Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for killing wife and son in 2021
03/02/2023 5:19 pm PST
UPDATE (March 3, 2023) -- Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison for the June 2021 deaths of his wife and son, according to The New York Times.
At the sentencing hearing, Murdaugh said he would "never, under any circumstances, hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never, under any circumstances, hurt my son Paul Paul."
Judge Clifton Newman responded, "It might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. Maybe you become another person. I'ver seen that before."
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WALTERBORO, S.C. (TCD) -- A jury on Thursday, March 2, convicted the prominent yet disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh, 54, of murder in connection with the shooting deaths of his wife Maggie and son Paul.
According to The State, the jury in Walterboro took less than three hours to reach the verdict for the two counts of murder. Murdaugh was accused of shooting and killing 22-year-old Paul and 52-year-old Maggie inside the dog kennels at their sprawling estate.
The jurors reportedly came to the decision unanimously.
Murdaugh’s trial began in January and much of the prosecution’s arguments surrounded a Snapchat video taken from Paul’s phone that shows Murdaugh in the kennels with his wife and son just moments before they were killed. Murdaugh testified he left his home when Maggie and Paul were killed and was instead visiting his sick mother, The Associated Press reports.
During the trial, Murdaugh admitted to stealing millions of dollars from clients and being addicted to painkillers but said, "I did not kill Maggie, and I did not kill Paul. I would never hurt Maggie, and I would never hurt Paul — ever — under any circumstances."
According to The Associated Press, Murdaugh will be sentenced March 3 at 9:30 a.m. He faces a minimum of 30 years in prison and up to life.
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