On March 2, after deliberating for just a few hours, a jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder in the 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul.
At a news conference, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said to “let this be a warning – no matter who you are, if you break the law, the truth will come out and you will be brought to justice.”
This week, Cox Media Group’s Nicole Bennett had the opportunity to speak with Philip Holloway, legal analyst for 95.5 WSB in Atlanta, Georgia, about what’s next for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh – and those closest to him.
>> Listen to the full episode below.
Beyond Criminal Headlines is a podcast in which Cox Media Group’s Nicole Bennett sits down with experts who’ve investigated some of the most notorious cases in U.S. history. Find the latest ‘Beyond Criminal Headlines’ content on any podcast provider or listen on demand here.
Alex Murdaugh was convicted of fatally shooting his wife and son at their family home in Islandton, South Carolina on June 7, 2021.
Alex Murdaugh, whose family dominated the legal system in Hampton County for generations, continues to assert his innocence and denies any role in the fatal shootings. His defense lawyers are appealing the conviction.
Murdaugh also faces several other accusations that were not part of this double murder trial. Those accusations include allegedly arranging his own death for an insurance payout and nearly 100 charges for various financial crimes involving fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and forgery.
Other investigations surrounding the entire Murdaugh family include: the investigation into a 2019 boat crash that killed South Carolina teen Mallory Beach; the 2018 death of the Murdaugh family’s housekeeper Gloria Satterfield; and the 2015 death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. For more on these incidents, you can listen to previous episodes of Beyond Criminal Headlines.
The Murdaugh family has long been influential in southwest South Carolina, where members of the family have served as elected prosecutors for decades. Alex Murdaugh formerly served as a part-time prosecutor for the state’s five-county 14th Judicial Circuit. He also worked as a personal injury attorney at his family’s prominent law firm.
Now, Murdaugh is facing two consecutive life sentences for Maggie and Paul’s killings. At his sentencing hearing, presiding Judge Clifton Newman reportedly admonished Murdaugh for his apparent lack of awareness and “duplicitous conduct here in the courtroom.”
Listen to the above episode, featuring Philip Holloway, for more on what’s next for the disgraced South Carolina attorney.