Alex Murdaugh trial – live: Brother Randy breaks silence on guilty verdict as son Buster reports harassment

Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy has broken his silence days after his sibling was convicted of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul in a brutal crime that shocked South Carolina’s lowcountry.

Randy became the first family member to speak out after the trial, revealing what he really thinks happened on the night of the murders.

“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.”

His comments come as Murdaugh’s only surviving son Buster filed a police complaint about members of the media.

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

Meanwhile, four jurors have now spoken out about how they reached their verdict in the case, agreeing that the key piece of evidence proving Murdaugh’s guilt was a damning cellphone video captured by Paul minutes before he and his mother were gunned down. He will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

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

• Buster Murdaugh calls police after being harassed by media

• Alex Murdaugh jurors revealed they weren’t fooled by killer’s tears

• Conviction shines spotlight on mystery death of Stephen Smith

• Murdaugh maintains innocence as he’s sentenced to life in prison

• Alex Murdaugh found GUILTY of murders of son Paul and wife Maggie

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

19:56 , Megan Sheets

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

Jurors prayed before finding Murdaugh guilty

19:45 , Rachel Sharp

A juror in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial has revealed more about what went down in the jury room in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial.

James, who did not want to reveal his last name, told Law & Crime that the panel prayed before reaching their unanimous guilty verdict.

At 22, James is the same age that Paul was when he was gunned down by his father at the family’s property.

He said that he is confident in the outcome of the case.

“We all, I think, were very good at looking at all of the evidence and not jumping to conclusions but rather taking all of the evidence and seeing where it led us,” he said.

“We did have a few that were not on the same page, so we did like an anonymous vote, in the beginning, to see where everybody was at and make sure everybody was on the same page.

“Once we found that out, we kind of just opened the floor for anybody, whoever had questions, and then we would talk through those. We had the evidence in the other room.”

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

19:15 , Rachel Sharp

Before returning a guilty verduct, jurors toured the Murdaugh family’s Moselle estate, seeing for themselves where Alex Murdaugh gunned down his wife Maggie and son Paul back on 7 June 2021.

But that’s not all jurors saw.

They also saw a place where another mysterious death took place just three years before the 2021 murders.

They saw a snapshot of the powerful and affluent Murdaugh family’s life given the $4m property was the place they called home for several years.

And they might have even seen some of the estate’s wild hogs – whose existence has been an unusually common mention throughout the disgraced attorney’s murder trial.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

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

What prison is Alex Murdaugh going to?

18:45 , 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 to be 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.

VOICES: Will Alex Murdaugh remember what brought him down?

18:15 , 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?

Prosecutor Creighton Waters delights new Twitter followers

17:45 , Rachel Sharp

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters has become an overnight social media sensation after he secured a conviction in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial.

Mr Waters led the state to victory last week when Murdaugh was found guilty of all charges over his wife and son’s killings.

After the jury reached its verdict, he launched a Twitter account for the first time – and has been delighting his new following ever since.

In his latest tweet on Tuesday, Murdaugh shared a clip of his fish tank, writing: “Have a saltwater tank going without stop since 1993.  The clownfish - was named for Jadaveon back in 2010.  He is 12 yo.   Wrasse is Zoko and Damsel is Sokka.”

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

17:15 , 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 reports:

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

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

16:45 , 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.”

Who were the key players in Alex Murdaugh murder trial?

16:15 , Rachel Sharp

Disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh has been convicted of the grisly double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul, who were found shot dead at the family’s sprawling estate in Islandton, South Carolina, on 7 June 2021.

The husband and father – who comes from a long line of prominent attorneys in South Carolina – was accused of shooting Paul twice with a shotgun and Maggie five times with an AR-15-style rifle.

Prosecutors claimed that he was motivated by desperation to distract from his string of alleged financial crimes which were on the brink of being exposed.

For years, the Murdaughs reigned over the local justice system and mingled in powerful circles.

Now, the brutal double murders have brought to light a series of scandals surrounding Murdaugh including unexplained deaths, a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and a botched hitman plot – in a sprawling saga that touches many across the lowcountry.

