The Jury is expected to return to court shortly to announce their verdict. Updates coming -

7:00pm Court is in session, Madam Clerk publishes the verdict.

Indictment for Murder -GUILTY

Indictment for Murder -GUILTY

Indict. for poss. of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime - GUILTY

Indict. for poss. of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime - GUILTY

Alex's face is like stone, Buster is crying quietly.

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian requests a polling of the Jury, every Juror agrees this is their verdict. The alternate Juror is returned to the general audience. Harpootlian asks for directed verdict for a mistrial. Prosecutor Creighton Waters argues against it, the motion is denied.

Judge Newman accepts the Jury's verdict. Given the lateness of the hour and other considerations, Newman states he will "defer sentencing." The minimum sentence for the charge of murder is a term of 30 years, and a minimum of 5 years for the weapons charges. We will reconvene for sentencing in the morning. "The defendant is taken away."

Judge Newman thanks the jurors extensively for their service and gives them permission "to talk with the case with anyone and reminds them that the media is unaware of their identities. If you decide they want to speak with anyone, that is your prerogative, however, if anyone harasses you, let me know."

7:23pm - The Jury is dismissed. Although Judge Newman offered to defer sentencing to a later date Prosecutor Waters states he is ready for sentencing tomorrow morning, and the defense agrees. Sentencing is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:30am.

_________________________________

Here is Prosecutor Creighton Waters shredding a guitar out a few years ago with his Sole Purpose Band - He Rocks! Word-up is that he made this video after a previous victory over Harpootlian.

🎸🎶

__________________________

THE JURY RETURNED A VERDICT IN THE ALEX MURDAUGH CASE

Indictment for Murder -GUILTY

Indictment for Murder -GUILTY

Indictment for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. -

GUILTY

Indictment for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

GUILTY

Thank you, Judge Newman. You are a National Treasure.

I haven't heard of this story until this week. But this murder trial is on every network and is a top story on every news page. What makes Alex Murdaugh's case so important compared to any other murder trial?

I understand he's a rich lawyer with a substance abuse problem, but it doesn't seem like he had any media presence or political power*. OJ Simpson was at least a big celebrity, so there was national public interest there. But why all the focus on this particular trial?

*on a national level

edit: Well my question has been answered, and then some! I had no idea how high-profile this case was, or all the true-crime media drama surrounding it. Now my wife and I are fully invested, we'll probably start watching the Netflix show after work today. I'm enjoying reading everyone's discussion about the case too.

BY TED CLIFFORD, JOHN MONK, BRISTOW MARCHANT, AND BLAKE DOUGLAS - The State - 3/2/23

Alex Murdaugh, the fourth-generation heir to a powerful Lowcountry legal, law enforcement and political family, was found guilty Thursday of murdering his wife and son in a case that brought the glare of national and international media attention to a long-secluded but corrupt corner of Lowcountry South Carolina.

A jury of seven men and five women took less than three hours over days before unanimously finding Murdaugh, 54, guilty of executing his son Paul, 22, with a shotgun inside the feed room at the dog kennels before gunning down his wife, Maggie, 52, with a high-powered rifle on June 7, 2021, at the family 1,770-acre rural Colleton County estate, called Moselle.

The verdict was announced in the same courtroom where Murdaugh’s father, Randolph Murdaugh III, was the elected solicitor, or criminal prosecutor, from 1986 to 2006, and his grandfather, Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr., the elected solicitor from 1940 to 1986, brought cases against thousands of the county’s accused criminals over the years. And Murdaugh’s great-grandfather, the original Randolph Murdaugh, was solicitor from 1920 until his death in 1940. TOP VIDEOS

For six weeks, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters pulled together a case with one major hurdle: no direct evidence.

In the case brought against Murdaugh, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office had no direct evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, that would have allowed the state to conclusively prove Murdaugh’s guilt. Even the weapons used to kill Paul and Maggie were missing — hidden or destroyed by Murdaugh, prosecutors contended.

To overcome that hurdle, prosecutors introduced hundreds of pieces of evidence, ranging from police interrogation videos, gunshot residue tests, car and cellphone data and — most importantly — a cellphone video taken from Paul’s phone that showed Murdaugh at the dog kennels just before his wife and son were murdered.

To establish an alibi that he was somewhere else when the killings took place, Murdaugh quickly drove to his ailing mother’s house in a nearby unincorporated community, Almeda, where he visited with a caregiver and lay on his mother’s bed for 20 minutes as a game show played on the television, prosecutors contended. Then he drove back to Moselle where he pretended to discover the bodies and called 911, prosecutors told the jury.

