Richard “Alex” Murdaugh was given a life sentence on Friday for the murders of his wife and son in what the prosecution claimed was an effort to cover up his drug use and multi-million-dollar money theft.

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Layla Davidson

By Layla Davidson

      Richard “Alex” Murdaugh was given a life sentence on Friday for the murders of his wife and son in what the prosecution claimed was an effort to cover up his drug use and multi-million-dollar money theft. On Thursday, Murdaugh, 54, was convicted on two counts of murdering his wife, Maggie, 52, and youngest son Paul, 22, on their family estate on June 7, 2021. After a five-week trial, the jury arrived at their verdict in three hours. “I’m not guilty. Both my son and my wife, Maggie, are people I would never harm,” He made this statement just before the judge gave his ruling, and an officer handcuffed him and led him from the courtroom. Prosecutors painted Murdaugh as a serial liar throughout the trial and claimed that only he had the tools and the chance to carry out the killings. He allegedly shot his wife and son to cover up a string of financial crimes, including stealing millions of dollars from his clients and fellow attorneys. With this money, he allegedly supported an opulent lifestyle and fed a long-running opioid addiction. Murdaugh’s attorneys attempted to portray their client as a devoted husband and father who, despite facing financial challenges and battling a drug addiction that caused him to steal and lie, would never hurt his wife or child. Murdaugh’s admission that he lied about his alibi was among the prosecution’s strongest evidence. Murdaugh changed his story after the jury heard audio evidence that placed him at the crime scene minutes before the murders. The judge speculated on what might have been going through Murdaugh’s mind on June 7, 2021, as he faced a “looming storm” that included his father on death row and Paul facing charges in the death of a 19-year-old killed in a boat crash in 2019. Murdaugh was facing a wrongful death lawsuit for $10 million because of the accident, with a critical hearing scheduled just days after the killings. Despite Murdaugh testifying that day was just like any other and that he was enjoying life with his wife and son, Newman observed that there must have been a lot going through Murdaugh’s mind. The judge pronounced it “not credible, not believable.” As I said last week, I was following this case. I do still feel as though when people of influence get into legal trouble. Due to the evidence pointing to his murder of his child and wife, he got a life sentence. With him lying under oath about his alibi, it would not be necessary for the jury to take five weeks to reach a verdict when the answer was clear. Again, I have always believed that when influential people are involved in legal issues, they are typically handled in an unethical or quiet way. This situation demonstrates my point because it was handled longer than it usually would for a person with less influence, money, or power.

 

 

About Carma Henry 24481 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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