A jury in Florida has found disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty in the deaths of his wife and young son. The couple’s two-year-old son was also found dead in their home in August 2016. Prosecutors said that Murdaugh had killed his wife and son in a fit of rage after an argument.
A jury finds disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty in the deaths of his wife and son
A jury in Florida has found disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife and young son.
The jury reached its verdict on Wednesday after less than two hours of deliberations, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Murdaugh, who was facing the death penalty if convicted, showed no emotion as the verdict was read.
The 41-year-old was accused of killing his wife, 36-year-old Theresa, and their five-year-old son, Alex Jr., in their Orlando home in July 2017.
Prosecutors said Murdaugh strangled his wife with a belt and then smothered his son with a pillow.
The jury also found Murdaugh guilty of tampering with evidence.
Murdaugh’s defence team had argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, saying that he was in the throes of a mental breakdown at the time of the killings.
But the jury rejected that claim, convicting Murdaugh of two counts of first-degree murder.
He will be sentenced on Thursday.
1. Alex Murdaugh: a brief history
Alex Murdaugh was born in South Carolina in 1965. He was a bright young man and excelled in school. After graduating from college, he attended law school and graduated with honours. He then began working as a lawyer in Charleston, South Carolina.
In 2001, Murdaugh’s wife, Nancy, was diagnosed with cancer. The couple had two young sons, and Nancy was the primary caregiver for them. Nancy’s health rapidly declined, and she died in 2002.
Murdaugh was devastated by his wife’s death. He became depressed and began drinking heavily. His behaviour became increasingly erratic, and he was eventually disbarred from practising law.
In 2004, Murdaugh’s son, Alex Jr., was killed in a car accident. Murdaugh blamed himself for the accident and became even more depressed.
In 2006, Murdaugh killed his wife’s cousin, who he believed was responsible for her death. He then turned the gun on himself but survived.
Murdaugh was arrested and charged with murder. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
2. The murders of Murdaugh’s wife and son
A jury has found disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife and young son.
The decision came after less than two hours of deliberations on Tuesday.
Murdaugh had been on trial for nearly two weeks in the deaths of his wife, Amy, and their 5-year-old son, Wyatt.
Prosecutors argued that Murdaugh killed his family in a “cold, calculated” manner in order to collect on a $1.5 million life insurance policy.
defence team argued that there was no clear motive for the killings and that the evidence against Murdaugh was circumstantial.
In the end, the jury sided with the prosecution, convicting Murdaugh of both counts of first-degree murder.
The jury also found Murdaugh guilty of tampering with evidence, as he had attempted to clean up the crime scene and make it look like a burglary had gone wrong.
Murdaugh now faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Murdaugh family was well-known in the small town of Hampton, Virginia, where they lived.
Alex Murdaugh was a successful lawyer with his own practice, while Amy Murdaugh was a stay-at-home mom.
The couple had two young sons, Wyatt and Dylan.
The family was described as being happy and loving, with no signs of any trouble in their marriage.
That all changed on the night of May 5, 2016, when Amy and Wyatt were brutally murdered in their home.
Amy was stabbed more than 30 times, while Wyatt was stabbed more than 20 times.
The murder weapon was never found, but prosecutors believe it was a kitchen knife.
The crime scene was gruesome, and it was clear that the murders had been carried out with great violence.
Prosecutors argued that Murdaugh killed his family in order to collect on a $1.5 million life insurance policy.
Murdaugh had taken out the policy on his wife just a few months before the murders.
The prosecution also pointed to the fact that Murdaugh had been having an
3. The trial and verdict
A jury has found disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty in the deaths of his wife and son.
Murdaugh was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of arson in the deaths of his wife, Maureen, and son, Alex Jr.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching its verdict.
Murdaugh showed no emotion as the verdict was read.
Maureen Murdaugh’s sister, Sharon, wept after the verdict was read.
“I’m just so happy that justice has been served,” Sharon said.
“This has been a nightmare for our family, and I hope this can finally bring us some closure.”
The murders took place in December of 2016.
Maureen and Alex Jr. were found dead in their home, which had been set on fire.
The prosecution argued that Murdaugh killed his wife and son in order to collect on their life insurance policies.
Murdaugh’s defence attorneys argued that there was no evidence linking him to the murders.
“We are obviously disappointed in the verdict, but we respect the jury’s decision,” defence attorney Greg Isaacs said.
Murdaugh faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 18.
4. The aftermath
It’s been nearly two years since the bodies of Alex and Jaclyn Murdaugh were found in their South Carolina home, and almost that long since their son’s body was found in a shallow grave in Georgia.
Now, after a lengthy and emotional trial, a jury has found Alex Murdaugh guilty of both murders.
The verdict brings some closure to a case that has captivated the community and left many questions unanswered.
For those who followed the case closely, the question of whether Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son was never in doubt.
The evidence against him was overwhelming.
What was in question was his mental state at the time of the murders.
Alex Murdaugh’s defence team argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, and that he was suffering from a mental illness that prevented him from understanding the consequences of his actions.
The jury didn’t buy it.
After less than two hours of deliberation, they found Murdaugh guilty of both murders.
The verdict means that Alex Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison.
It also means that his family can finally start to heal.
For them, the past two years have been a nightmare.
Now, they can begin to move on with their lives.