All this digital data shredded Murdaugh’s alibi of being somewhere else at the time of the killings, prosecutors contended. After nearly three hours of deliberation on Thursday, the jury agreed.

An especially difficult obstacle for prosecutors was showing the jury that Murdaugh, a then-respected family man with generational ties to law enforcement and the state’s legal community, a man who numerous witnesses testified devoutly loved his wife and son, would go on a sudden rampage and kill his wife and son.

To explain Murdaugh had a motive for the killings, Waters introduced a theory called “family annihilation,” which says that an outwardly successful person who has lived a hidden life and suddenly faces exposure, might suddenly kill those closest to him.

To prove this theory, Waters during the trial introduced some nine witnesses, who testified that Murdaugh for years had lived a secret life of fraud, stealing from friends, family, colleagues and his law firm, bilking them of millions. Waters also showed that Murdaugh, even on the morning of the killings, was on the verge of being exposed as a debt-ridden criminal instead of a prosperous respected lawyer.

At the heart of the widespread media interest in the latest generation Murdaugh was a long-running “whodunit” mystery that quickly attracted national and international attention because of the brutality of the Maggie and Paul’s execution-style killings, the prominence of the victims’ family and the seeming helplessness of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division to identify even one suspect for more than a year or advance a theory of what had happened.

For 14 months — until Murdaugh’s indictment on murder charges in July 2022 — neither SLED officials nor prosecutors from the S.C. Attorney General’s office would comment on evidence in the case or law enforcement’s highly publicized failure to make an arrest.

The murders had taken place at night, the crime scene had been overrun by Murdaugh’s friends and family until it was sealed off and there were no witnesses except the family’s dogs who barked at investigators from their cages. The state was never able to produce the murder weapons — a shotgun and a .300 Blackout assault-type rifle.

Facing life in prison without parole, Murdaugh has seen witness after witness testify how he has stained the name of his family that has been woven into the fabric of the 14th Judicial Circuit for more than a century. Today “Murdaugh” has become shorthand for wickedness and the firm the family founded in 1910 was dissolved and reformed, without the Murdaugh name.

In a move reportedly opposed by his defense team, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, Murdaugh took to the stand for two days.

In testimony that was in turn tearful, defiant and litigious, the disbarred attorney denied killing his wife and son.

But in five hours of cross examination by lead prosecutor Creighton Waters, Murdaugh offered a stunning series of admissions. He confessed, for the first time, to lying about his alibi and to a decade’s worth of thefts from his clients and his law firm, which he said was driven by a need to fund a $50,000 a week addiction to prescription painkillers.

Even before he took the stand, Murdaugh’s defense team had little room to maneuver.

Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw the trial, granted the prosecution’s wish list of motions.

He allowed them to introduce a landslide of witnesses who testified about Murdaugh’s financial crimes, leading Harpootlian to protest that it was more of a “Madoff trial than a murder trial.” Bernie Madoff was imprisoned for orchestrating a $64.8 billion Ponzi scheme, the largest in history.

While not required to prove motive, Waters repeatedly accused Murdaugh of being a “family annhilator,” driven to commit a biblical act of destruction when the facade of his successful life began to crack.

Ballistics experts also matched a family gun to the weapon that killed Maggie and the state used family’s phones and data from Murdaugh’s car to , casting doubt on the defense’s improbable claim that Murdaugh missed the killings by mere minutes.

Many of the witnesses were drawn from the inner circle of the Murdaughs’ close knit and clannish world, among them Murdaugh’s surviving son, 26-year-old Buster, who testified in his father’s defense.

Their testimony threw back the curtain on an insular world of privilege and power among the swamps of the Lowcountry.

Since the allegedly caused by Paul, the family has gained unwelcome international prominence through podcasts, documentaries and a zealous community of online sleuths.

In court, the 6-foot-four inch tall Murdaugh often appeared gaunt, his once red hair turned almost white. He frequently rocked back and forth and openly wept during testimony.

It was hard to connect the man at the defense table with the image of well-fed, affluent contentment who beamed out from family pictures that have been featured heavily in nearly four years of coverage of the case.

The verdict is a vindication for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Attorney General’s office who conducted perhaps the state’s highest-profile law enforcement investigation and prosecution in a generation amidst a whirlwind of scrutiny and criticism.

It was also a personal test for South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, whose office rarely prosecutes murders and who sat at the prosecution’s table throughout the trial and led direct examination of the state’s final witness.

Wilson is the heir to his own South Carolina legacy — his father is U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson – and is rumored to be considering a run for higher office.

