Former South Carolina legal professional Richard “Alex” Murdaugh was sentenced Friday to 2 consecutive life sentences after being convicted of murdering his spouse and son.
Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, have been killed close to canine kennels on the household’s dwelling in June 2021. After listening to greater than 5 weeks of testimony from over 75 witnesses — together with Murdaugh himself — and visiting the crime scene, a jury took lower than three hours Thursday to seek out Murdaugh, 54, responsible of two counts of homicide and two counts of possession of a weapon within the dedication of a violent crime.
Previous to sentencing, Choose Clifton Newman stated he didn’t query the prosecution’s choice to not pursue the loss of life penalty on this case, however mirrored on the truth that Murdaugh’s household has prosecuted individuals who could have acquired the loss of life penalty for lesser crimes.
“Within the homicide of your spouse Maggie Murdaugh, I sentence you for a time period for the remainder of your pure life,” Newman stated. “For the homicide of Paul Murdaugh, who you in all probability liked a lot, I sentence you to jail for murdering him, for the remainder of your pure life.”
Murdaugh’s attorneys say they intend to attraction
Alex Murdaugh’s protection attorneys Richard Harpootlian and Jim Griffin informed reporters Friday they intend to file an attraction. The attorneys stated the strongest grounds for attraction are the decide’s choice to confess proof associated to Murdaugh’s alleged monetary crimes.
“And we really feel strongly that if we lose in the state courts we’ll have success in federal courtroom,” Griffin stated.
Harpootlian stated the alleged monetary crimes proof “stripped away” Murdaugh’s credibility. He added the proof that Murdaugh stole and lied wasn’t about motive, however Murdaugh’s character.
“So because of this, our choices have been restricted … He at all times needed to take the stand,” he stated. “However as soon as that data was in, I imply he needed to take the stand to clarify the kennel video, the lie, if you’ll.”
Harpootlian once more criticized proof that was introduced to the grand jury and the investigation executed by the South Carolina Regulation Enforcement Division.
“It was a comedy of error by way of forensics on this,” he stated.
When requested why Murdaugh’s son Buster didn’t communicate throughout sentencing, Griffin stated it will not have made a distinction in Murdaugh’s sentence. Griffin stated Murdaugh’s household “steadfastly” helps him.
South Carolina Regulation Enforcement Division chief: ‘At this time will not be the tip’
“It’s all executed below fixed scrutiny, fixed strain,” Mark Keel stated.
Murdaugh has been charged with greater than 100 different counts associated to alleged crimes together with cash laundering, tax evasion, and drug trafficking which may carry a penalty of greater than seven centuries of jail time.
“At this time will not be the tip,” Keel stated. “It’s the subsequent step in a protracted highway to justice for each one who has been victimized by Alex Murdaugh.”
Choose Clifton Newman criticizes Murdaugh’s testimony as not credible
Newman stated he may think about the “looming storm” lead prosecutor Creighton Waters described Murdaugh confronted the day of the murders. He stated Murdaugh’s testimony, during which Murdaugh stated he was not involved about being confronted for stealing cash and an upcoming listening to within the case linked to a 2019 deadly boat crash involving Paul, was not credible or plausible.
“So in case you made any such arguments as a lawyer, you’ll lose each case,” Newman stated.
Choose references Murdaugh’s opioid dependancy
When Murdaugh later stated he was harmless, Newman referenced Murdaugh’s opioid dependancy.
“And it may not have been you,” Newman stated. “It might need been the monster you turn into while you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid tablets. Perhaps you turn into one other individual.”
Murdaugh addresses the courtroom: ‘I am harmless’
None of Maggie or Paul’s members of the family delivered a sufferer affect assertion, however Murdaugh briefly addressed the courtroom earlier than he was sentenced.
“I am harmless. I might by no means harm my spouse Maggie and I might by no means harm my son ‘Pau Pau,'” Murdaugh stated, referring to his son by a nickname that he used throughout his testimony.
Choose says ‘appeals are in all probability anticipated’
Newman stated it was “particularly heartbreaking” for him to see Murdaugh go within the media from being a grieving father and husband to the individual convicted for his or her homicide, from lawyer to witness.
Newman stated Murdaugh “engaged in such duplicitous conduct” earlier than he was indicted, on the witness stand and within the courtroom.
“And clearly as appeals are in all probability anticipated or completely anticipated, I might not count on a confession of any variety,” Newman stated.
Prosecutor after verdict: ‘Justice was executed’
“Justice was executed immediately,” Waters stated a information convention after the decision. “It doesn’t matter who your loved ones is. It doesn’t matter how a lot cash you’ve gotten … In the event you do improper, in case you break the legislation, in case you homicide, then justice will likely be executed in South Carolina.”
Murdaugh repeatedly denied killing his household when he took the stand in his personal protection final week, however admitted to mendacity to investigators about his whereabouts the evening of the murders. Murdaugh initially informed police he was not on the household’s canine kennels earlier than discovering the our bodies there, however his voice was captured on a video taken on his son’s cellphone minutes earlier than prosecutors consider the killings occurred.
Murdaugh additionally admitted stealing hundreds of thousands from his purchasers and legislation agency in addition to trying to orchestrate his personal loss of life in what investigators referred to as a botched life insurance coverage fraud scheme.
Murdaugh’s attorneys criticize prosecution’s proof
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Contributing: Michael DeWitt, Jr., Greenville Information
Contact Breaking Information Reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or observe her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg
