Alex Murdaugh trial: Detective explains key crime scene mystery after killer begins appeal

A lead investigator in the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh has offered an explanation for a key mystery from the trial after Alex Murdaugh took the first official step toward an appeal of his conviction.

Detective Laura Rutland, one of the first officers at the Moselle estate crime scene in South Carolina, was asked during trial testimony about hairs found in Maggie’s hand after she was killed. While she was unable to offer much of an explanation on the stand - she now has one.

Ms Rutland explained to Fox News a bullet that struck Maggie’s skull had ripped out much of her scalp, leaving hair not only in her hand but also scattered around her body.

The revelation came hours after Murdaugh’s attorney Dick Harpootlian announced that his defence had filed a notice of appeal.

Meanwhile, Murdaugh has been separated from other inmates and is under round-the-clock surveillance for his own safety at the Kirkland Correctional Institution, where he is awaiting permanent placement in a high-security prison.

South Carolina’s Department of Corrections released his new mugshot on Wednesday, capturing the 54-year-old smiling softly.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

• Detective offers explanation for hairs found in Maggie’s hand

• Alex Murdaugh to appeal his convictions

• Alex Murdaugh’s new mugshot released

• Dick Harpootlian claims he is being sent hate mail

• Infamous ‘egg juror’ asks to be left alone

• Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy reveals what he really thinks happened night of murders

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney makes bizarre – chicken-related – Twitter return

Thursday 9 March 2023 02:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney has made a bizarre – and chicken-related – return to Twitter after he received a dressing down from the judge for his social media posts during the high-profile murder trial.

On Saturday, defence attorney Jim Griffin tweeted a photo of himself with his face in a wooden cut-out photo prop of a cowboy riding a chicken.

“Walterboro, you were a gracious host. Happy Trails,” he wrote.

The bizarre post marked his first since 18 February, when a tweet landed him in hot water with Judge Clifton Newman.

Read more here:

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney makes bizarre chicken-related Twitter return after trial

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

Thursday 9 March 2023 03:00 , Rachel Sharp

The hotly-anticipated trial of Alex Murdaugh has now concluded - with the legal heir set to be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison for the murders of his wife and son.

The 54-year-old heir to a prominent legal dynasty was convicted on 2 March of gunning down wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, on the grounds of the sprawling family estate in Islandton back on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested in July 2022 and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Murdaugh pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained that the person or persons responsible for killing his wife and son is still at large.

After hearing nearly six weeks of testimony, the jury returned a guilty verdict in less than three hours. He was then sentenced to life in prison.

But who is the man at the heart of the saga?

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

Buster Murdaugh files police complaint about media

Thursday 9 March 2023 04:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s only surviving son Buster has filed a police report claiming that he is being harassed by members of the media.

In the police report, filed with Beaufort County Sheriff’s office on Sunday, Buster complained about photos of him and his girlfriend Brooklynne White inside his Hilton Head home which appeared in the New York Post.

He said that the couple had reviewed ring camera video and noticed a suspicious grey Dodge Challenger outside the home on Saturday evening.

They believe the occupant took the photos.

Sometime later, Ms White told police the vehicle was following her.

Officers pulled over the vehicle for speeding and making an improper lane change and found the driver had camera equipment in the car.

They received a warning about a traffic violation. Police said they would also increase patrols around Buster’s home.

From million-dollar estate to a tiny cell: Where will Alex Murdaugh go to prison?

Thursday 9 March 2023 06:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh is used to the high life.

Coming from a long line of top prosecutors, his wealthy family once dominated the legal system in the lowcountry.

As a powerful and well-known attorney himself, he earned upwards of $1m a year (not to mention the millions that he allegedly stole from legal clients and his law firm).

He lived on a huge 1,700-acre in Islandton with his family while also enjoying a second home in Edisto Beach.

Now, his lifestyle will be a little bit different, as he’s been sentenced to spend the rest of his years behind bars.

But where will Murdaugh go to prison?

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Thursday 9 March 2023 06:30 , Rachel Sharp

Powerful South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh became the centre of the state’s “trial of the century” over the brutal double murder of his wife and son.

But this is far from the only twist in a bizarre and sprawling tale of unexplained deaths, hitman plots and multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp delves into the saga:

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Alex Murdaugh associate Russell Laffitte is denied new trial over financial fraud charges

Thursday 9 March 2023 07:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s associate Russell Laffitte has been denied a new trial on charges that he helped the convicted killer and financial fraudster steal millions from his law firm clients.

US District Judge Richard Gergel denied Laffitte’s request for a new trial on Monday – four days after Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul in a brutal double murder which prosecutors said was motivated by the disgraced attorney’s efforts to cover up his string of financial crimes.

Laffitte, the former CEO of Palmetto State Bank, was convicted in November of financial fraud charges in connection to Murdaugh’s alleged white collar fraud schemes.

His conviction came on the basis that he was Murdaugh’s co-defendant in his sprawling multi-million-dollar – and decade-long – schemes.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh friend Russell Laffitte is denied new trial on financial fraud charges

South Carolina AG Alan Wilson ‘proud’ of Murdaugh case

Thursday 9 March 2023 07:30 , Rachel Sharp

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has said that he is “proud” of the way the state handled Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and secured justice for Maggie and Paul.

Mr Wilson, who made a brief appearance questioning the prosecution’s final witness in the trial, also urged people to remember the victims of the saga.

“I’m back in the office after six weeks, and I keep thinking about how proud I am of our prosecution and law enforcement team for how they handled the Murdaugh trial. Your position, power, and station in life don’t matter. In South Carolina, no one is above the law,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

“Justice was served for Maggie and Paul last week. And we’re not finished. I want to remind everyone that the people Alex Murdaugh hurt are not characters in some saga. They’re real people who are dealing with the very real effects his crimes.

“This case has caught national attention, and I’ve heard documentaries and even movies are being made. In the midst of all that, I urge you to remember the victims and their voices. All of Alex’s life has been about him. Don’t let that continue.”

Maggie Murdaugh’s nail technician claims she was seeking a divorce

Thursday 9 March 2023 08:00 , Rachel Sharp

Maggie Murdaugh’s nail technician has spoken out to reveal she was seeking a divorce from Alex before the murders.

The technician told CourtTV when she first heard Maggie had been killed she immediately suspected Alex, because Maggie had told her of plans to get a divorce.

She said that she spoke to investigators about that topic before the trial.

However, she said she believes prosecutors didn’t call her to testify at trial because there was no way to prove what she claims Maggie told her.

Watch the interview:

Juror’s brother was one of first officers on scene of murders

Thursday 9 March 2023 08:30 , Rachel Sharp

The brother of one of the jurors who convicted Alex Murdaugh of murdering his wife and son was one of the first officers who responded to the scene of the crime.

James McDowell was one of the 12 jurors who reached a unanimous guilty verdict last week and has since spoken out about the case.

His brother is Colleton County Sheriff’s Cpl Chad McDowell – who was the second law enforcement official to arrive at Moselle on the night of the murders.

