Will Alex Murdaugh appeal? Exploring the attorney's case in wake of guilty verdict

After a six-week long murder trial that began on January 25, 2023, the jurors recently gave a guilty verdict to Alex Murdaugh. He was convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021. Jurors heard several witnesses and observed several pieces of evidence.

Murdaugh’s attorneys claimed that the evidence presented by the prosecutors was sloppy and mostly circumstantial. According to them, the prosecution couldn’t link Alex Murdaugh directly to the murders and instead based everything on circumstantial evidence.

The sentencing procedure was scheduled for 9.30 am local time on Friday, March 3, 2023. CNN reported that prosecutors might seek life imprisonment without the provision of parole. However, the death penalty could possibly not be considered. Since filing for an appeal is quite common in murder cases, Murdaugh can be expected to appeal within 30 days under South Carolina law.

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54-year-old Alex Murdaugh could possibly face life imprisonment without the provision of parole

Alex Murdaugh comes from a prominent and affluent family of lawyers in South Carolina. He was caught misappropriating funds from his own law firm and was later accused of killing his wife and son in June 2021. The motive was identified as his attempt to gain sympathy and to distract investigators from unearthing his possible financial crimes. He reportedly faces around 99 charges, which are related to those financial crimes, and will be heard in a separate trial.

After a deliberation of around three hours, the jury held Alex Murdaugh guilty of killing his wife and son. Murdaugh said “I love you” to his other son, Buster Murdaugh, while he was handcuffed. His legal team negated the evidence against him as vague and sloppy, but the claims were blatantly rejected.

The state prosecutors claimed that Alex was a “habitual liar” and that he lied about his whereabouts on the night of the murders. Murdaugh later admitted to having lied about his alibi. In addition, he confessed to committing financial crimes at his company. Prosecutor Creighton Waters said:

“It doesn’t matter who your family is, it doesn’t matter how much money you have. If you do wrong, if you break the law, if you murder, then justice will be done in South Carolina.”

Murdaugh’s attorney tried to portray him as a “loving family man” who would do anything but harm to his child and wife. They describe the prosecution’s closing argument to be “preposterous.” A defense lawyer named Jim Griffin also claimed that investigators had fabricated evidence and tried to highlight that the prosecution’s case did not directly link Alex Murdaugh to the murders.

Judge Clifton Newman said:

“The evidence of guilt is overwhelming… Circumstantial evidence, direct evidence- all of the evidence pointed to only one conclusion, and that’s the conclusion that you all reached.”

He further mentioned that the prosecutors will request appropriate sentencing and stated that they could possibly ask for the stiffest penalty possible. The entire sentencing hearing is likely to last for several hours. Judge Newman also said that he would hear from several witnesses, including Murdaugh's family and friends.

The prosecution would not ask for the death penalty despite asking for strict penalties. Before the trial began, they made it clear that a possible reason wasn’t given. The next question might be whether Alex Murdaugh can appeal. He can file an appeal within 30 days, as stated under South Carolina law. Since it is quite common in murder trials, the appeal can be expected to happen soon.

Before the trial began, Alex Murdaugh was held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia. However, during the proceedings, he was held at the Colleton County Detention Center. It is not yet clear when he will be put under state custody and will be shifted to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

It was revealed that if he is sentenced to life imprisonment, he will likely be held in a maximum-security prison.