Here’s some of the key players in the case:

Who were the key players in Alex Murdaugh murder trial?

WATCH: Craziest courthouse moments from the Alex Murdaugh trial

15:45 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh jurors weren’t fooled by him turning tears ‘on and off’ on the stand

15:15 , 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.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

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

Murdaugh’s conviction shines spotlight on Gloria Satterfield’s death

14:45 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s conviction for the murders of his wife and son has shone a spotlight on the 2018 death of Gloria Satterfield, the family’s housekeeper of two decades who died in a mysterious trip and fall 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.

Gloria Satterfield died in a ‘trip and fall’ at the Murdaugh home in 2018

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.

How Alex Murdaugh’s son helped seal his guilty verdict from beyond the grave with a 50-second video of a dog

14:15 , 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

Mother of Stephen Smith calls for justice after murder conviction

13:45 , 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.

Will Alex Murdaugh appeal his murder conviction?

13:16 , 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 held a feisty press conference outside Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Friday where they vowed to 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.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Alex Murdaugh to appeal guilty verdict as defence gripes about case after sentencing

Alex Murdaugh’s verdict could have been very different – if it wasn’t for a juror with a dozen eggs

12:45 , Rachel Sharp

The verdict in Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile double murder trial could have turned out to be very different – if it hadn’t been for the actions of a juror with a dozen eggs.

The once-powerful legal dynasty heir was convicted on Thursday of shooting dead his wife Maggie and son Paul in a heinous crime at the family’s 1,700-acre Moselle estate in Islandton, South Carolina, back on 7 June 2021.

The panel of 12 jurors deliberated for less than three hours before they unanimously found him guilty of all charges – two counts of murder and two weapons charges.

Rachel Sharp reports:

How did a juror with some eggs impact the Alex Murdaugh verdict so drastically?

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch and Alex Murdaugh

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Saturday Night Live’s cold open poked fun at the legal troubles of two powerful figures this week – by hilariously muddling Rupert Murdoch and Fox News’ defamation lawsuit with Alex Murdaugh and his double murder trial.

The comedy sketch show featured a Fox & Friends spoof with cast members Mikey Day as Steve Doocy, Heidi Gardner as Ainsley Earhardt and Bowen Yang as Brian Kilmeade.

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch and Alex Murdaugh

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

11:39 , 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 best part of two years.

Randy became the first family member of the disgraced attorney to speak out after the high-profile trial, admitting 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.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

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

ICYMI: Why did Alex Murdaugh kill his wife and son? Here’s the motive presented by prosecutors

11:15 , Namita Singh

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.

But why did he do it? More in this report:

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

Key revelations from the Alex Murdaugh trial

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s a dramatic saga that now includes murder, a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes and a series of unexplained deaths.

The now-disbarred attorney denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

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

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

10:15 , Namita Singh

The Moselle estate had a mysterious past even before Maggie and Paul’s murders with ties to a suspected drug smuggler and a housekeeper’s fatal fall, reports Rachel Sharp:

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

Buster Murdaugh calls the police on photographers following him days after father jailed

09:45 , Namita Singh

Alex Murdaugh’s only surviving son filed a police complaint over the weekend about being harassed by national media reporters.

Murdaugh was convicted last week for murdering his wife Margaret and youngest son Paul.

In the report filed before Beaufort County Sheriff’s office on Sunday, Buster Murdaugh informed them about pictures published in the New York Post showing him and his girlfriend inside his Hilton Head home.

More in this report:

Buster Murdaugh calls police on photographers following him days after father jailed

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch’s Fox defamation case and Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial

09:15 , Namita Singh

Saturday Night Live’s cold open poked fun at the legal troubles of two powerful figures this week – by hilariously muddling Rupert Murdoch and Fox News’ defamation lawsuit with Alex Murdaugh and his double murder trial.

Report:

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch and Alex Murdaugh

Murdaugh attorney makes bizarre – chicken-related – Twitter return

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

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

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh after guilty trial verdict and life prison sentence?

08:15 , Namita Singh

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.

More in this report:

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

Murdaugh testimony only confirmed his guilt, jurors say

07:45 , Namita Singh

Alex Murdaugh didn’t help his defense when he took the stand at his trial for the murder of his wife and son, three jurors said on Monday.