The family tie was revealed in court during jury selection and neither the defence nor the prosecution objected to James McDowell joining the panel.

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy reveals what he really thinks happened night of murders

Thursday 9 March 2023 09:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy has broken his silence to reveal what he really thinks happened on the night that the disgraced attorney’s wife Maggie and son Paul were gunned down in a brutal crime that shocked South Carolina’s Lowcountry and captured the nation’s attention for the better part of two years.

Randy became the first family member of the disgraced attorney to speak out after the high-profile trial, where Murdaugh was convicted of all charges and sentenced to life in prison.

The 56-year-old admitted that he believes his sibling “is not telling the truth” about the 7 June 2021 killings.

“He knows more than what he’s saying,” Randy told The New York Times.

“He’s not telling the truth, in my opinion, about everything there.”

Read the full story here:

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy reveals what he really thinks happened night of murders

Murdaugh still faces charges over botched hitman plot

Thursday 9 March 2023 09:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh is also facing charges over a bizarre September 2021 botched hitman plot.

On 4 September 2021 – three months on from the murders and one day after he was ousted from his law firm for stealing funds – Murdaugh was shot on the side of a road in Hampton County.

He survived and called 911, claiming he was ambushed in a drive-by shooting while changing a tire on his vehicle.

He was treated at a hospital for what police called a “superficial gunshot wound to the head,” but his story quickly unravelled.

Curtis Eddie Smith appears in court on charges related to Murdaugh

Mr Murdaugh’s version of events rapidly fell apart and he confessed to asking Curtis Eddie Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot so that his surviving son Buster could get a $12m life insurance windfall.

Mr Smith, 62, is Mr Murdaugh’s alleged drug dealer, distant cousin and former law firm client.

Both men were arrested and charged over the incident and are currently awaiting trial on the charges.

They were both later hit with fresh charges of narcotics and criminal conspiracy over an alleged drug and $2.4m money laundering ring.

Murdaugh held separately from other inmates for own safety

Thursday 9 March 2023 10:14 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh has been separated from other prison inmates for his own safety – due to the high-profile nature of the disgraced attorney’s trial.

The convicted killer has been placed in a single cell in the most secure area of Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, and he is under round the clock surveillance from prison officials.

The only time he comes into contact with other inmates at the high-security state prison is when he briefly leaves his cell and, even then, he is escorted by a guard, reported TMZ.

South Carolina’s Department of Corrections released his new mugshot on Wednesday, capturing the 54-year-old smiling softly as he begins a lifetime behind bars for the brutal murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Murdaugh’s decision to testify was ‘colossal mistake,’ says prominent attorney

Thursday 9 March 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Duncan Levin, the former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office and a prominent criminal defence attorney at Levin & Associates who has represented clients including Harvey Weinstein and Anna Delvey, spoke to The Independent about the high-profile murder trial this weel.

Mr Levin described Murdaugh’s move to take the witness stand like navigating “a field of landmines” given the other crimes and lies he was confronted with under cross-examination.

“I thought it was a colossal mistake in this case for him to take the stand,” he said.

“First off he had to acknowledge lying to investigators about his whereabouts on the night of the murders.

“He also had to acknowledge years upon years of deceit and lies to his clients from whom he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“He looked them in the eyes like he looked jurors in the eyes and lied to them to take their money… he had to look jurors in the eyes and say I lied to so many people so many occasions but this one time you should trust me that I’m telling the truth.”

Mr Levin added: “His testimony was an abomination and he actually helped prosecutors convict him.”

When he took the stand, Murdaugh confessed to lying about his alibi on the night of the murders.

For the past 20 months, he had claimed that he had never gone to the dog kennels with his wife and son that night.

But he was forced to admit he had lied after jurors were shown a damning cellphone video captured by Paul, which placed Murdaugh at the crime scene minutes before the murders.

BTK killer’s daughter defends Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster

Thursday 9 March 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

The daughter of the infamous BTK serial killer has called for people to leave Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster alone.

Kerri Rawson told NewsNation that the 26-year-old son of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh is also “a victim” in the brutal murders of his mother and brother Paul and needs to be given space to “process and grieve”.

“He needs to be respected right now. He needs time to process and grieve and when he’s ready to talk, he will,” she said.

“We have to respect that he is a victim. He lost his mother and his brother in a violent and horrific crime and then sat in court for weeks and had to listen to details down to what happened to his brother’s brains.

“And then be on the stand and watch his father go on the stand and now his father has been sentenced to two life sentences.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

BTK killer’s daughter defends Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster

Maggie’s friend speaks out about Buster

Thursday 9 March 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

A friend of Maggie Murdaugh has spoken out about the future of her surviving son Buster.

Dana Wilson told NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday that the 26-year-old has a tight support network around him after losing his entire family.

“I can’t even imagine – to lose everything in your life that you’ve ever known,” she said.

Buster is the only surviving son of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh after both his brother Paul and mother were shot dead by his father at the family’s hunting estate in Islandton in the summer of 2021.

He stood by his father throughout his murder trial, taking the stand in his defence to describe how he was “destroyed” in the aftermath of the slayings.

Alex Murdaugh’s desperate confession likely sentenced him to 700 extra years

Thursday 9 March 2023 12:00 , Megan Sheets

Alex Murdaugh has left himself with no escape from a lifetime behind bars after he admitted to a string of financial crimes under oath at his murder trial.

Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul at the family’s $4m Moselle estate in Islandton and has been sentenced to life in prison in South Carolina.

Despite his conviction, Murdaugh continues to profess his innocence – even when given a last-ditch chance to confess at his sentencing hearing.

His legal team of State Senator Dick Harpootlian and friend Jim Griffin have already vowed to fight the guilty verdict, by appealing the case all the way up to the US Supreme Court.

But, as prominent attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent’s Rachel Sharp this week, it won’t make any difference.

Read more from our exclusive interview:

Alex Murdaugh’s desperate confession likely sentenced him to 700 extra years

What’s next for Buster Murdaugh?

Thursday 9 March 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Following his father’s conviction for the murders of his wife and son, Buster Murdaugh has fallen under the spotlight.

As the eldest – and now only surviving – son of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh, the 26-year-old stood by his father throughout the growing number of allegations against him – even after his arrest for the murders of his brother and mother.

Buster’s name has also cropped up in connection with the mysterious death of Stephen Smith – a 19-year-old who was found dead at the side of a road in Hampton County in 2015.

At the time, Smith’s death was officially ruled a hit-and-run but the victim’s family – and investigators who worked on the initial case – have long doubted this version of events.

There have long been murmurings in the community that a “Murdaugh boy” may have been involved and the Murdaugh name came up 40 times in documents in the initial case, reported Live5News.

Just days after the murders of Maggie and Paul, SLED announced that the investigation into their murders had led them to reopen an investigation into Smith’s death.

Now that Murdaugh has been convicted, the spotlight has turned to Buster and rumours about Smith’s death.

