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Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer accused of murdering his spouse and son to achieve pity and distract from monetary crimes threatening to topple his status, was discovered responsible Thursday of their slayings.
After deliberating for 3 hours, the jury of seven males and 5 girls convicted Murdaugh, 54, within the deadly shootings of Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021. He faces 30 years to life in jail with out parole.
The jury additionally convicted him of two counts of possession of a weapon throughout a violent crime, which carry 5 extra years in jail.
Murdaugh, 54, blinked repeatedly however was stone-faced as he stood in courtroom because the responsible verdicts had been learn. Every juror was then requested if the verdicts had been appropriate and mentioned sure.
Sentencing was deferred till 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Legal professionals for Murdaugh made a movement for a mistrial after the verdicts had been learn. The movement was denied by the decide, who mentioned the decision was a matter for the jury and there was sufficient proof for it to seek out Murdaugh responsible.
"The proof of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the movement," Circuit Court docket Choose Clifton Newman mentioned.
Newman thanked the jurors later and mentioned their verdict was supported by the proof.
"The entire proof pointed to just one conclusion, that is the conclusion that you simply all reached," he mentioned.
The comparatively quick deliberation interval adopted a prolonged trial that started in late January and included almost six weeks of testimony from 75 witnesses, together with Murdaugh.
Throughout closing arguments earlier Thursday, the protection depicted Murdaugh, who was disbarred from training regulation final 12 months within the wake of the costs, as a household man with a loving relationship together with his spouse and kids.
Protection lawyer Jim Griffin burdened that the state had no direct proof that he pulled the set off earlier than calling 911 on the night of June 7, 2021, to say he discovered his spouse and son's our bodies close to kennels at their searching property in rural Colleton County.
Investigators had testified that Paul was struck twice by a shotgun, whereas Margaret was shot a number of instances with an AR-style rifle. Neither weapon has been discovered, however brokers mentioned they matched the homicide weapons utilizing shell casings from household firearms.
The prosecution constructed a sprawling case primarily based on circumstantial proof to persuade jurors that Murdaugh was responsible, utilizing digital knowledge and video extracted from the victims' cellphones to counsel that solely he had the motive, means and alternative to kill his spouse and son.
Based on prosecutors, Murdaugh had been swindling shoppers for years, and he used the cash, partially, to feed an habit to ache drugs.
Murdaugh had additionally been below pressure from a lawsuit involving Paul, who on the time of his demise was going through trial on three felony counts of sailing below the affect in reference to a 2019 boat crash that killed a teenage passenger.
Through the state's closing arguments Wednesday, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters mentioned that Murdaugh had a lot to lose if his monetary malfeasance was uncovered however that the deaths of his spouse and son promptly stopped the regulation agency's investigation and stymied the boat crash case to his benefit.
One of many state's key items of proof was video extracted from Paul's cellphone of the kennels wherein three voices — belonging to Paul, Margaret and Murdaugh — may very well be heard speaking a couple of canine within the minutes earlier than 8:50 p.m.
Murdaugh repeatedly instructed investigators that he was napping after which had gone to go to his mom, who has Alzheimer's illness, earlier than returning house to seek out his spouse and son useless.
In response to why his voice may very well be heard within the video, Murdaugh took the stand final week and admitted to mendacity about his location earlier than the murders due to his drug habit and basic paranoia.
However Waters mentioned throughout closing arguments that it defied perception that one other killer or killers knew to go to the household's property on the precise time Murdaugh wasn't there and use the household’s firearms and kill his spouse and son.
"He fooled Paul and Maggie, too, they usually paid for it with their lives. Do not let him idiot you, too," Waters instructed the jury.
The trial had attracted intense protection for a case first categorised as an unsolved double murder, however that quickly unraveled into wider allegations of monetary fraud, a employed hitman plot and drug habit, and revived inquiries into different curious deaths linked to the Murdaugh household.
Murdaugh's protection crew didn't instantly remark concerning the verdict.
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