The case was transferred to his office after 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone recused himself on Aug. 11, 2021.

Stone occupied the same office that had been held by Murdaugh’s father, grandfather and great grandfather. Murdaugh himself held the nebulously defined role of “volunteer solicitor,” and frequently displayed the badge in his car’s cup holder while maintaining a seven figure a year practice at the Murdaugh law firm.

Associated Press

Alex was sentenced to quite a bit more time than the prosecution recommended, 17 to 22 years, ending up with a much longer sentence of 40 years. US District Judge Richard M. Gengel said the reason for that was Alex stealing from 'the most needy, vulnerable people", adding that Murdaugh stole from those who "placed all their problems and all their hopes" on him. Gengel also imposed mandatory restitution of more than $9 million, although he stated that Alex did not have the ability to pay it. Murdaugh was required to pay $2,000 in a special assessment, immediately. The 22 federal counts he was sentenced for today are the final outstanding charges for Murdaugh.

In response to Alex blaming his crimes on an opiod addiction, Judge Gergel scoffed, saying "No truly impaired person could pull off these complex transactions."

Prosecutors want to keep many of the FBI statements secret, as they are still investigating the missing money and others who may have been involved. Publicly revealing the information might jeopardize an ongoing grand jury investigation, they stated.

Murdaugh said he was "filled with sorrow. I am filled with remorse. I am filled with guilt."

Attorney Jim Griffin stated Alex would probably serve 60% of his sentence, about 24 years, but added that 'things can change over time."

Eric Bland, attorney for several victims of Murdaugh's crimes, said it was offensive to equate Murdaugh's victims with victims of Bernie Madoff, Samuel Bankman-Fried, or Enron Victims. "These victims were not investing money. They lost their loved ones....And Alex Murdaugh took advantage of that."

9:40am Court convened for a sentence hearing in the Murdaugh Murder Case.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters provides the judge with sentencing sheets. Waters has no victim impact statements to present but offered an eloquent statement and asks for the maximum, two life sentences. Judge Newman asks if any victim wants to speak at a later time. Alex is dressed in a tan prison jumpsuit today.

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian declines to offer any witnesses or statements on behalf of his client, stating that the defendant wants to address the court. Alex stands:

Alex states, "I am innocent. I would never hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never hurt my son Pau- Pau."

The Judge makes final remarks -

"A man whose grandfather's portrait hung in the courthouse that I had to remove to ensure a fair trial was had by both the prosecution and the defense." As a well-known member of the legal community, you've practiced before me, and we've seen each other over the years, and it was particularly hard for me to see you change from a grieving father of a wife and son, to being the person convicted of killing them." "You've engaged in such duplicitous conduct here in the courtroom, here on the witness stand."

Judge Newman continues, "I have not been able to get anyone, any defendant, even those convicted of being guilty, to explain to me that moment in time, when they opted to pull the trigger, to commit the most heinous crime known to man."

Judge Newman states that people have been given the death penalty for lesser offenses.

The Judge asks what Alex meant when he stated in court "Oh what a tangled web we weave"... and Alex responds, "that I lied."

Judge Newman states, "A notice of alibi was filed in which Alex claimed to have been someplace else at the time was committed. Then after all the witnesses placed you at the scene, you switched courses and admitted to being there. Then that necessitated more lies, and where will it end, it won't end, but in your own soul you will have to deal with that."

Alex agrees with the Judge that Maggie and Paul visit him "every night."

Judge Newman is surprised that Alex is waiving his right to offer commentary at this time.

Alex state "I'll tell you again, I respect this court, but I would never have hurt my wife Maggie, and would never hurt my son Pau Pau.'

The Judge says "maybe it wasn't you; maybe it was the monster you become when taking large amounts of opiods. "I've seen that before."

"Without any delay, we are going to schedule the other (financial) matters." "Law enforcement has been harassed over the past few weeks by one who was able to deflect justice"

Your law firm was coming down on you for stealing a half a million dollars, and "you have a tiger like Mark Tinsley on his tail, trying to recover for Mallory Beach"

"Amazing to have you come and testify it was just another day, my wife and son and I was enjoying our day, and this was not true."

Judge Newman sentences Alex to two consecutive LIFE terms.

Alex is taken away, and Judge Newman comments about the images of the Jurors shown on camera as Alex walked in front of them yesterday.

He states that until yesterday, media has been very good about not revealing Jurors' identities. Law enforcement may decide to investigate this issue.

He also speaks to screenshots of autopsy photographs published by court viewers. Judge Newman speaks to Kobe Bryant's case, where his wife sued over leaked autopsy photos, and states the penalties can be severe.