Infamous ‘egg juror’ in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial asks to be left alone

Thursday 9 March 2023 13:09 , Rachel Sharp

The juror who earned the infamous nickname of the “egg juror” in Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial has asked to be left alone.

The woman, identified as juror 785 in South Carolina’s so-called “trial of the century”, said that it is “not her desire” to speak publicly about the case and is requesting that the public and the media refrain from trying to contact her.

“While other jurors have chosen to comment, which is their prerogative, that is not her desire at this time,” her attorney Joe McCulloch said in a statement.

“Given her public service for the weeks of trial, she earned through her public service the right to have her wishes respected. She wishes you to know that she took the juror oath and all of the subsequent court’s instructions seriously and believes she followed them appropriately.”

The statement added that the juror “now wishes freedom from contact and harassment” and asked that efforts to contact her at home and at her place of work “come to an end”.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Infamous ‘egg juror’ in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial asks to be left alone

Gloria Satterfield’s son breaks silence

Thursday 9 March 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

The son of the Murdaugh family’s housekeeper who died in a mystery trip and fall at Moselle in 2018 has spoken out after the disgraced attorney was convicted of Maggie and Paul’s murders.

Gloria Satterfield’s son Tony Satterfield told Chris Cuomo on Tuesday that he does not believe his mother’s death was foul play – but does support an exhumation of her body.

Satterfield worked for the influential Murdaugh family for more than 20 years when she was found at the bottom of the steps leading up to the family’s home. She died weeks later from her injuries.

At the time, her death was regarded as an accidental fall – though her death certificate cited her manner of death as “natural” and no autopsy was performed.

After her death, Murdaugh reached an agreement to pay her family $4m in a wrongful death settlement – but then allegedly stole the money as part of his fraud scheme.

Mr Satterfield said he felt “betrayed, shocked” when he learned what Murdaugh had done.

In September 2021 – three months after the murders of Maggie and Paul and days after Murdaugh’s financial crimes came to light – SLED announced it was reopening an investigation into Satterfield’s death. In early 2022, officials announced plans to exhume her body.

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney Dick Harpootlian says people sending him hate mail ‘don’t understand justice system’

Thursday 9 March 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney has claimed that his critics don’t understand the criminal justice system as he said that members of the public who camped outside to get into the infamous murder trial need to “get some help”.

Dick Harpootlian, who is also a Democratic state senator, spoke about the case on the South Carolina Senate floor on Tuesday – four days after his client was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife and adult son.

Mr Harpootlian claimed that he had received hate mail from people calling him a “piece of scum” or wishing him death by “rectal cancer”.

Read the full story here:

Alex Murdaugh attorney attacks critics sending him hate mail

Murdaugh murder trial viewers captivated by ‘man in the yellow suit’

Thursday 9 March 2023 14:30 , Rachel Sharp

Throughout the six-week trial, viewers of Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial were often captivated by the so-called “man in the yellow suit”.

Chatter on social media repeatedly turned to Dr Wendell Butterfield, an 80-year-old man tasked with the security of Judge Clifton Newman who often sported eccentric, colourful outfits as he sat in the courtroom in Colleton County Courthouse.

Mandy Matney, a local journalist and podcast host who has followed the Murdaugh case for years, pointed out Dr Butterfield’s dashing yellow suit back on 2 March.

“CHECK OUT THAT YELLOW SUIT,” she tweeted.

Several other social media users commented on the outfit with one saying it “brought the sunshine today” as Murdaugh’s guilty verdict came hours later.

Dr Butterfield told The Daily Beast he was surprised to learn his outfit choices had made him the talk of the trial.

“I had no idea that my suit choices were making quite a stir,” he said. “It’s been surreal.”

How Alex Murdaugh’s son helped seal his guilty verdict from beyond the grave

Thursday 9 March 2023 15:00 , Rachel Sharp

Since birth, he enjoyed the privileges that came from being the heir to a local legal dynasty.

For a decade he got away with stealing millions of dollars from his law firm, legal clients and friends.

And for 13 months he evaded justice after murdering his wife and adult son in a brutal fashion on the family’s estate.

But, in the end, Alex Murdaugh’s crimes caught up with him.

And it was his own son who unknowingly helped cement his downfall from beyond the grave with a damning 50-second cellphone video of a dog.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

How a 50-second video of a dog brought down Alex Murdaugh

WATCH: Craziest courthouse moments from Murdaugh trial

Thursday 9 March 2023 15:30 , Rachel Sharp

Three bodies, 1,700 acres and a whole lot of hogs: Inside Alex Murdaugh’s $4m Moselle estate

Thursday 9 March 2023 16:00 , Rachel Sharp

The Murdaugh family’s Moselle estate had a mysterious past even before Maggie and Paul’s murders.

There was ties to a suspected drug smuggler.

And a housekeeper’s fatal fall.

Read more here:

Three bodies, 1,700 acres and a whole lot of hogs: Alex Murdaugh’s $4m Moselle estate

Who was Paul Murdaugh?

Thursday 9 March 2023 16:30 , Rachel Sharp

Paul Murdaugh, 22, was the younger son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh who, at the time of his death, was facing trial over the death of Mallory Beach, 19.

On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh family’s boat with several of his friends on board.

The boat crashed into some rocks and threw the passengers overboard.

Beach’s body washed up on shore around a week later.

Paul Murdaugh pictured in mugshot for the boat crash

In April 2019, Paul was charged with three felonies over Beach’s death including boating under the influence and was facing up to 25 years in prison.

Paul was shot twice with a shotgun – once in the chest and once in the shoulder.

Investigators in the boat crash case had no choice but to drop the charges when he died. Beach’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaughs – which was finally settled in January 2023.

Bomb threat, obscene gestures, jury upheaval and a GoFundMe: How Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial became a circus

Thursday 9 March 2023 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

Murder. A botched hitman plot. Mystery deaths. Millions of dollars of stolen money. Opioid addiction.

The case involving Alex Murdaugh appears to have it all when it comes to drama and plot twists.

It’s then little surprise that his murder trial in Walterboro, South Carolina, captivated the public all across America in the weeks before the jury convicted him.

But it should then also come as little surprise that the high-profile case spilled out into a spectacle far beyond the testimony jurors heard in the courtroom.

During a dramatic six weeks in court, the trial was been rocked by a bomb threat, apparently obscene gestures and bad behaviour from the Murdaugh family members, a controversial GoFundMe account, a Covid-19 outbreak among jurors – and a dozen eggs.

Here’s how Murdaugh’s murder trial descended into a circus:

How Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial became a circus

Who was Maggie Murdaugh?

Thursday 9 March 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

Maggie was Alex Murdaugh’s wife and the mother of their two sons Buster and Paul.

The 52-year-old met her husband when they were both students at the University of South Carolina.

She was shot five times with an AR-15-style rifle on the night of 7 June 2021.

According to testimony from the Murdaugh housekeeper Blanca Simpson, Maggie was concerned with the family’s finances – and feared her husband was not being truthful with her about the extent of their situation.

