at the exact time Murdaugh wasn't there and use the family’s firearms and kill his wife and son.SHARE & SAVE —
Search NBC News
PROFILE
SIGN IN
CREATE YOUR FREE PROFILE
SECTIONS
CORONAVIRUS
U.S. NEWS
POLITICS
WORLD
LOCAL
BUSINESS
HEALTH
INVESTIGATIONS
CULTURE MATTERS
SCIENCE
SPORTS
TECH & MEDIA
VIDEO FEATURES
PHOTOS
WEATHER
SELECT
ASIAN AMERICA
NBCBLK
NBC LATINO
NBC OUT
TV
TODAY
NIGHTLY NEWS
MSNBC
MEET THE PRESS
DATELINE
FEATURED
NBC NEWS NOW
BETTER
NIGHTLY FILMS
STAY TUNED
SPECIAL FEATURES
NEWSLETTERS
PODCASTS
LISTEN NOW
MORE FROM NBC
CNBC
NBC.COM
NBCU ACADEMY
NBC LEARN
PEACOCK
NEXT STEPS FOR VETS
PARENT TOOLKIT
NBC NEWS SITE MAP
HELP
FOLLOW NBC NEWS
Facebook
Twitter
Email
SMS
Print
Whatsapp
Reddit
Pocket
Flipboard
Pinterest
Linkedin
U.S. NEWS
Alex Murdaugh guilty in murders of wife and son
Murdaugh, 54, stood trial in the fatal shootings of his wife, Margaret, and their youngest son, Paul, in a case tied to a slew of financial crimes.
00:22 /00:28
TAP TO UNMUTE
Senator Dianne Feinstein hospitalized for shingles
March 3, 2023, 3:07 AM +03
By Erik Ortiz
Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer accused of murdering his wife and son to gain pity and distract from financial crimes threatening to topple his reputation, was found guilty Thursday in their slayings.
After deliberating for three hours, the jury of seven men and five women convicted Murdaugh, 54, of two counts of murder in the fatal shootings of Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021. He faces 30 years to life in prison without parole.
The jury also convicted him of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, which carry five more years in prison.
Murdaugh blinked repeatedly but was stone-faced as he stood in court as the guilty verdicts were read. Each juror was then asked whether the verdicts were correct and said yes.
Sentencing was deferred until 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Electronic data leads jury to find Alex Murdaugh guilty of double murder
Lawyers for Murdaugh moved for a mistrial after the verdicts were read. The motion was denied by the judge, who said that the verdict was a matter for the jury and that there was enough evidence for it to have found Murdaugh guilty.
"The evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion," state Circuit 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.
The relatively short deliberation period followed a lengthy trial that began in late January and included nearly six weeks of testimony from 75 witnesses, including Murdaugh.
In closing arguments earlier Thursday, the defense depicted Murdaugh, who was disbarred last year in the wake of the charges, as a family man with a loving relationship with his wife and children.
Defense lawyer Jim Griffin stressed that the state had no direct evidence that he pulled the trigger before calling 911 on the evening of June 7, 2021, to say he had found his wife and son's bodies near kennels at their hunting estate in rural Colleton County.
Investigators had testified that Paul was struck twice by a shotgun, while Margaret was shot multiple times with an AR-style rifle. Neither weapon has been found. Agents said they matched the murder weapons using shell casings from family firearms.
Image: Alex Murdaugh
Alex Murdaugh is led outside the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., by sheriff's deputies after he was convicted of two counts of murder Thursday. Chris Carlson / AP
قام الادعاء ببناء قضية مترامية الأطراف تستند إلى أدلة ظرفية لإقناع المحلفين بأن مردو مذنب ، باستخدام البيانات الإلكترونية ومقاطع الفيديو المستخرجة من الهواتف المحمولة للضحايا للإشارة إلى أنه فقط كان لديه الدافع والوسائل والفرصة لقتل زوجته وابنه.
وفقًا للمدعين العامين ، كان مردو يخدع العملاء لسنوات ، واستخدم المال ، جزئيًا ، لتغذية الإدمان على حبوب الألم.
مُستَحسَن
أخبار الولايات المتحدة
أكثر من 170،000 بدون كهرباء ، صوت صفارات الإنذار مع هبوب الرياح في تكساس والجنوب
كما تعرض موردو لضغوط بسبب دعوى قضائية تورط فيها بول ، الذي كان وقت وفاته يواجه المحاكمة في ثلاث تهم جنائية تتعلق بالقوارب تحت تأثير المراكب فيما يتعلق بحادث تحطم قارب عام 2019 أودى بحياة راكب مراهق.
خلال المرافعات الختامية للولاية يوم الأربعاء ، قال المدعي العام الرئيسي كريتون ووترز إن مردو لديه الكثير ليخسره إذا تم الكشف عن مخالفاته المالية ، لكن وفاة زوجته وابنه أوقفت تحقيق شركة المحاماة على الفور وأعاقت قضية تحطم القارب لصالحه.
كان أحد الأدلة الرئيسية للولاية عبارة عن مقطع فيديو مأخوذ من هاتف بول المحمول الخاص ببيوت الكلاب ، حيث يمكن سماع ثلاثة أصوات - أصوات بول ومارغريت وموردو - تتحدث عن كلب في الدقائق التي سبقت الساعة 8:50 مساءً.
أخبر مردو المحققين مرارًا وتكرارًا أنه كان يغفو ثم ذهب لزيارة والدته المصابة بمرض الزهايمر ، قبل أن يعود إلى المنزل ليجد زوجته وابنه ميتين.
عند سؤاله عن سبب سماع صوته في الفيديو ، اعترف موردو الأسبوع الماضي بأنه كذب بشأن موقعه قبل جرائم القتل بسبب إدمانه على المخدرات والبارانويا العامة.
لكن ووترز قالت في المرافعات الختامية إنها تتحدى الاعتقاد بأن قاتلًا أو قاتلاً آخر عرفوا الذهاب إلى منزل العائلة في الوقت المحدد الذي لم يكن مردو موجودًا فيه واستخدم أسلحة العائلة النارية وقتل زوجته وابنه.
"العدالة تحققت اليوم" ، كما تقول النيابة بعد إدانة موردو
بعد صدور الأحكام ، قال ووترز إن الإدانة تحقق العدالة لماجي وبول موردو ، وشكر المحلفين.
قال ووترز: "لم يكن لدينا أدنى شك في أنه إذا أتيحت لنا الفرصة لعرض قضيتنا في محكمة قانونية ، فإنهم سيرون من خلال الخداع الأخير الذي كان أليكس موردو يحاول سحبه - وقد فعلوا ذلك".
جذبت المحاكمة تغطية مكثفة لقضية تم تصنيفها في البداية على أنها جريمة قتل مزدوجة لم تُحل ، لكنها سرعان ما تفككت في مزاعم أوسع تتعلق بالاحتيال المالي ، ومؤامرة قاتل مأجور وإدمان المخدرات ، وأحييت التحقيقات في حالات وفاة غريبة أخرى مرتبطة بعائلة مردو.
لم يعلق فريق دفاع موردو على الفور على الحكم.