10:13 Judge Newman slams the gavel and adjourns court.

11:00am SLED holds a press conference in front of the Courthouse.

Defense Press Conference scheduled for 11:45 am - (thanks for the alert, )

live coverage -

12:15pm - The press conference begins. Dick Harpootlian announces he will make no statement, and begins taking questions. HE STATES THEY WILL APPEAL IN 10 DAYS.

🥇 A link to prosecutor Waters shredding a guitar with his Sole Purpose Band - He ROCKS! 🥇

Is this new to anyone else? Possible charges for lying to SLED?

MURDAUGH, RICHARD ALEXANDERWhiteMale

54

02/24/2023South Carolina Law Enforcement Division

Additional Hold for South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; Arrest Date 02/24/2023;
Warrant: Misdemeanor Arrest warrant 2023a1510100048 issued by Colleton, SC; Arrest Date 02/24/2023;

Yesterday, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. He was convicted of two counts of murder and two counts of using a weapon in the commission of a crime. Alex's attorney Dick Harpootlian stated in a presser yesterday that he will file an appeal in ten days.

No witnesses were presented during the sentencing hearing. None of his victims wanted to make a statement, no one spoke for Maggie and Paul, no one spoke for Alex.

In a haunting coincidence, March 3 is also the anniversary of the day Mallory Beach's body was recovered from the Beaufort River.

Alex was wearing a tan prison jumpsuit and sandals, his hands in cuffs, when he was taken to Kirkland Correctional Institute, where his head was shaved, and he was booked into the Jail.

Alex's demeanor was different yesterday, reflected in his face. He seemed perhaps relieved of a burden, accepting the Judge's admonishments calmly. Alex still proclaims his innocence, still distances himself from the act, saying "I would never have hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never have hurt my son Paul."

Judge Newman's remarks were both poignant and profound. "Maybe it wasn't you. Maybe it was the monster you become when you are on drugs." He is sure that Alex "sees Maggie and Paul every night when you are trying to go to sleep." Alex agreed that he does, every night.

Judge Newman also remarked that he had "never, not once, had a murderer reveal their thoughts about the committing the crime."

The HOT RUMOR is that Moselle was on fire yesterday; turns out it was a prescribed burn taking place down the road a bit. HOT, but bogus.

There are also rumblings in the Stephen Smith case. A fundraiser for his gravestone is being questioned, and a new one is being considered to raise funds for an exhumation.

Here are some morning links:

Judge Newman's speech to Alex:

The Defense's press conference:

Perp walk and spectator reactions:

The town of Walterboro reacts:

Links to interesting reactions and reviews:

Bruce Rivers, Criminal Lawyer Reacts to Verdict and Sentencing

J. D.- A Lawyer Explains does a "Legal Post Mortem" on the Trial

Matt Harris' Impact of Influence podcast - Murdaugh Family Murder #112

Law & Crime - Full Sentencing Recap

___________________________________________

A big WELCOME to all of our new members*!* MurdaughFamilyMurders subreddit has more than doubled in membership over the past few weeks, over 56,000 as of last night. Grab a cuppa and join our cozy room for the latest news and interesting commentary!

*Visit our collections, which are updated daily. We've just updated our witness list and trial coverage. Corrections and additions are greatly appreciated!

___________________________________________

And a link to prosecutor Creighton Waters' terrific shredding skills, one more time; the guy ROCKS!

🏆

(Interesting tidbit: Creighton made this video a few years back after a win over Dick Harpootlian.)

___________________________________________

Here are some of 's excellent media links:

Post & Courier -

Greenville News -

The State -

This subreddit is overwhelmingly on the side of Alex being guilty, which makes sense given the evidence and his behavior after the incident. It's a false equivalency to claim that both sides should be heard equally.

That said, there are a million posts about his guilt and there should be at least a few arguing in good faith why he might be innocent or at least why the jury might find him so.

Off the top of my head and in no particular order:

1. Financial crimes aside, it seems like an exaggeration that the day marked the culmination of the lies coming to light. As far as I know, he was only on the hook for $150k within the next few days.

2. By all appearances, he loved his family.

3. Feel free to call me on this one using data, but family annihilators often kill themselves, run, or plead guilty. I can't think of one where they plead innocence and went to trial. I'm sure there are examples, but laws of averages and whatnot.

4. Two guns were used, shot at angles that don't match his height.

5. Plausible deniability of hearing the gunshots from the house.

6. Tight timelines.

7. Despite lying about the kennel, the voice on the video seems happy and not like someone about to commit a heinous crime. I get that this is behavioral and mostly bunk, but I could see it swaying the jury.

