Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 2 life sentences for double murder of his wife and son

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NPR

Judge Clifton Newman sentenced disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife and son Friday, less than 24 hours after a jury found Murdaugh guilty in the 2021 slayings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Newman told Murdaugh that each of the punishments apply to "the rest of your natural life," adding that the sentences are consecutive. The judge announced the punishment after Murdaugh briefly addressed the court. "Good morning, your honor. I am innocent," Murdaugh said. "I would never hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never hurt my son, Paw-Paw. Thank you."

Murdaugh will appeal the conviction, Dick Harpootlian, his defense attorney, told NPR.

The court session began shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET. Newman had said he would render his sentence after any victim impact statements, but prosecutor Creighton Waters began his remarks by saying the state did not have anyone who wanted to deliver a victim statement.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/03/1160815648/alex-murdaugh-murder-trial

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Article updated.

Previous article -

Judge Clifton Newman sentenced disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife and son Friday, less than 24 hours after a jury found Murdaugh guilty in the 2021 slayings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Newman told Murdaugh that each of the punishments apply to "the rest of your natural life," adding that the sentences are consecutive.The judge announced the punishment after Murdaugh briefly addressed the court. "Good morning, your honor. I am innocent," Murdaugh said. "I would never hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never hurt my son, Paw-Paw. Thank you."

Murdaugh faced a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for each murder conviction. Prosecutors had said they would seek a punishment of life in prison without parole for Murdaugh.

The court session began shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET. Newman had said he would render his sentence after any victim impact statements, but prosecutor Creighton Waters began his remarks by saying the state did not have anyone who wanted to deliver a victim statement.

Original article -

Judge Clifton Newman sentenced disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife and son Friday, less than 24 hours after a jury found Murdaugh guilty in the 2021 slayings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Newman announced the punishment after Murdaugh briefly addressed the court. "Good morning, your honor. I am innocent," Murdaugh said. "I would never hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never hurt my son, Paw-Paw. Thank you."

Murdaugh faced a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for each murder conviction. Prosecutors had said they would seek a punishment of life in prison without parole for Murdaugh.

The court session began shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET. Newman had said he would render his sentence after any victim impact statements, but prosecutor Creighton Waters began his remarks by saying the state did not have anyone who wanted to deliver a victim statement.

[Roc2020]

1. open. shut.

[Haggard Celine]

2. A lot of people have been watching this trial.

I went over to my parents' the other day, and they were into it. I didn't know anything about it. I asked them if they thought he was innocent or guilty. They weren't sure, and I certainly wasn't sure. It takes a horrible person to murder his own wife and son, all for money. If he's guilty, he's an evil man.

[PJMcK]

4. The jury found him guilty

I’m certain they are ere paying close attention.

[barbtries]

12. i watched the better part of it.

i am convinced of his guilt, but wonder if he really did it alone. The motive was the hardest thing to prove (even though supposedly it is not required, in reality, people need to know what made him do it), but that was where the prosecution in my opinion really came through. They connected the dots.

it's a fascinating case. There's a really good documentary series on HBOMax about it, and a not as good one on Netflix. Murdaugh's family basically was the most prominent family in that part of SC for generations. A whale in a fish bowl. There is a culture there that I just find really fascinating - as a family the Murdaughs have never faced consequences for any bad acts, but Alec went way, way over the line. There are 3 other dead bodies in the recent past associated with his immediate family.

i don't think it's an overstatement to say he's an evil man. not a stupid one though.

[Farmer-Rick]

3. Wow, this is a case study of money being used to hide murder

Mysteriously dead housekeeper. Mysteriously dead 19 year old on the side of the road near the Murdaugh home. Dead motor boat passenger, and then if course dead wife and kid.

I would definitely watch this movie.....err true crime mystery. If I lived anywhere near the Murdaughs, I would start looking into all missing persons cases. Maybe police should consider digging up the Murdaughs' backyard.

[montanacowboy]

17. You forgot the

dead housekeeper who conveniently fell down the steps; and then the bastard stole all the insurance money he got for her sons. I think Buster is deeply involved in this killing as well as the young gay man who was found on the road. A family of killers.

[Farmer-Rick]

20. And the murders and crimes pile up even more

Glad I don't live near them.

[Paladin]

5. Looking forward to trump wearing a jumpsuit like that (size XXXL).

[iluvtennis]

6. Watched the entire trial. The car On-Star date, phone GPS data, a video of AM the kennel site where

the murders occurred, and the thousands of lies Murdaugh told made him GUILTY to me.

