Alex Murdaugh faces the music as jury delivers guilty verdict in murder case
Walterboro, South Carolina - The jury in disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh's double-murder trial returned with a guilty verdict hours after they were sent to deliberate the case.
After 26 days of testimony from over 75 witnesses, the jury ultimately found Murdaugh (54) guilty of murdering his wife Maggie Murdaugh, and son Paul Murdaugh.
The former attorney looked mildly concerned when the clerk read the guilty verdict on Thursday night, which occurred just three hours after closing arguments wrapped and Judge Clifton Newman dismissed the jury to deliberate.
Maggie and Paul were murdered near the dog kennels at the family's Moselle property on June 7, 2021. Murdaugh was indicted on two counts of murder on July 14, 2022.
He had long denied being at the Moselle property the night of the murders. That is until the prosecution played a Snapchat video at the dog kennels from Paul's phone timestamped just moments before the murders occurred that features Alex's voice in the background.
Though the disgraced attorney admitted to lying when he testified during the trial, telling the court, "I lied about being down there, and I'm so sorry that I did," it seems the jury didn't buy the defense's argument that Murdaugh could never hurt his wife and son, both of which he loved dearly.
In addition to being found guilty of murder, Murdaugh was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
The judge set a sentencing hearing for Friday at 9:30 AM local time.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / USA TODAY Network