Prominent US Lawyer Sentenced To Life For Murdering Wife, Son

Alex Murdaugh, a prominent South Carolina lawyer, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murders of his wife and son on their hunting estate in a case whose twists and turns drew global attention.

Judge Clifton Newman sentenced Murdaugh, scion of an elite family of judges and attorneys, to consecutive life terms without parole for the June 7, 2021 murders of his son Paul and his wife Maggie.

Dismissing Murdaugh’s claims of innocence as “not credible,” the judge told the disgraced attorney he must “see Paul and Maggie during the night times when you’re attempting to go to sleep.”

“I’m sure they come and visit you,” the judge said.

According to the prosecution, Murdaugh shot his wife and son after realizing his years of stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and from clients to feed his hidden opioid addiction was about to go public.

Murdaugh’s 22-year-old son Paul was killed with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife Maggie with an assault rifle the family used to hunt wild pigs on their sprawling property.

While evidence put Murdaugh at the scene shortly before the murders, the guns were never found, and there was no bloodstained clothing or other direct evidence that could prove he was the killer.

But the jury determined the evidence was strong enough to convict Murdaugh on two counts of murder and two firearms charges.

Murdaugh testified in his own defense and described discovering the bodies of his wife and son at the dog kennels on their property known as Moselle.

Murdaugh admitted he stole and embezzled, and also lied about his drug habit, which his attorneys said cost $50,000 a week. But he said he would never lie about killing his family.