Alex Murdaugh trial – live: Killer to appeal his convictions in murder of wife and son

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.”

Meanwhile, 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.

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.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

• 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 associate Russell Laffitte is denied new trial

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

The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

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

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

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

Murdaugh conviction catapults Stephen Smith case into spotlight

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

Alex Murdaugh to appeal his convictions

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.”

WATCH: Paul and Alex Murdaugh together on night of murders

04:00 , Rachel Sharp

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

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

Murdaugh faces charges over botched hitman plot

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.

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney Dick Harpootlian reveals hate mail

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

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

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:

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.”

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

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

Thursday 9 March 2023 22:30 , Rachel Sharp

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

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.

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?

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.

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!”

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.

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

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.”

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

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.

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 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.

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

WATCH: Craziest courthouse moments from Murdaugh trial

Thursday 9 March 2023 15:30 , Rachel Sharp

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

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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:

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.”

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

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

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?

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.

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?

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