Murdaugh’s testimony only managed to cement what they were already thinking — that he easily lied and could turn on and off his tears at will, the jurors said on the NBC Today show.

The key piece of evidence in finding the lawyer guilty, they said, was a video on his son’s cellphone that was shot minutes before the killings at the same kennels near where the bodies were found at their sprawling estate in rural South Carolina.

Murdaugh’s voice can be heard on the video even though he insisted for 20 months that he hadn’t been at the kennels that night. Investigators didn’t see the video for more than a year before advances in hacking enabled them to unlock Paul Murdaugh’s iPhone. They shared it with the defense ahead of the trial.

When he took the stand, the first thing Murdaugh did was admit he had lied to investigators about being at the kennels, saying he was paranoid of law enforcement because he was addicted to opioids and had pills in his pocket the night of the killings.“The kennel video, that just kind of sealed the deal,” juror Gwen Generette said.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours Thursday before finding Murdaugh guilty of killing his 22-year-old son, Paul, with two shotgun blasts and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, with four or five rifle shots.

Why did Alex Murdaugh kill his wife and son?

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s how the prosecution laid out the potential motive for the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

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

Buster Murdaugh calls police after being harassed by media

06:14 , Namita Singh

Buster Murdaugh, the only surviving son of murderer Alex Murdaugh, has filed a police complaint over the weekend about being harassed by national media reporters.

Alex Murdaugh was convicted last week for murdering his wife Margaret and youngest son Paul.

In the report filed before Beaufort County Sheriff’s office on Sunday, Mr Murdaugh informed them about pictures published in the New York Post showing him and his girlfriend inside his Hilton Head home.

He told the police that they reviewed Ring camera video and “observed a suspicious grey Dodge Challenger” lingering outside their house at 6.39pm on 4 March.

“Buster said he and his girlfriend [Brooklynn White] reviewed Ring camera video from the residence and observed a suspicious grey Dodge Challenger outside the residence on Saturday evening,” reported the Daily Beast citing police report.

“Buster believes the occupant of this vehicle took the photo, judging by Buster’s position in the residence when the photo was captured. No other identifiable vehicle or suspect information was noted.”

According to the report, police will deploy extra patrol cars around his resident, further advicing him to contact the sheriff’s office “if he or his girlfriend note anything suspicious outside.”

Soon after, Mr Murdaugh’s girlfriend contacted the authorities, informing them about “being followed by the media” in a grey Chevrolet SUV.The suspicious car was followed by the police for “speeding and making improper lane change”.

The driver, with camera bag in passenger seat was released after being warned about the traffic violation.

Murdaugh jurors reveal why they weren’t fooled by his ability to turn the tears ‘on and off’

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Rachel Sharp reports.

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

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

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

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

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Rachel Sharp explains.

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

Walterboro welcomes return to normality

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Walterboro native Danny Murdaugh is ready for his small South Carolina town to return to normal following the double murder trial of a distant relative that drew global attention and sullied his family’s surname.

He lamented the “circus” brought to Walterboro by the six-week trial of Alex Murdaugh, which ended this week with the disgraced attorney sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and son.

The spectacle altered life in Walterboro for over a month as an influx of locals, tourists and media flocked to the otherwise quiet downtown area to join the gripping trial.

After Murdaugh trial 'circus,' Walterboro welcomes normality

ICYMI: Murdaugh’s new mugshot released

00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh appears with a shaved head in a new mugshot released just hours after he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering his son and wife.

The disgraced legal scion attorney was sentenced to two consecutive life terms on Friday in South Carolina’s Colleton County Court by Judge Clifton Newman.

Alex Murdaugh’s new mugshot released after life sentencing for murders of son, wife

Murdaugh’s attorneys say son Buster’s pleas wouldn’t have made difference to sentencing

Monday 6 March 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Attorneys for convicted family killer Alex Murdaugh have explained why they decided against having his son plead for leniency during his sentencing.

Defence attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian held a feisty press conference outside Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Friday after their client was sentenced to two life sentences by Judge Clifton Newman. They vowed to fight the murder conviction but said that the sentencing was expected.