8. A masterful testimony that largely nullified Waters, at least for the murder.

9. Reasonable doubt around some of the supporting evidence, like asking his mother's caretaker to lie. Also, step rates. Using these indicates some weakness in the state's case.

10. A family hated by many, so it's not unthinkable that another person would have a motive.

11. No meaningful gun residue.

Good morning!

Last evening, after only two and half hours, the Jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty of all charges. The jurors looked straight ahead as Alex walked by them on his way to lock-up. Alex was stone-faced and made no emotional display, his son Buster cried quietly.

At least one Juror has appeared on media, providing information that the Jury's initial vote was 9/3, and suggesting that the kennel video and lies associated with it were key in the guilty verdict. It is reported that it took 45 minutes to reach a guilty verdict.

provided this link:

Court resumes at 9:30 this morning for a sentence hearing to determine the length of time Alex will spend behind bars for the murders of his wife and son. Judge Newman remarked that the minimum sentence for murder is 30 years, and five years on the weapons charges. He offered to defer sentencing, to allow both teams to prepare witnesses and statements for the hearing, however these offers were declined as prosecutor Creighton Waters and defense attorney Dick Harpootlian were both ready to proceed with sentencing this morning. It's been a long trial.

Judge Newman met with attorneys in chambers about 9:30 on Wednesday night to tackle an issue with one Juror who had three limited conversations about the trial. Two individuals that the Juror had contact with were brought into that in-chambers meeting, where they 'waffled' in their explanations of what had occurred. The HOT RUMOR is that these two people are local media personalities. We'll add details as they become available.

We expect that the defense team will appeal Alex's conviction. We'll keep you updated on that, as well on the upcoming court case for his 99 financial fraud indictments.

9:40am - Judge Newman calls court to order. Alex appears in a tan jumpsuit and handcuffs.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters provides the judge with sentencing sheets. Waters has no victim impact statements to present but offered an eloquent statement, asks for the maximum, two life sentences. Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian offers no comment, but states Alex would like to make a statement:

ALEX stands to address the court: "I am innocent I would never hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never hurt my son Pau- Pau."

Judge Newman makes final remarks - A wife who's been killed, a son who's been savagely murdered, a lawyer, a person from a respected family who has controlled justice in this community for over a century. A person whose grandfather's portrait hung in the back of the courthouse, that I had to have ordered removed to ensure that a fair trial was had by both the State and the defense."

And I've sat through the trial not only but as the presiding judge of the state grand jury, I've sat through and participated in the issuance of search warrants of various sorts, bond hearings, and have had to consider many things. I have this case, and I'm also assigned to preside over... at least 99 other cases. Although testimony has come up regarding many of those other cases, I will not make any remark on the pending cases as I have been assigned to them as well."

It's also particularly troubling, Mr. Murdoch, because as a member of the legal community, and as a well-known member of the legal community, you've practiced before me, and we've seen each other at various occasions throughout the years, and it was especially heartbreaking particularly hard for me to see you go in the media from being a grieving father who lost a wife and son, to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them."

"And you've engaged in such duplicitous conduct here in the courtroom, here on the witness stand, and as established by the testimony throughout the time leading to the indictment to the trial to this moment in time, ah , certainly you have no obligation to say anything other than saying "not guilty" Probably expected or absolutely expected I would not expect a confession of any kind.

"In fact as I've presided over murder cases over the past 22 years, I have yet get anyone, find a defendant who could go there, who go to that moment in time, when they decided to pull the trigger or to otherwise murder someone. I have not been able to get anyone, any defendant even those who have confessed to being guilty, to go back and explain to me what happened at that moment in time when they opted to pull the trigger, when they opted to commit the most heinous crime known to man."

"And this case qualifies under our death penalty statute based on the statutory aggravating circumstances of two or more people being murdered by the defandant." I don't question at all the decision of the State not to pursue the death penalty. But as I sit here in the courtroom and look around at all the portraits of judges and court officials and reflect over the past century your family including you have been prosecuting here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct."

"Remind me of the expression you gave on the witness stand.....'oh what a tangled web we weave', what did you mean by that?" Judge Newman asks. Alex responds, "I meant that when I lied, I continued to lie."

"And the question is 'when will it end, when will it end. And, it's ended already for the Jury because they've concluded that you continued to lie and lie throughout your testimony. And, perhaps with all the throng of people here they for the most part all believe or 80 or 90, 99% believe you continued to lie in your denial to the court." Perhaps you believe it does not matter, that there is nothing that could mitigate a sentence given the crimes that were committed."