Ms Simpson testified that Maggie had got upset and confided in her a few months before the murders, saying that the family was being sued for $30m in the boat crash lawsuit.

Maggie told her that she felt “Alex was not being truthful to her about the lawsuit... she said ‘he doesn’t tell me everything’,” testified Ms Simpson.

Maggie’s sister Marian Proctor testified that Murdaugh had an affair about 15 years ago – and Maggie found out about it.

While it was years ago and the couple worked through it, she said it “bothered” Maggie and she had brought it up again around the time of the murders.

She also revealed that the family knew about Murdaugh’s opioid abuse.

VOICES: We knew the Alex Murdaugh case was complicated - but this is deeper than anyone could have expected

Thursday 9 March 2023 18:00 , Rachel Sharp

“When Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were gunned down at their family’s hunting estate in the summer of 2021, few people outside of their South Carolina community had heard their names before. Nationally, it was a shocking double murder of a mother and adult son who hailed from a wealthy family. But beyond that, the Murdaugh name held no significance.

“In fact, the name itself sparked much discussion as true crime enthusiasts, curious members of the public and journalists new to the family’s cases — myself included — toyed with the pronunciation. Is it Mur-doe? Or Mur-daw? I think it could be Mur-dock? Is the father and husband Alec or Alex? (It’s pronounced Alec Murdock for anyone still unsure.)

“But, as I began digging into the case in the days after the murders, it quickly became clear how much weight the name held in the local community.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp writes:

The Murdaugh case was complicated - but this is deeper than anyone expected | Voices

Attorney reveals surprise it took jurors so long to find Murdaugh guilty

Thursday 9 March 2023 18:30 , Rachel Sharp

The jury spent less than three hours deliberating before returning a unanimous guilty verdict – a timeframe that has led to speculation from some on social media that the panel didn’t spend enough time looking at the evidence.

Prominent criminal defence attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent this week that he was surprised it took jurors as long as it did to convict him.

“I’m surprised it took three hours. I actually predicted one hour,” said Mr Levin.

“There’s no magic amount of time,” he said, defending how long the jurors took.

“The jurors paid close attention to the trial over the many weeks. They didn’t just have a few hours to consider the evidence – they’ve actually been thinking about it and deliberating and considering it for weeks and weeks.”

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Thursday 9 March 2023 19:00 , Rachel Sharp

Powerful South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh became the centre of the ‘trial of the century’ over the brutal double murder of his wife and son.

But this is far from the only twist in a bizarre and sprawling tale of unexplained deaths, hitman plots and multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp writes:

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Where is Alex Murdaugh in prison?

Thursday 9 March 2023 19:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh was handed two consecutive life terms at his sentencing on 3 March, hours after the guilty verdict came down. The sentence will be served at one of the state’s seven maximum security prisons, which only house violent criminals.

Upon leaving the court, he was handed over to the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) and taken to the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia.

All male inmates are originally taken to this facility after sentencing, which is one of the state’s maximum security prisons.

Once there, he is expected to have a two-month evaluation including mental and physical health checks.

This evaluation – together with the inmate classification system – will be used to determine which of South Carolina’s highest-security prisons Murdaugh will be sent to spend the duration of his sentence.

The evaluation process takes about 45 days, the SCDOC said in a statement following Murdaugh’s sentencing.

Murdaugh vows to appeal murder conviction

Thursday 9 March 2023 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

Disgraced legal dynasty heir and convicted family killer Alex Murdaugh is already planning to appeal his verdict after a jury of 12 found him guilty of the murders of his wife and son.

Defence attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian told reporters on Friday they would fight the murder conviction which has landed Murdaugh behind bars for life.

Mr Harpootlian said that they will be filing appeal documents within 10 days and vowed that they would appeal his conviction all the way up to the US Supreme Court.

Despite the verdict, Mr Harpootlian insisted Murdaugh is innocent and said that they had no regrets about putting him on the witness stand in his own defence.

Murdaugh had “no choice” but to testify in his murder trial because he had been “made out to be a monster who stole from children, crippled people” and others, he said.

“Did he pull it off? He apparently didn’t,” he said.

When asked if they believe Murdaugh is innocent, Mr Harpootlian quickly shot back: “Yes!”

Portrait of Murdaugh’s grandfather goes back up at courthouse

Thursday 9 March 2023 20:20 , Megan Sheets

A portrait of Alex Murdaugh’s grandfather that was removed from the Colleton County Courthouse at the start of the trial has now been put back up.

Judge Clifton Newman had ordered the temporary removal of Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr’s portrait over fears that it could influence the jury by serving as a reminder of the family’s power and influence in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Randolph Murdaugh Jr was given the prominent place in the courthouse after serving as solicitor of the 14th Judicial Circuit from 1940 until 1986.

He had taken that role over from his father, Randolph Sr, who was killed in a train crash in 1940.

Murdaugh’s father, Randolph III, also served as solicitor.

VOICES: Will Alex Murdaugh remember what brought him down?

Thursday 9 March 2023 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

“Alex Murdaugh is now slated to spend the rest of his life in prison for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. The astonishing murder trial delivered its final twist on Thursday evening when the jury returned its guilty verdict after less than three hours — a tiny fraction of the time they listened to unspeakably gruesome testimony about the killings.

“While some of the 12 jurors may elect to reveal their identities and speak to the media in the coming days, as one already has, we’ll likely never have a full picture of what happened in the deliberation room. But having followed the courtroom circus in the most minute detail from our New York newsroom, there’s little doubt in my mind that the verdict hinged on one out of 75 witnesses: Murdaugh himself.”

The Independent’s Megan Sheets writes:

Will Alex Murdaugh remember what brought him down?

Murdaugh is facing another 700 years on financial crimes

Thursday 9 March 2023 21:30 , Rachel Sharp

Separate to the murder case, Alex Murdaugh is facing a staggering 99 charges from 19 separate indictments for a string of financial fraud schemes.

He is accused of stealing at least $8.7m from settlements from dozens of legal clients he represented through his law firm PMPED.

Part of the plots involved Murdaugh negotiating wrongful death and other settlements for his clients and then stealing the money for himself, according to prosecutors.

The alleged schemes date back as far as 2011 but were on the brink of being exposed at the time of the murders.

Alex Murdaugh, centre, is handcuffed in the courtroom after a guilty verdict of his double murder trial was read aloud at Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina

During his trial, prosecutors said that Murdaugh killed his wife and son to distract from his financial crimes.

Among the slew of charges are counts of: fraud, attempted tax evasion, money laundering, embezzlement, obtaining signature or property by false pretenses, forgery, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

But, in court during his murder trial, he confessed under oath to stealing from PMPED and at least 18 law firm clients.

Among the victims are the family of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh family housekeeper who died in a mysterious trip and fall death back in 2018.

Did Murdaugh race and class save him from death penalty?

