As the culmination of a six-week trial that has dominated headlines, famed South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was found guilty on Thursday of murdering his wife and son.
Murdaugh, 54, was convicted of two charges of murder and now faces a sentence of 30 years to life in prison without parole for each count. During deliberation, the jury spent less than three hours together.
After being the subject of countless podcasts and two prominent documentaries, the trial and crimes of Murdaugh have heated national discourse. This is the information you require.
Who Is Alex Murdaugh?
The Murdaugh family, of which Alex is a former prominent member, has dominated the judicial system in the southern area of South Carolina for the past century. The five-county region is commonly referred to as “Murdaugh Country” since three generations of the same family had held the office of solicitor continuously from 1920 to 2006.
The Murdaugh family member who served as solicitor for South Carolina’s 14th circuit district (equivalent to a district attorney in other parts of the United States) was responsible for prosecuting all criminal matters in Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, Beaufort, and Jasper counties.
In 1910, Randolph Murdaugh Sr. opened a one-man law office in Hampton (approximately 65 miles inland from Charleston), which would eventually become the Murdaugh family law firm. Since then, three generations of the family have continued the legal practice in the county.
Regarding the double homicide for which Alex is on trial, on June 7, 2021, agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to a 911 call reporting two bodies behind several dog kennels at the family’s small Islandton house in Colleton County.
It was reported at the time by the Associated Press, The Island Packet, and WSAV that their bodies had been discovered on the 1,770-acre property where the family has a hunting lodge.
In 2018, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division began looking into the apparent trip-and-fall death of the Murdaughs’ housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, at the family’s Hampton residence.
Following the wrongful death litigation due to the mystery trip, Alex was arrested on October 14, 2021, and charged with misappropriating insurance settlement cash. Alex’s private island, which he owned jointly with a dead drug smuggler suspect, was reportedly put up for sale later in October by a local South Carolina news site, awaiting court approval.
According to court documents obtained by Greenville News, the property is on “Island A,” a 22-acre island that is the largest of the three Cherry Knoll Hill Islands, commonly known as the “Williams Islands,” off the coast of Beaufort. ” There are specific times of day and tides where you can get there by boat.
For What Reason Is He Being Tried For Murder?
After being shot to death, Maggie and Paul’s bodies were discovered in the kennels of the family’s expansive hunting lodge at Islandton on June 7 ,2022.
Mr. Murdaugh claimed he found their bodies and made an emotional 911 call in which he bawled his eyes out.
He claimed he came home to discover his wife and son dead from multiple gunshot wounds after visiting his sick and elderly parents.
In the audio, Mr Murdaugh is heard sobbing as he tells the dispatcher “it’s bad” and “my wife and child have been shot badly”.
Both Maggie and Paul were killed by gunshots; Maggie was shot five times with an automatic rifle, and Paul was shot twice (once in the head and once in the chest) with a shotgun.
Although Mr. Murdaugh was charged with their murders in July 2022, it took law enforcement 13 months to make an arrest in the case.
The prosecution claims that Mr. Murdaugh murdered his wife and kid to divert attention from his many other alleged wrongdoings and controversies.
A tweet by ABC News, in which the Jury Finds Him guilty of double murder:
BREAKING: Jury finds Alex Murdaugh guilty of double murder. https://t.co/LZCGGhjDFL pic.twitter.com/J6tFqLJOzz
— ABC News (@ABC) March 3, 2023
You can check out the following links if you are interested in learning more about the circumstances behind the deaths of celebrities:
- Aaron Carter Death: Aaron Carter’s Mother Publishes Disturbing Photographs With A Message For The Police After Her Son’s Death
- Brittany Murphy Cause Of Death, How She Was Mourned In Hollywood?
- What’s The Cause Of Amy Winehouse’s Death? According To Amy Winehouse’s Brother, Bulimia Caused Her Death
How Did The Police Locate Alex Murdaugh?
Throughout the six-week trial, more than seventy-five witnesses testified, and around eight hundred pieces of evidence were presented; however, a smartphone video made by Paul approximately five minutes before Murdaugh’s murder appeared to be the final proof that sealed his doom.
A dog and a voice could be heard in the background of the video. Paul’s friends testified that they recognized Murdaugh’s voice, even though he had maintained for months that he wasn’t with his family when they passed away.
When the trial ended, Murdaugh testified that he stole millions of dollars from clients and lied to authorities about being at the kennels. Despite this, he insisted that he was innocent of the murders that had taken place in his own family.
“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,” Murdaugh said.
Read about what’s going on in the world by following our Twitter feed.