Judge Newman states "A notice of alibi was filed in this case, in November, and we conducted a hearing, pre-trial hearing in which you claimed to be someplace else at the time was committed. Then after all the witnesses placed you at the scene of the crime, at the last minute,... last minutes or days, you switched courses and admitted to being there. Then that necessitated more lies, and continued to lie, and I said where will it end. It's already ended for many who have heard you and concluded that it'll never end. But within your own soul you have to deal with that."

"And I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the nighttime as you try to go to sleep. I'm sure they come and visit you. I'm sure. Alex agrees with the Judge that "Maggie and Paul visit him every night."

And I'm sure they look you in the eyes as you looked the Jury in the eyes. I don't know a person whose always been such a friendly, gregarious cause your life to be tangled in such a weaved web, such a that you've spun into. And it's unfortunate because you had such a lovely family of such friendly people, including you. And to go from that to this.

Your license to practice law has been stripped away from you. You've turned from lawyer to witness, and now have an opportunity to make your final appeal as an ex-lawyer, and it's.... really surprising that you're waiving your right at this time. But if you opt to do so it's on you. You're not compelled to say anything. But you have the opportunity to do so.

Alex states, "I'll tell you again, I respect this court, but I'm innocent. I would never, under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie, and would under any circumstances hurt my son Pau Pau.'

Judge Newman says "And it might not have been you. Maybe it wasn't you; maybe it was the monster you become when taking 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. Maybe you become another person. I've seen that before. The person standing before me did not commit the crime, though it's the same individual. We'll leave that at that."

Before we announce sentence in this case, in regard to all the other pending cases, are any of them in Colleton? Prosecutor Waters answers that the cases are spread around.

Ah, we may have worn out our welcome here in Colleton and take this opportunity to thank Sheriff Hill and all of the court officials and really everyone I've met and dealt with here in Colleton County. They've just been great. But without any delay, we are going to schedule the other (financial) matters."

There are other cases that deserve to be heard, and we have jumped other cases, perhaps jumped it because of the assault on the integrity of the judicial in our state, law enforcement in our state. Even law enforcement has been harrassed for the last few weeks, by one who had access to the wheels of justice to be able to deflect the investigation and as evidence as pointed out in this case, the looming storm that Mr. Waters talked about.

"I can just imagine that day on June the 7th, when a lawyer confesses to having stolen over half a million dollars from a client and he has a tiger like Mark Tinsley on his tail, pursuing discovery in the case involving the death of Mallory Beach. And having a father, for the most part, on his death bed. I could imagine, I really can't imagine, I know it had to have been quite a bit going through your mind on that day. But amazingly, to have you come and testify that it was just another ordinary day. That my wife and son and I were out just enjoying life. Not credible, not believable. You can convince yourself about it, but obviously you have the inability to convince anyone else about that.

If you made any such arguments as a lawyer you would lose every case like that, cases you will never have the opportunity to argue anymore except perhaps your own as you sit in the department of corrections."

Mr. Murdaugh, I sentence you to the State Department of Corrections on each of the murder indictments, for the murder of your wife, I sentence you for the term of the rest of your natural life. For the murder of Paul Murdaugh, whom you probably loved so much, I sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. Those sentences will run consecutively. Under the statute involving a weapon during a violent crime, there is no sentence, where a life sentence is imposed on other indictments.

That is the sentence of the court, and you are remanded to the State Department of Corrections."

The gray-haired man who has been seated behind Alex every day in court, is today wearing a law enforcement uniform. He leads Alex away.

Judge Newman comments about the images of the Jurors shown on camera as Alex walked in front of them yesterday.

He states that until yesterday, media has been very good about not revealing Jurors' identities. Law enforcement may decide to investigate this issue.

He also speaks to screenshots of autopsy photographs published by court viewers. Judge Newman speaks to Kobe Bryant's case, where his wife sued over leaked autopsy photos, and states the penalties can be severe.

10:13am Judge Newman slams the gavel and adjourns court.

11:00am SLED holds a press conference in front of the Courthouse.

Defense Press Conference scheduled for 11:45 am - (thanks for the alert )

live coverage -

12:15pm - The press conference begins. Dick Harpootlian announces he will make no statement, and begins taking questions, and states HE STATES THEY WILL APPEAL IN 10 DAYS

🥇 A link to prosecutor Waters shredding a guitar with his Sole Purpose Band - He ROCKS! 🥇

_________________________

LIVESTREAM OF TODAY'S TRIAL:

Law & Crime:

News 19:

Avery Wilks' Twitter Feed:

Drew Tripp's Twitter Feed:

__________________________________________

posted a second poll when the defense rested. Over 10,000 redditors voted; see the results here:

*A big WELCOME to all of our new members! MurdaughFamilyMurders subreddit has more than doubled in membership over the past few weeks, over 54,000 as of last night. Grab a cuppa and join our cozy room for the latest news and interesting commentary!