Thursday 9 March 2023 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

Observers have argued that Alex Murdaugh was able to avoid the death penalty because of his wealth, race, and family background, coming from a line of lawyers and prosecutors who presided in Hampton County for generations.

“It is hard to ignore the fact that that the decision provided yet another example of racial and class privilege in the death penalty system,” Austin Sarat, a death penalty expert and jurisprudence professor at Amherst College, wrote in USA Today.

Describing death row, Professor Sarat noted, “Throughout U.S. history, it has been a place heavily populated by poor Black men.”

In South Carolina, a state with a population that’s two-thirds white, half of the 35 people on death row are Black.

During Murdaugh’s sentencing, Judge Clifton Newman pointed to similar ironies.

The Independent’s Josh Marcus has more:

Alex Murdaugh avoided death sentence because of ‘racial privilege,’ observers say

WATCH: Moment Alex Murdaugh is convicted of murdering wife and son

Thursday 9 March 2023 22:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh made a desperate confession to avoid a murder conviction. It likely sentenced him to 700 extra years

Thursday 9 March 2023 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh has left himself with no escape from a lifetime behind bars after he admitted to a string of financial crimes under oath at his murder trial.

Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul at the family’s $4m Moselle estate in Islandton and has been sentenced to life in prison in South Carolina.

Despite his conviction, Murdaugh continues to profess his innocence – even when given a last-ditch chance to confess at his sentencing hearing.

His legal team of State Senator Dick Harpootlian and friend Jim Griffin have already vowed to fight the guilty verdict, by appealing the case all the way up to the US Supreme Court.

But, as prominent attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent’s Rachel Sharp this week, it won’t make any difference.

Read more from our exclusive interview:

Alex Murdaugh’s desperate confession likely sentenced him to 700 extra years

SC AG Wilson speaks of pride over state’s handling of Murdaugh case

Thursday 9 March 2023 23:30 , Rachel Sharp

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has said that he is “proud” of the way the state handled Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and secured justice for Maggie and Paul.

Mr Wilson, who made a brief appearance questioning the prosecution’s final witness in the trial, also urged people to remember the victims of the saga.

“I’m back in the office after six weeks, and I keep thinking about how proud I am of our prosecution and law enforcement team for how they handled the Murdaugh trial. Your position, power, and station in life don’t matter. In South Carolina, no one is above the law,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

“Justice was served for Maggie and Paul last week. And we’re not finished. I want to remind everyone that the people Alex Murdaugh hurt are not characters in some saga. They’re real people who are dealing with the very real effects his crimes.

“This case has caught national attention, and I’ve heard documentaries and even movies are being made. In the midst of all that, I urge you to remember the victims and their voices. All of Alex’s life has been about him. Don’t let that continue.”

How Alex Murdaugh’s son helped seal his guilty verdict from beyond the grave

Friday 10 March 2023 00:00 , Rachel Sharp

Since birth, he enjoyed the privileges that came from being the heir to a local legal dynasty.

For a decade he got away with stealing millions of dollars from his law firm, legal clients and friends.

And for 13 months he evaded justice after murdering his wife and adult son in a brutal fashion on the family’s estate.

But, in the end, Alex Murdaugh’s crimes caught up with him.

And it was his own son who unknowingly helped cement his downfall from beyond the grave with a damning 50-second cellphone video of a dog.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

How a 50-second video of a dog brought down Alex Murdaugh

South Carolina police vow to get ‘justice’ for ALL of Murdaugh’s victims

Friday 10 March 2023 00:30 , Rachel Sharp

South Carolina officials have vowed to get “justice” for all of Alex Murdaugh’s other alleged victims after he was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

SLED Chief Mark Keel gave a brief press conference outside Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, moments after Murdaugh was handed the highest possible sentence over the 7 June 2021 slayings.

“Today is not the end. It’s the next step in a long road to justice for every person who has been victimised by Alex Murdaugh,” he said.

“Alex Murdaugh has rightfully been found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul. He was found guilty because he was guilty and as one of the witnesses said ‘Paul was a little detective’.”

Chief Keel issued a warning that anyone who has assisted Murdaugh in his crimes should now know “that justice will be sought”.

His comments about “a long road to justice” pointed to the slew of other crimes for which Murdaugh is awaiting trial as state prosecutors and investigators believe the murders are only a fraction of the disgraced legal scion’s sprawling crime wave.

Beyond the murders, he is charged with 99 counts on more than a dozen indictments in a vast multi-million-dollar fraud scheme going back at least a decade.

Through the schemes, he allegedly stole at least $8.7m from settlements from dozens of legal clients he represented through his law firm PMPED.

BTK killer’s daughter defends Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster

Friday 10 March 2023 01:00 , Rachel Sharp

The daughter of the infamous BTK serial killer has called for people to leave Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster alone.

Kerri Rawson told NewsNation that the 26-year-old son of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh is also “a victim” in the brutal murders of his mother and brother Paul and needs to be given space to “process and grieve”.

“He needs to be respected right now. He needs time to process and grieve and when he’s ready to talk, he will,” she said.

“We have to respect that he is a victim. He lost his mother and his brother in a violent and horrific crime and then sat in court for weeks and had to listen to details down to what happened to his brother’s brains.

“And then be on the stand and watch his father go on the stand and now his father has been sentenced to two life sentences.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

BTK killer’s daughter defends Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster

Maggie Murdaugh’s nail technician claims she was seeking a divorce

Friday 10 March 2023 01:30 , Rachel Sharp

Maggie Murdaugh’s nail technician has spoken out to reveal she was seeking a divorce from Alex before the murders.

The technician told CourtTV when she first heard Maggie had been killed she immediately suspected Alex, because Maggie had told her of plans to get a divorce.

She said that she spoke to investigators about that topic before the trial.

However, she said she believes prosecutors didn’t call her to testify at trial because there was no way to prove what she claims Maggie told her.

Watch the interview:

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney Dick Harpootlian reveals hate mail

Friday 10 March 2023 02:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney has claimed that his critics don’t understand the criminal justice system as he said that members of the public who camped outside to get into the infamous murder trial need to “get some help”.

Dick Harpootlian, who is also a Democratic state senator, spoke about the case on the South Carolina Senate floor on Tuesday – four days after his client was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife and adult son.

Mr Harpootlian claimed that he had received hate mail from people calling him a “piece of scum” or wishing him death by “rectal cancer”.

“Not all of them wished rectal cancer on me, but most were fairly critical,” he told his fellow state lawmakers.

Read the full story:

Alex Murdaugh attorney attacks critics sending him hate mail

Murdaugh faces charges over botched hitman plot

Friday 10 March 2023 02:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh is still facing charges over a bizarre September 2021 botched hitman plot.

On 4 September 2021 – three months on from the murders and one day after he was ousted from his law firm for stealing funds – Murdaugh was shot on the side of a road in Hampton County.

He survived and called 911, claiming he was ambushed in a drive-by shooting while changing a tire on his vehicle.

He was treated at a hospital for what police called a “superficial gunshot wound to the head,” but his story quickly unravelled.

