The sentencing hearing of Alex Murdaugh, the 54-year-old former South Carolina lawyer who was found guilty of murdering his wife and son, is to commence on Friday.
Murdaugh initially alleged that he found his wife Margaret ‘Maggie’ Murdaugh, 52, and son Paul Murdaugh, 22, shot dead on June 7, 2021. He told police that he found their bloodied bodies near the dog kennels at their hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina.
However, in the summer of 2022, Alex Murdaugh was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He pleaded not guilty to these charges.
On March 2, after less than three hours of deliberation following a six-week trial, jurors found the defendant guilty of murdering the two family members.
While taking the stand during the trial, Alex Murdaugh admitted that he lied to law enforcement about his alibi when he told them he was not near the dog kennels the night of the murder.
A Snapchat video taken by Paul Murdaugh that same night appeared to suggest that his father had changed clothes before the police arrived. The clothes Alex Murdaugh was wearing in a video shot by Paul Murdaugh prior to his death were never found.
Alex Murdaugh said his opioid addiction made him paranoid and was the reason he lied to law enforcement. He had said that during the time of their deaths, he was in the house having a nap.
Murdaugh’s sentencing is set to begin on Friday at 9:30 a.m. EST. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders, sparing him the death penalty.
Multiple news networks have scheduled a live broadcast of the sentencing hearing on their YouTube channels.
ABC News has scheduled a live broadcast of the sentencing. USA Today’s YouTube channel also has a live broadcast scheduled.
The website Court TV is also expected to show the legal proceedings live as they have covered the trial since its outset.
Prosecutors argued that Alex Murdaugh’s motive for the murders of his wife and son was to distract from the financial problems and court cases he was involved in.
They said that Murdaugh was hoping that with the deaths of his wife and son, he would be able to gain sympathy. They also said it would allow him to buy time to cover his tracks.
During the trial, Murdaugh admitted to stealing millions from his family firm and clients over the years as a lawyer. He was disbarred from practicing law in South Carolina and, as of December 2022, is facing more than 100 other charges for alleged financial crimes.
The post How To Watch Alex Murdaugh Sentencing Live Today As Trial Concludes appeared first on Newsweek.
