Opoyi Central
Opoyi Central

.

Can Alex Murdaugh appeal the guilty verdict for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul?

Can Alex Murdaugh appeal the guilty verdict for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul?
Alex Murdaugh
  • Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul in 2021
  • Murdaugh can appeal the verdict
  • The sentencing for Murdaugh will start on Friday, 9:30 AM

Written By:Devanshu
Updated: March 02 2023 09:38:08 PM ET

Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul in 2021. The jury delivered a unanimous verdict on Thursday.

The sentencing for Murdaugh will start on Friday, 9:30 AM. He faces 30 years to life on each murder charge and up to five years on the weapons charges. If a life sentence is imposed it will be concurrent. However, Murdaugh can appeal the verdict.

Also Read | Who is Brooklynn White, Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend?

“A criminal defendant may appeal to the state appellate courts from a criminal conviction and sentence asserting that error was committed during trial.”

The 12-person jury declared Murdaugh guilty on two counts of murdering his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, who were shot at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate on the evening of June 7, 2021. He was also convicted of two related firearms charges.

Also Read | Did Alan Wilson, South Carolina Attorney General, take Creighton Waters and team’s credit after Alec Murdaugh guilty verdict? Social media reacts

Murdaugh showed no emotion as the jury foreperson read the verdict, which the panel reached after three hours of deliberations. He was then brought out of the courtroom with his hands cuffed.

Murdaugh’s lawyer immediately motioned for a mistrial, which was denied by the judge.

“The evidence of guilt is overwhelming,” South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman said.

Also Read | Did Alex Murdaugh, after guilty verdict for murders of Maggie, Paul, tell son Buster ‘It’s okay’?

Murdaugh is the scion of an influential legal family in an area west of Charleston. His family name was synonymous with the law profession in South Carolina’s Lowcountry for about a century He had pleaded guilty and admitted lying about his alibi including an array of financial crimes in confessions that dented his credibility with the jury.

Also Read | Alex Murdaugh guilty: When will the sentencing be held?

In addition, Murdaugh faces around 100 charges against him for several financial crimes, including money laundering, fraud, forgery, and tax evasion. He is accused of stealing more than $8 million and trying to get a man to kill him in a $10 million life insurance scheme. While Murdaugh confessed to some of these crimes on the stand during this trial, legal proceedings in those cases are still ahead.