Mr Murdaugh’s version of events rapidly fell apart and he confessed to asking Curtis Eddie Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot so that his surviving son Buster could get a $12m life insurance windfall.

Mr Smith, 62, is Mr Murdaugh’s alleged drug dealer, distant cousin and former law firm client.

Both men were arrested and charged over the incident and are currently awaiting trial on the charges.

They were both later hit with fresh charges of narcotics and criminal conspiracy over an alleged drug and $2.4m money laundering ring.

Infamous ‘egg juror’ in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial asks to be left alone

Friday 10 March 2023 03:00 , Rachel Sharp

The juror who earned the infamous nickname of the “egg juror” in Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial has asked to be left alone.

The woman, identified as juror 785 in South Carolina’s so-called “trial of the century”, said that it is “not her desire” to speak publicly about the case and is requesting that the public and the media refrain from trying to contact her.

“While other jurors have chosen to comment, which is their prerogative, that is not her desire at this time,” her attorney Joe McCulloch said in a statement.

Read more here:

Infamous ‘egg juror’ in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial asks to be left alone

WATCH: Paul and Alex Murdaugh together on night of murders

Friday 10 March 2023 04:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh to appeal his convictions

Friday 10 March 2023 04:41 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh filed a notice to appeal his convictions for the murder of his wife and son along with his life sentence.

“Today Jim Griffin and I filed our notice of appeal for Alex Murdaugh,” Dick Harpootlian, one of Murdaugh’s attorneys, tweeted.

“This is the next step in the legal process to fight for Alex’s constitutional right to a fair trial.”

Murdaugh conviction catapults Stephen Smith case into spotlight

Friday 10 March 2023 05:01 , Megan Sheets

Alex Murdaugh’s murder conviction has cast a spotlight on the mysterious death of his surviving son Buster’s classmate.

Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old openly gay teenager, was found dead in the middle of a road in Hampton County back in 2015 – not far from the Murdaugh family’s Moselle estate where Maggie and Paul were murdered six years later.

He had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and his car was found around three miles away down the road.

His death was officially ruled a hit-and-run but the victim’s family – and investigators who worked on the initial case – have long doubted this version of events.

Police reports revealed that the scene, and some of Smith’s injuries, were inconsistent with being struck by a car.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Alex Murdaugh conviction shines light on death of Buster’s classmate Stephen Smith

ICYMI: Jurors reveal why they weren’t fooled by Murdaugh’s tears

Friday 10 March 2023 06:00 , Rachel Sharp

Jurors in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial have revealed that they weren’t fooled by his ability to turn the tears “on and off” on the witness stand.

James McDowell, Gwen Generette and Amie Williams broke their silence about what went down in the jury room at the disgraced attorney’s trial where the panel returned a unanimous guilty verdict in the double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Rather than convince the jury of his innocence, the three jurors told NBC’s TODAY show on Monday that the killer’s decision to testify in his own defence was one of the key things that actually helped to prove his guilt.

The panel saw right through his manufactured tears when he broke down and sobbed on the stand speaking about his wife and son, said Ms Generette – with the trio all agreeing it was a mistake for Murdaugh to testify.

“No, I didn’t think he was crying. He turned it on and off,” she said. “No, it wasn’t genuine.”

Read the full story:

Alex Murdaugh jurors reveal they weren’t fooled by ‘on and off’ tears on the stand

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Friday 10 March 2023 07:00 , Rachel Sharp

Powerful South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh became the centre of the ‘trial of the century’ over the brutal double murder of his wife and son.

But this is far from the only twist in a bizarre and sprawling tale of unexplained deaths, hitman plots and multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp writes:

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Alex Murdaugh associate Russell Laffitte is denied new trial

Friday 10 March 2023 08:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s associate Russell Laffitte has been denied a new trial on charges that he helped the convicted killer and financial fraudster steal millions from his law firm clients.

US District Judge Richard Gergel denied Laffitte’s request for a new trial on Monday – four days after Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul in a brutal double murder which prosecutors said was motivated by the disgraced attorney’s efforts to cover up his string of financial crimes.

Laffitte, the former CEO of Palmetto State Bank, was convicted in November of financial fraud charges in connection to Murdaugh’s alleged white collar fraud schemes.

His conviction came on the basis that he was Murdaugh’s co-defendant in his sprawling multi-million-dollar – and decade-long – schemes.

Following his conviction, Laffitte fired his legal team and filed a motion for a new trial based on the chaotic end to his trial which saw two jurors replaced in the 11th hour.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Alex Murdaugh friend Russell Laffitte is denied new trial on financial fraud charges

What will happen to the Murdaugh’s Moselle estate?

Friday 10 March 2023 09:00 , Rachel Sharp

In the months after the murders, Alex Murdaugh put Moselle on the market and it is currently under offer for a $3.9m bid from a mystery buyer.

The property was first listed in February 2022 – eight months after Maggie and Paul’s murders and five months before Murdaugh was charged with them – under a new name of Cross Swamp Farm.

It was later changed back to Moselle Farm.

According to the listing by the Crosby Land Co. of Colleton County, Moselle consists of 1,772 acres of “an unusually diverse habitat with varying forest types and age class distribution”.

“The landscape includes productive pine plantations, open fallow fields, and mature stands of mixed pine/hardwood, those upland regions give way to the flat bottomland of the Salkehatchie River Basin,” it reads.

A view from where Maggie Murdaugh was found at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday

The feed room where Paul Murdaugh’s body was found at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday

“The property boasts over 2.5 miles of river frontage, offering freshwater fishing, kayaking, and abundant deer, turkey, and waterfowl populations.”

The family home was built in 2011 and consists of four bedrooms and 3.5 baths, meaning it could “easily be converted into a weekend hunting lodge with the capability to sleep up to 15 people”, the listing reads.

“This is truly a top-tier property, complete with all the improvements and amenities one would expect from a high-end sporting property with little or no deferred maintenance cost,” it reads.

A buyer – said to be a local landowner – put in an offer in June 2022. But the sale was put on hold when Murdaugh was accused of trying to offload his assets to avoid paying up in a string of lawsuits he is facing, prompting a court to freeze his assets.

WATCH: The video that brought down Alex Murdaugh

Friday 10 March 2023 10:00 , Rachel Sharp

How Alex Murdaugh likely sentenced himself to 700 extra years in prison

Friday 10 March 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh has left himself with no escape from a lifetime behind bars after he admitted to a string of financial crimes under oath at his murder trial.

Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul at the family’s $4m Moselle estate in Islandton and has been sentenced to life in prison in South Carolina.

Despite his conviction, Murdaugh continues to profess his innocence – even when given a last-ditch chance to confess at his sentencing hearing.

His legal team of State Senator Dick Harpootlian and friend Jim Griffin have already vowed to fight the guilty verdict, by appealing the case all the way up to the US Supreme Court.

But, as prominent attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent’s Rachel Sharp this week, it won’t make any difference.