Alex Murdaugh lied for almost 2 years that he wasn't at the site of the murders. Then his son spoke from the grave when investigators found cell phone video with him at the murder site just minutes before Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were murdered.

Good riddance to the pathological liar Alex Murdaugh who not only murdered his wife and son, but stole millions of dollars from his clients (who had sever injuries) over the years.

[Raftergirl]

23. I watched all of it, also and agree 100%.

I thought it was a no brainer and just don’t see how anyone could believe there was reasonable doubt.

[iluvtennis]

28. + agree.

fellow trial watcher.

[Raftergirl]

34. And fellow tennis lover!

👋

[SunSeeker]

7. Good. nt

[twodogsbarking]

8. We the People.

[Justice]

9. Why no death penalty?

I am against it but wonder why South Carolina did not push for the death penalty for this guy.

[barbtries]

11. I'm not sure, they could have.

But when I think back to Casey Anthony I'm glad they decided the way they did. My best guess is their calculations said that they could get a jury to give him life, but not death.

It wasn't a shoo-in. Good chance they'll get to do it over too, because there will be grounds for appeal. They may win or they may lose on appeal, but I unfortunately do believe we haven't seen the last of this incredibly twisted fuck of a man.

[Martin68]

24. The Death penalty is very expensive because of all the appeals, and reduces the chances of

conviction. Given the lengthy appeal process, 2 life sentences is the equivalent if the death penalty, but with far less threat of an extended appeals process.

[Raftergirl]

35. I heard it was because the prosecution

didn’t want any attorneys conducting voir dire. In South Carolina if it’s not a death penalty case, only the Judge does the questioning.

[republianmushroom]

10. sounds fair

[Wonder Why]

13. Two life sentences? Does that mean when he gets incarnated as a cockroach,

someone can legally stomp on him?

[Martin68]

25. Contrary to popular opinion about reincarnation, beings never revert to a lower species

in either Hindu or Buddhist cosmology. If you behaved very badly during one lifetime, karma ensures a difficult life to teach you the lessons you need to learn to reach a higher state of consciousness in the next one. My problem with the concept of reincarnation is that it is used like caste to justify treating the poor badly and revering the wealthy. Just like in conservative Christianity on the grounds that if you are poor or disadvantaged it is because you are a bad person.

[Wonder Why]

33. Sounds a little like The Peter Principle where someone is promoted until they reach

their level of incompetence.

[Martin68]

37. On the contrary, while you are never demoted to a lower species, bad karma will really mess

up your life the next time around. The goal is enlightenment and mental liberation, not a key to the executive bathroom.

[chowder66]

26. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SheltieLover]

14. I wish there were a way to make the sentence non-pardonable!

Never know what qpukes will do.

[Submariner]

15. We can credit the chocolate lab "Bubba" for just being a goofy dog

and making the killer reveal his presence at the crime scene by making his dad discipline him.

If Bubba was being a so-called 'good doggie", and didn't act up, dad may have remained silent during that 50 second video and we may have never heard his voice.

Hey Bubba....gooood doggie!

[iluvtennis]

29. Indeed. n/t

[frogmarch]

16. Maybe he'll commit fraud from behind bars,

as other inmates have done. Or take out hits on certain people.

[live love laugh]

18. His black eyes ....

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. Are the two life sentences concurrent, or consecutive? nt

[BumRushDaShow]

21. Consecutive.

[Kennah]

22. Guess Buster will have to get a job at Chick-fil-A

[iluvtennis]

30. LOL - he'll have to gie up some of that arrogance and live like us everyday folks. n/t

[NH Ethylene]

27. I watched very little of this saga, just the news clips.

So I can't assess the evidence at all.

I thought the motive was weak - to distract from his other legal problems???

But I found the man himself to be highly repulsive, the whining, the crocodile tears, and who gives their kid Buster as an actual name?

[iluvtennis]

31. Yes, motive wasn't the strongest...but he cheated and stole tens of millions from

his clients and his law partners. He was actually fired from the law firm a day before he murdered his wife and son.

And there was pending civil suit (~30 million) for wrongful death of Mallory Beach by Paul Murdaugh (...the son...) who was driving a boat while drunk.

The theme of the prosecutor during closing arguments was that there was a "storm brewing" and he decided to kill his wife and son. With the wife and son dead, the pending 30 mil civil suit (to which the wife and son were being sued as well) was deemed null and void as the wife and son were dead.

[NH Ethylene]

32. Okay, that would be a powerful motive.

Who even thinks like that? His own son. What a monster.

[Raftergirl]

36. Nickname

and used by other Richard Alexander Murdaughs in previous generations.