Buster’s pleas ‘wouldn’t have changed’ Alex Murdaugh sentence outcome, defence say

Watch: Murdaugh juror reveals how long it took to reach unanimous verdict

Monday 6 March 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh juror reveals how long it took to reach unanimous guilty verdict

Murdaugh's fast conviction sealed by his testimony

Monday 6 March 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors produced no direct evidence linking South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh to the killings of his wife and son, yet a jury took less than three hours to convict him — thanks, in large part, to the defendant himself.

“It came down to just a couple of key pieces of evidence. And those were: the cellphone video ... that placed the defendant at the scene of the crime ... the defendant’s denial to law enforcement agents that he had been at the kennels with his wife and son that night, and then finally, his testimony on the stand,” said Jessica Roth, a Cardoza School of Law professor who followed the trial.

The quick verdict suggests that despite weeks of testimony, dozens of witnesses and hundreds of pieces of evidence, the jury ultimately didn’t see it as a complicated case, Roth added.

Murdaugh's fast conviction sealed by his testimony: experts

Murdaugh verdict could have been very different – if it wasn’t for a juror with a dozen eggs

Monday 6 March 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The verdict in Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile double murder trial could have turned out to be very different – if it hadn’t been for the actions of a juror with a dozen eggs.

Rachel Sharp explains.

Did an Alex Murdaugh juror with a dozen eggs change the verdict?

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch and Alex Murdaugh

Monday 6 March 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Saturday Night Live’s cold open poked fun at the legal troubles of two powerful figures this week – by hilariously muddling Rupert Murdoch and Fox News’ defamation lawsuit with Alex Murdaugh and his double murder trial.

The comedy sketch show featured a Fox & Friends spoof with cast members Mikey Day as Steve Doocy, Heidi Gardner as Ainsley Earhardt and Bowen Yang as Brian Kilmeade.

Bevan Hurley and Rachel Sharp report.

SNL cold open muddles Rupert Murdoch and Alex Murdaugh

Why did Alex Murdaugh kill his wife and son?

Monday 6 March 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

What was Alex Murdaugh’s motive for the murders?

Here’s what the prosecution argued:

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

Walterboro welcomes normality

Monday 6 March 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Walterboro native Danny Murdaugh is ready for his small South Carolina town to return to normal following the double murder trial of a distant relative that drew global attention and sullied his family’s surname.

He lamented the “circus” brought to Walterboro by the six-week trial of Alex Murdaugh, which ended this week with the disgraced attorney sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and son.

The spectacle altered life in Walterboro for over a month as an influx of locals, tourists and media flocked to the otherwise quiet downtown area to join the gripping trial.

After Murdaugh trial 'circus,' Walterboro welcomes normality

Why was Alex Murdaugh convicted of murder?

Monday 6 March 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s how the prosecution and the defence argued the case:

Is Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder? Here’s what the defence and prosecution argued

Key revelations from the Alex Murdaugh trial

Monday 6 March 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Key revelations from the bombshell Alex Murdaugh murder trial

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

Monday 6 March 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

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

Murdaugh didn't help his defense by testifying

Monday 6 March 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh didn’t help his defense when he took the stand at his trial for the murder of his wife and son, three jurors said on Monday.

Murdaugh’s testimony only managed to cement what they were already thinking — that he easily lied and could turn on and off his tears at will, the jurors said on the NBC Today show.

Jurors: Murdaugh didn't help his defense by testifying

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

Monday 6 March 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Rachel Sharp explains.

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

John Oliver has a message for OJ Simpson about the Murdaugh trial

Monday 6 March 2023 16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

John Oliver had a message for OJ Simpson during the latest episode of Last Week Tonight.

The comedian ran through the biggest stories of the previous week, one of which was the verdict in the Alex Murdaugh trial and addressed a video posted by Simpson regarding the trial.

Jacob Stolworthy has the story.