Read more from our exclusive interview:

Alex Murdaugh’s desperate confession likely sentenced him to 700 extra years

VOICES: Alex Murdaugh’s trial proves cameras don’t belong in the courtroom

Friday 10 March 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

“It’s hard to look back on the Murdaugh trial and not think of experts who have warned about the dangers of inviting television cameras into the courtroom. “Although defendants have a right to a public trial, the courts have yet to rule that they have a right to a televised trial,” Ruth Ann Strickland, a former professor of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University, wrote in 2009 for the Middle Tennessee State University’s First Amendment Encyclopedia.

“Federal judges, she noted, ‘have generally rejected television and camera coverage of court proceedings, arguing that live television broadcasts, in particular, distract trial participants, prejudice trial outcomes, and thus deprive defendants of fair trials.’”

The Independent’s Clémence Michallon writes:

Alex Murdaugh’s trial proves cameras don’t belong in the courtroom

Attorney reveals surprise it took jurors so long to find Murdaugh guilty

Friday 10 March 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

The jury spent less than three hours deliberating before returning a unanimous guilty verdict – a timeframe that has led to speculation from some on social media that the panel didn’t spend enough time looking at the evidence.

Prominent criminal defence attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent this week that he was surprised it took jurors as long as it did to convict him.

“I’m surprised it took three hours. I actually predicted one hour,” said Mr Levin.

“There’s no magic amount of time,” he said, defending how long the jurors took.

“The jurors paid close attention to the trial over the many weeks. They didn’t just have a few hours to consider the evidence – they’ve actually been thinking about it and deliberating and considering it for weeks and weeks.”

What happens now in investigation into Gloria Satterfield’s death?

Friday 10 March 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

An investigation is still ongoing into the death of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh family’s housekeeper of two decades who died in a mysterious trip and fall death at the Moselle estate.

Satterfield worked for the influential Murdaugh family for more than 20 years when she was found at the bottom of the steps leading up to the family’s home. She died weeks later from her injuries.

At the time, her death was regarded as an accidental fall – though her death certificate cited her manner of death as “natural” and no autopsy was performed.

After her death, Murdaugh reached an agreement to pay her family $4m in a wrongful death settlement – but then allegedly stole the money as part of his fraud scheme.

On 15 September 2021, days after Murdaugh’s crime schemes were exposed, SLED announced it was reopening an investigation into Satterfield’s death.

In early 2022, officials announced plans to exhume her body.

It is not clear what evidence may have led investigators to do so – or where the investigation may be headed.

Why did Alex Murdaugh kill his wife and son?

Friday 10 March 2023 15:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh will now spend the rest of his years behind bars after being sentenced to life in prison for the heinous double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The disgraced attorney was handed two sentences of life without parole on Friday in a case that has rocked the community in Hampton County, South Carolina, and captivated America for the best part of two years.

Jurors took less than three hours to reach their unanimous verdict, deciding that – beyond any reasonable doubt – Murdaugh killed his wife and son that fateful night.

On 7 June 2021, Maggie and Paul were brutally gunned down by the dog kennels on the powerful family’s vast 1,700-acre Moselle estate.

Murdaugh shot his son, 22, twice with a 12-gauge shotgun while he stood in the feed room of the dog kennels – the second shot to his head blowing his brain almost entirely out of his skull.

After killing Paul, prosecutors said Murdaugh then grabbed a .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle and opened fire on Maggie as she tried to flee. She was shot five times including twice in the head after she had fallen to her knees.

But why did he do it? Why did he slaughter his wife and son? What was his motive?

Why did Alex Murdaugh kill his wife and son? Here’s the motive from prosecutors

Who were the faces in the courtroom?

Friday 10 March 2023 16:00 , Rachel Sharp

Dick Harpootlian

Dick Harpootlian, 74, was one of Murdaugh’s lead defence attorneys in his murder trial.

Prior to representing Murdaugh, he has had a long career as a prosecutor.

He has prosecuted several high-profile cases including the corruption trial of former University of South Carolina President Jim Holderman and the murder trial of serial killer Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins.

As well as being a prominent lawyer, Mr Harpootlian is also a state senator, representing South Carolina’s 20th district.

Jim Griffin

Jim Griffin, 60, was Murdaugh’s other lead defence attorneys in his murder trial.

Mr Griffin has also had a long career focused predominantly on working as defence attorney in white-collar crime cases.

Alex Murdaugh, Maggie Fox, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin talk while on a break during the trial

As well as the murder case, both Mr Harpootlian and Mr Griffin are representing Murdaugh in his slew of other charges including his financial fraud trial.

The duo – who like Murdaugh attended University of South Carolina School of Law – was also previously hired to represent Paul in the boat crash case.

Creighton Waters

Creighton Waters was the lead prosecutor in the murder case against Murdaugh.

As the chief prosecutor for the state’s grand jury, he has worked for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office for more than 24 years.

His case against Mr Murdaugh was centred on the theory that the disgraced attorney killed his wife and son to distract from his string of alleged scandals and financial crimes that were on the brink of being exposed.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters questions witness Chris Wilson during the trial

Judge Clifton Newman

South Carolina Circuit Courts Judge Clifton Newman was the judge presiding over the high-profile murder trial.

He was first elected to the court by the South Carolina General Assembly in 2000 and was re-elected in 2021, with his term due to end in 2027.

Throughout the trial, the judge largely sided with the prosecution in a series of motions and objections – including allowing the state to bring evidence of Murdaugh’s financial crimes as a possible motive for the murders.

Judge Clifton Newman presides over Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial

However, he also awarded some big wins to the defence – including ruling that several witnesses cannot bring evidence about the roadside shooting incident and that Maggie’s sister could not testify about Mr Murdaugh’s alleged affair several years ago.

The judge then did a u-turn on the roadside shooting testimony on 15 February, after the defence brought the incident up – paving the way for the state to also enter evidence.

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy reveals he really thinks about murders

Friday 10 March 2023 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy has broken his silence to reveal what he really thinks happened on the night that the disgraced attorney’s wife Maggie and son Paul were gunned down in a brutal crime that shocked South Carolina’s Lowcountry and captured the nation’s attention for the better part of two years.

Randy became the first family member of the disgraced attorney to speak out after the high-profile trial, where Murdaugh was convicted of all charges and sentenced to life in prison.

The 56-year-old admitted that he believes his sibling “is not telling the truth” about the 7 June 2021 killings.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy reveals what he really thinks happened night of murders

Detective offers explanation for hairs found in Maggie’s hand

Friday 10 March 2023 17:45 , Megan Sheets

A lead investigator in the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh has come forward with her explanation for a key mystery from the trial.

Detective Laura Rutland took the stand for the prosecution early in the trial, revealing what she saw as one of the first officers on the grisly crime scene.

She described the horror state of both victims’ bodies - as well as how “clean” Alex Murdaugh appeared.

In cross-examination, Ms Rutland was asked by the defence about hairs found in Maggie’s hand. On the stand, she was unable to offer much of an explanation and the issue largely faded out of the trial.

