Alex Murdaugh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing His Wife and Son
On March 3rd, 2023, Alex Murdaugh, the 54-year-old South Carolina lawyer and patriarch of a once-prominent legal dynasty, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders of his wife and son. After nearly six weeks of a highly-publicized trial, Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.[0]
The key evidence presented against Murdaugh was a Snapchat video taken by Paul Murdaugh, his late son, which showed one of the family’s dogs near the kennels on their property and captured Alex Murdaugh’s voice in the background.[1] Murdaugh admitted on the stand he had lied to police regarding his whereabouts that night, and had a motive to kill the pair to cover up his prescription painkiller addiction and financial crimes.[2]
Judge Clifton Newman handed down two life sentences to Murdaugh after he was convicted on two counts of murder and two weapons charges. Newman excoriated the defendant before handing down the maximum sentence, telling Murdaugh that even if he continues to deny his guilt publicly, he'll have to deal with the haunting crimes he's committed in his own soul.[3]
Murdaugh will now serve out his sentence in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, starting with the 45 day assessment period in Columbia's Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center, a maximum-security, level-three facility.[3] After the evaluation, he will be assigned a specific custody level and maximum-security prison and Corrections will gather other pertinent information before determining which one of the state's maximum-security prisons he will serve out his double life sentence.[4]
The trial, which drew global attention and lasted longer than the originally planned three weeks, was a wearisome experience for the jurors who endured testimony from 76 witnesses and were paid just $20 a day.[5] In the end, it was Paul Murdaugh who was able to solve his own murder, as his video proved to be the key evidence that led to his father’s conviction.[1]
0. “Murdaugh verdict was ‘best outcome’ for ‘Cousin Eddie’: attorney” NewsNation Now, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.newsnationnow.com/banfield/alex-murdaugh-guilty-verdict-best-outcome-curtis-cousin-eddie-smith/
1. “Murdaugh murders: Eddie Smith recalls botched Alex Murdaugh suicide attempt before convicted in deaths of Paul …” WABC-TV, 4 Mar. 2023, https://abc7ny.com/murdaugh-murders-alex-suicide-attempt-eddie-curtis-smith/12913119
2. “OJ Simpson believes Alex Murdaugh ‘more than likely' killed family” Insider, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.insider.com/oj-simpson-believes-alex-murdaugh-more-than-likely-killed-family-2023-3
3. “Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence” Yahoo Life, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/convicted-killer-alex-murdaughs-mugshot-223517361.html
4. “What comes next for Murdaugh after sentencing?” WIS News 10, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.wistv.com/2023/03/03/what-comes-next-murdaugh-after-sentencing/
5. “Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence” Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/us/convicted-killer-alex-murdaughs-new-mugshot-revealed-double-life-sentence