John Oliver tells OJ Simpson ‘why people think he’s an expert’ on Alex Murdaugh trial

Watch: Murdaugh juror reveals how long it took to reach unanimous guilty verdict

Monday 6 March 2023 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh juror reveals how long it took to reach unanimous guilty verdict

Murdaugh’s attorneys say son Buster’s pleas wouldn’t have made difference in sentencing

Monday 6 March 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Attorneys for convicted family killer Alex Murdaugh have explained why they decided against having his son plead for leniency during his sentencing.

Defence attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian held a feisty press conference outside Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Friday after their client was sentenced to two life sentences by Judge Clifton Newman. They vowed to fight the murder conviction but said that the sentencing was expected.

Andrea Blanco reports.

Buster’s pleas ‘wouldn’t have changed’ Alex Murdaugh sentence outcome, defence say

Murdaugh attorney makes bizarre – chicken-related – Twitter return

Monday 6 March 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Rachel Sharp has the latest.

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

Watch: Three jurors open up about deliberations

Monday 6 March 2023 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

What’s next for Alex Murdaugh?

Monday 6 March 2023 14:15 , Oliver O'Connell

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?

Second juror says the panel prayed before finding Murdaugh guilty

Monday 6 March 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

A second juror has now spoken out about what went down in the jury room in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial.

James, who did not want to reveal his last name, told Law & Crime that the panel prayed before reaching their unanimous guilty verdict.

At 22, James is the same age that Paul was when he was gunned down by his father at the family’s property.

He said that he is confident in the outcome of the case.

“We all, I think, were very good at looking at all of the evidence and not jumping to conclusions but rather taking all of the evidence and seeing where it led us,” he said.

“We did have a few that were not on the same page, so we did like an anonymous vote, in the beginning, to see where everybody was at and make sure everybody was on the same page.

“Once we found that out, we kind of just opened the floor for anybody, whoever had questions, and then we would talk through those. We had the evidence in the other room.”

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

Monday 6 March 2023 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Rachel Sharp explains how.

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

Alex Murdaugh’s attorney makes bizarre return to Twitter

Monday 6 March 2023 13:03 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh's attorney Jim Griffin made a bizarre return to Twitter at the weekend after he came under fire for tweeting during the trial.

Mr Griffin shared a photo of himself with his face in a wooden photo prep of a cowboy riding a chicken.

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

This came after his last tweet led to a dressing down from Judge Clifton Newman.

On 18 February, Mr Griffin shared a link to a The Washington Post op-ed titled: “Alex Murdaugh trial reveals a sloppy investigation.”

Judge Newman brought up the post in the courtroom, saying that his actions go “against the spirit of the law and does not pass the feel test” – and also comparing him to Kyrie Irving.

Mr Griffin had conceded that he would not tweet again – about the case or at all – until the trial ended.

Why was Alex Murdaugh convicted of murder?

Monday 6 March 2023 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

During the six weeks of Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial, jurors heard hours upon hours of gruesome testimony about how his wife Maggie and son Paul were gunned down at the dog kennels of the family’s sprawling 1,700-acre Moselle estate.

Two different guns were used in the 7 June 2021 attack – neither of which have ever been found.

Paul was ambushed by his attacker as he stood in the feed room of the kennels, being shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun.

The first shot struck his chest, while a second fatal shot tore through his shoulder, neck and head, blowing his entire brain out of his skull.

Just yards away from Paul, Maggie was shot five times with a .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle, as she tried to flee her killer.

On 2 March, Murdaugh was found guilty of the murders after jurors deliberated for less than three hours.

Here’s how the prosecution and the defence argued the case:

Alex Murdaugh: What the defence and prosecution argued over six weeks of trial

What prison is Alex Murdaugh going to?

Monday 6 March 2023 12:00 , 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 to be 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.

Timeline of murders, financial fraud, unexplained deaths, arrest and conviction

Monday 6 March 2023 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh has been convicted in a South Carolina courthouse of the murders of his wife and son.

Murdaugh, 54, was found guilty on 2 March of shooting Paul, 22, twice with a shotgun and Maggie, 52, five times with a rifle on the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested more than a year after the killings in July 2022 and charged with their murders.

In the 20 months since the brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs onto national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light.

Here’s a timeline of the key moments in the case:

Alex Murdaugh: A timeline of murders, financial fraud, crime scene and conviction