But speaking out a week after Murdaugh’s conviction and double life sentence, Ms Rutland provided more information about the gruesome detail.

“I just wanted to clarify that when she had suffered her injuries, and the bullet exited the back of her head, it created a large hole, which displaced that part of her skull, including her scalp and her hair,” Ms Rutland told Fox News.

“So, all around her body, there were small clumps of the back of her hair in the grass around her body. Some had fallen near her hands and her arms. And when we removed her body, some of the hair that was on her fingers. It was just a few strands went with her.”

Conviction raises hopes of justice for Stephen Smith

Friday 10 March 2023 18:00 , Rachel Sharp

SLED has reopened an investigation into another mystery death with a tie to the Murdaugh family.

Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of a road in Hampton County back in 2015.

He had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and his car was left down the road.

His death was officially ruled a hit-and-run but the victim’s family – and investigators who worked on the initial case – have long doubted this version of events.

There have long been murmurings in the community that a “Murdaugh boy” may have been involved and the Murdaugh name came up 40 times in documents in the initial case, reported Live5News.

Just days after the murders of Maggie and Paul, SLED announced that the investigation into their murders had led them to reopen an investigation into Smith’s death.

It is not clear what may have prompted the launch of that investigation.

In January 2023, SLED said it had “made progress” in the case but no other details have been released.

Murdaugh’s new smiling mugshot

Friday 10 March 2023 19:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s new mugshot has been released by South Carolina’s Department of Corrections (SCDOC), capturing the convicted killer smiling softly as he begins a lifetime behind bars.

In the image, Murdaugh is wearing a white t-shirt beneath a yellow prison jumpsuit.

After his sentencing on Friday, Murdaugh was taken to the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia – a maximum security prisons where all male inmates are sent before they head to a facility where they will serve their entire sentences.

He will be evaluated there for the next 45 days before learning which maximum security prison he will call home for the remainder of his days.

The maximum security options include: Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia; Broad River Secure Facility in Columbia; McCormick Correctional Institution in McCormick; Perry Correctional Institution in Pelzer; Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia; and Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville.

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

Friday 10 March 2023 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

Disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The once-powerful attorney was convicted of two counts of murder and two weapons charges after a dramatic six-week “trial of the century” inside the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Jurors took less than three hours to reach the verdict after hearing how he had gunned down his wife Maggie and son Paul on the family’s sprawling 1,700-acre Moselle estate in Islandton, South Carolina, back on 7 June 2021. He continued to claim his innocence as he received two consecutive life sentences on 3 March.

But this is far from the end of the scandals, criminal cases and unanswered questions surrounding Murdaugh.

Whatever the verdict had been in the murder case, Murdaugh was never walking out of court a free man, as he is being held on bond on more than 100 charges in cases including a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and a botched hitman plot.

Here’s what’s next for the disgraced attorney:

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend Brooklynn White files second police report

Friday 10 March 2023 20:28 , Megan Sheets

Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend Brooklynn White has filed a second police report of the week over harassment by journalists.

On Tuesday, Ms White complained to authorities about a reporter allegedly looking into the windows of her car as it was parked outside the house she shares with Buster, the only surviving son of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh.

Ms White claimed that the same reporter had heckled her and Buster repeatedly outside the Colleton County Courthouse while Murdaugh was on trial.

A day earlier, Buster Murdaugh filed a police report claiming that the a reporter was taking photos of him inside their house and following them in a car.

In her report on Tuesday, Ms White said the actions of “certain members of the press has become increasingly unsettling and frightening to her”.

Mother of Stephen Smith calls for justice after murder conviction

Friday 10 March 2023 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

The mother of a gay teenager who was found dead in mysterious circumstances in 2015 is calling for justice for his death after Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and son.

Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of a road in Hampton County back in 2015. He had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and his car was left down the road.

His death was officially ruled a hit-and-run but the victim’s family – and investigators who worked on the initial case – have long doubted this version of events.

There have long been murmurings in the community that a “Murdaugh boy” may have been involved and the Murdaugh name came up 40 times in documents in the initial case, reported Live5News.

Just days after the murders of Maggie and Paul, SLED announced that the investigation into their murders had led them to reopen an investigation into Smith’s death.

Now that Murdaugh has been convicted of killing his wife and son, Smith’s mother Sandy is hoping she will finally get answers in her son’s death.

“This circus is over and now it’s time to bring justice for other people,” Sandy Smith told The New York Post Sunday.

It is not clear what information came to light during the investigation into Maggie and Paul’s murders and then prompted SLED to launch an investigation into Smith’s death

In January 2023, SLED said it had “made progress” in the case but no other details have been released.

Dark history of the Murdaugh family home

Friday 10 March 2023 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

The Murdaugh family estate had a dark past before Maggie and Paul were killed there in June 2021.

Bordering the banks of the Salkehatchie River, 4147 Moselle Road consists of over 1,700 acres of land including a 5,275-square-foot house, a farm, a two-mile stretch of river – and of course the dog kennels.

Before the Murdaughs called Moselle home, the property was tied to another controversial family.

It was the home of Barrett Boulware – a fisherman, suspected drug smuggler and Alex Murdaugh’s longtime friend and business partner who died in 2018.

An aerial view of the Moselle estate including the kennels and feed room

He and his father were arrested on drug smuggling charges in 1980 when investigators seized 15 tons of marijuana from a shrimp boat in the Bahamas.

The charges were later dropped when a key government witness died.

Boulware’s name cropped up during the murder trial when jurors heard that Murdaugh had stolen $750,000 in insurance money from his friend when he was dying of colon cancer.

Juror’s brother was one of first officers on scene of murders

Friday 10 March 2023 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

The brother of one of the jurors who convicted Alex Murdaugh of murdering his wife and son was one of the first officers who responded to the scene of the crime.

James McDowell was one of the 12 jurors who reached a unanimous guilty verdict last week and has since spoken out about the case.

His brother is Colleton County Sheriff’s Cpl Chad McDowell – who was the second law enforcement official to arrive at Moselle on the night of the murders.

The family tie was revealed in court during jury selection and neither the defence nor the prosecution objected to James McDowell joining the panel.

Key revelations from Alex Murdaugh’s trial

00:00 , Megan Sheets

Legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty of the brutal double murder of his wife and adult son after a six-week trial in South Carolina.

Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were both shot dead at the family’s sprawling 1,700-acre property in Islandton, South Carolina, on the night of 7 June 2021.

Murdaugh, 54, claimed that he returned home from visiting his elderly mother to find the victims’ bodies at the dog kennels on the land.

No arrests were made for more than a year, until – in July 2022 – Murdaugh was charged with their murders. Nearly eight months later, Murdaugh was convicted on 2 March.

After six weeks of dramatic testimony at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, the jury took less than three hours to return a guilty verdict. Murdaugh was then sentenced to life in prison.

Here are the key revelations from the trial:

Key revelations from the bombshell Alex Murdaugh murder trial