Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murdering wife and son

Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was found guilty on Thursday night of murdering his wife and son.

Murdaugh, 54, was also convicted on two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The jury deliberated for close to three hours before reaching a unanimous verdict. Judge Clifton Newman said he will sentence Murdaugh at a later date, "given the lateness of the hour and the victims' rights that must be taken into consideration." The minimum sentence is 30 years, with prosecutors saying they will seek life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On June 7, 2021, Murdaugh's 52-year-old wife, Margaret, and 22-year-old son, Paul, were found dead on the grounds of their estate. The county coroner found that both had been shot multiple times, and shell casings were discovered at the scene. Three months later, Murdaugh claimed he was shot while standing at the side of the road; he later admitted he asked his cousin to shoot him so his surviving son, Buster, could collect on a $10 million insurance policy.

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Prosecutors said Murdaugh, who came from a long line of lawyers who wielded considerable influence in South Carolina's Lowcountry, killed his wife and son in order to keep hidden the fact he had stolen millions of dollars from his legal firm and clients over several years.