*Visit our collections, which are updated daily. We've updated Moselle photos and our daily trial summaries. Corrections and additions are greatly appreciated!

___________________________________________

Media Channels are overflowing with Murdaugh reviews and reactions -

Here are some of the latest:

J. D - A Lawyer Explains - Did we see Remorse, Regret, or Guilt on Display on Thursday -

Harvard Lawyer Lee - Closing Arguments!! Lawyer Reacts

J. D. - A Lawyer Explains - Some Observations on the Murdaugh Closing by the State

And links to photos and videos of Moselle -

________________________________________

For the latest news coverage, here are some of 's excellent media posts:

The State -

Post & Courier -

Greenville News -

Throughout disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh's six-week double murder trial in Walterboro, South Carolina, I listened to dozens of witnesses' testimony, viewed most of the 500 pieces of evidence presented and interviewed Murdaugh's friends about his relationship with his wife Maggie and the power of the Murdaugh name.

I have covered several high-profile criminal cases, including the exonerations of Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony. But the Murdaugh story is unique. There are multiple stories — and crimes — linked to the prominent family. There are the nearly 100 charges against Murdaugh for various financial crimes, the 2019 fatal boat crash involving his son Paul, the death of the Murdaugh family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, and the 2015 mysterious death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith.

Murdaugh’s fall from grace is epic, and his family continues to stay in the spotlight, as many wonder what’s next for them.

To give context of the power the Murdaugh’s have wielded in the South Carolina low county: There was a portrait of Murdaugh’s grandfather — once a prominent attorney — hanging in the courtroom where Murdaugh was tried. Judge Clifton Newman had it removed for the trial. Now Murdaugh’s everlasting portrait is his post-conviction mugshot: a shaved head and jumpsuit.

On Friday, March 3, 2023, Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. His attorneys said they plan to appeal his conviction.

EDIT: Thanks for all the questions! You can watch my "48 hours" report, “The Trial of Alex Murdaugh,” on the and now.

PROOF:

I just finished the documentary on Netflix. It characterizes the Murdaugh family as having almost a "Deep State" level of influence and corruption in their county as generations of lawyers culminating in the then current patriarch, Alex Murdaugh.

He was involved in getting law enforcement to muddle up the events of the Mallory Beach accident for instance.

But was he effective at any of this? He was terrible at the cover-up despite all the influence. He couldn't stop Paul from being named as the driver of the boat. Then he was caught embezzling millions from law firm clients. Then he left a trail of evidence after killing Maggie / Paul. Then the bungled attempt to claim that Curtis shot him in the head.

Which makes me wonder - for all the influence and heritage of the Murdaugh law firm, was Alex Murdaugh even a good lawyer?

WCSC Charleston - By Patrick Phillips - 3/9/23

Attorneys representing convicted killer Alex Murdaugh have filed the first step to appeal his conviction for the murders of his wife and son, court documents state.

Attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin filed a notice of appeal with the South Carolina Court of Appeals Thursday afternoon.

The document states they will seek to appeal Murdaugh’s convictions in the June 7, 2021, killings of his wife, Maggie; and their youngest son, Paul; as well as the two life sentences handed down by Judge Clifton Newman.

The jury convicted Murdaugh of the double murder after just under three hours of deliberations on March 3 after a six-week trial in Walterboro.

a notice of intention to appeal within 10 days. They must wait to receive a transcript of the trial, which they said “will take a while.” At that point, they plan to file the appeal.

Both said they believe all of the financial crimes Newman allowed in as evidence should not have been heard by the jury.

“Once they got that character information in that he’s a thief, he’s a liar, then it dictated this jury had to think he was a despicable human being and not to be believed. So it was about character, it wasn’t about motive. So as a result, our options were limited,” Harpootlian said. “Look, they won this case the day the judge bought into letting them put every piece of, you know, stealing from kids who lost their mother, from somebody with pancreatic cancer, somebody that’s a paraplegic. I mean, all of that two and a half weeks, by the time they got done with it, it didn’t matter about final argument. It didn’t matter about what we put up. He was, they would never ever, ever acquit him after that.”

Harpootlian said they debated about whether Murdaugh should take the stand in his own defense.

