FOLLOW US

After a six-week trial that delved into the intricacies of a tarnished legal dynasty, Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced South Carolina attorney accused of killing his wife and son, has been found guilty and sentenced to consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

The trial jury deliberated for less than three hours after closing arguments were completed on Thursday before returning the guilty verdict. Prosecutors contended that Mr. Murdaugh committed the murders to divert attention from his own financial misconduct, which they said was about to be uncovered. Mr. Murdaugh testified in his own defense, admitting that he had embezzled millions of dollars from his clients and law firm, but denied responsibility for his wife and son's deaths. The following are key details to keep in mind about the case.

Murdaugh was at the crime scene

Alex Murdaugh had previously denied being at the dog kennels when his wife and son were fatally shot for over 20 months. However, during the trial, he admitted that he had lied about his whereabouts and that he was briefly present at the kennels before the murders occurred.

However, Mr. Murdaugh only admitted to being at the dog kennels on the night of the murders after a video, taken by his son Paul, was presented in court confirming his presence. He stated that he was only there briefly before leaving, then went back to the house to rest before checking on his sick mother who lived nearby. He claimed he returned to the kennels an hour later and discovered his family's bodies.

During the trial, Mr. Murdaugh explained that he had been struggling with opioid addiction and depression, and that his fear and paranoia had led him to lie to the police. He also claimed that he did not trust the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is why he had not been truthful about his whereabouts. According to him, he was afraid that acknowledging his presence at the kennels before the murders would make him a suspect in the case.

“I lied about being down there,” he said, “and I’m so sorry that I did.”

Lack of Physical Evidence in the Case

Prosecutors relied on a variety of digital evidence, including telephone calls, text messages, videos, car navigation data, and cellphone tracking step counts, to challenge Mr. Murdaugh's claims about his location on the night of the murders.

However, the prosecutors' case was largely based on circumstantial evidence. They used telephone calls, text messages, videos, car navigation data, and even step counts based on cellphone tracking to challenge Mr. Murdaugh's version of events on the night of the murders. No physical evidence was presented, and investigators have not recovered the family-owned rifle allegedly used to kill Mrs. Murdaugh or the shotgun used to kill Paul Murdaugh.

Despite the lack of physical evidence, Alex Murdaugh's defense team argued that his white T-shirt did not have any blood on it when police arrived, which would have been present if he had committed the crime. Additionally, DNA of an unidentified man was found under Mrs. Murdaugh's fingernails.

In an attempt to discredit the police investigation, Mr. Murdaugh's attorneys depicted it as haphazard. They pointed out that certain location data on Mrs. Murdaugh's phone from the day of the murders had been erased. Additionally, two deputies from the Colleton County Sheriff's Office acknowledged that tire tracks from the crime scene had been driven over and stepped on, while another deputy admitted to having walked near one of the victims' bodies without covering his footwear.

The defense lawyers pointed out that the police statement released after the murders declared that there was no immediate threat to the public, suggesting that the investigation was solely focused on Mr. Murdaugh.

One defense lawyer, Jim Griffin, said that the police “failed miserably in investigating this case.” Mr. Murdaugh would have been vindicated, he added, “had they done a competent job.”