“He always wanted to take the stand,” Harpootlian said. “But once that information was in, I mean, if he had to take the stand to explain the kennel video, the lie, if you will, all of his credibility had been stripped away by the financial misdeeds.”

Newman sentenced Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences for the murders.

Newman asked Murdaugh if he had anything he wanted to say before the sentencing.

“As I tell you again, I respect this court. But I am innocent. I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son Paul-Paul,” Murdaugh said.

“And it might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. Maybe you become another person,” Newman replied, noting Murdaugh’s decadeslong addiction to painkillers.

Prosecutors asked for a life sentence to hold Murdaugh responsible for what they say are decades of lying, stealing and using his family’s considerable clout in their tiny county to his advantage.

The sentence carries no chance of parole.

Early reporting with little information. Excuse the delete and repost to correct a typo.

by Jenn Wood / FITS News / March 26, 2024

A motion filed by federal prosecutors six days ahead of ’s latest indicates the disbarred South Carolina attorney, disgraced former badge-holder, convicted double-murderer and confessed fraudster has failed a polygraph examination required in connection with his plea agreement.

Accordingly, the feds want to hold Murdaugh in breach of that agreement – which back in September.

Murdaugh’s deal on the nearly two dozen charges – which included conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering involving more than $10 millionno he admittedly stole or defrauded from former clients — was contingent upon him providing “full, complete, and truthful information about all criminal activities about which he has knowledge and to submit to a polygraph examination at the government’s election.”

“Murdaugh has failed to cooperate as required under the plea agreement,” prosecutors noted, asking U.S. district court judge to find him in violation of the deal and to relieve them of their obligations.

Among those obligations? An apparent agreement which would have allowed Murdaugh to serve whatever federal time he received from Gergel “concurrently” – or at the same time – as his for the same financial crimes.

That revelation enraged attorney , who represents several of the victim’s of Murdaugh’s financial crimes.

“That is an absolute slap in the face to Alex Murdaugh’s victims,” Bland . “And a complete betrayal of the justice they would be entitled to.”

“The feds were played by Murdaugh,” Bland added, referring to the original agreement as “shameful.”

Why does the timing of Murdaugh’s federal sentence matter? Because were it to run concurrent with his state sentence, there’s an outside chance he could breathe free air if his were vacated. If the federal sentence is ordered to run consecutive to his state sentence (i.e. were it to immediately begin upon his release from state prison), Murdaugh would effectively be facing a life sentence no matter what happens with the appeal of his murder convictions.

News of Murdaugh’s failed polygraph was on Tuesday afternoon by reporter of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper. According to the motion, Murdaugh’s polygraph examination followed four separate interviews by the U.S. attorney’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The interviews – which sought to locate more than $6 million in Murdaugh assets that remain – are what led to the polygraph examination.

The polygraph examination targeted two separate “series” on two topics of interest, according to the filing. The FBI polygraph examiner determined that there was deception indicated on both series, meaning Murdaugh failed the examination.

What those topics of interest were remains a mystery as prosecutors filed a separate motion to seal the exhibits as they relate to an “ongoing grand jury investigation,” as well as allegations of criminal activity against others.

The motion to seal the exhibits states, “it is necessary to protect the integrity of its investigation, prevent disclosure of an ongoing grand jury investigation, prevent the potential for tampering with evidence and witnesses related to the investigation, and protect the identities of witnesses, subjects, and targets of the ongoing investigation.”

Clearly the federal probe into the web of corruption surrounding Murdaugh’s activities is far from over … although it is not immediately clear which angles prosecutors are exploring.

Murdaugh’s federal sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. EDT on April 1, 2024 at the Waring Judicial Center in Charleston, S.C. Even before today’s filing from prosecutors, Gergel had already indicnnated Murdaugh could be facing a much stiffer federal sentence than he or his attorneys anticipated, submitting a notice last week letting them know he “may consider at the time of sentencing an upward variance from the proposed guideline range” presented by federal probation officials.

In addition to a lengthy prison term, restitution is expected to be a part of Gergel’s sentence – which makes locating the $6 million in unaccounted for assets a top priority for federal prosecutors.

The 22-count federal grand jury indictment filed against Murdaugh on May 23, 2023 covered an abundance of financial crimes committed from July 2011 through October 2021. These crimes deprived law firm clients of funds they were due – while illegal loans from their accounts were made with the assistance of former Palmetto State Bank chief executive officer .

Laffitte, incidentally, is appealing his conviction from – where he is serving a sentence of seven years.

Stay tuned to this media outlet for updates as Murdaugh’s federal sentencing hearing approaches …