Richard "Alex" Murdaugh has been found guilty of the brutal murders of his wife and son after a six-week televised trial.
Two years ago, the disgraced lawyer's 52-year-old wife Maggie, and 22-year-old son Paul were found dead on the grounds of the wealthy family’s 1,700-acre Moselle hunting estate in Islandton, South Carolina.
According to The Independent, the youngest son was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun while he was standing in the feed room of the dog kennels, with the second shot blowing his brain almost completely out of his skull.
After killing his son, prosecutors said that Murdaugh then seized a .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle and discharged it at his wife as she attempted to run away from her husband. She was shot five times, including twice in the head after she had dropped to her knees.
The 54-year-old - who was the scion of an elite legal family - was initially a person of interest for more than a year but claimed he had an alibi, however, a grand jury sought sufficient evidence last July to indict him for the 2021 murders of his wife and son, per TMZ.
Now, the disbarred attorney was convicted of two counts of murder and two weapons charges after a theatrical six weeks inside the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina.
According to the outlet, Murdaugh seemed impassive as the guilty verdicts were read out to the courtroom with his and Maggie’s only surviving son Buster, 26, watching on from the gallery.
Buster - who has testified in his father's defense - also did not convey much emotion the moment that Murdaugh was convicted of slaying his mother and brother in a horrendous attack on the family estate.
The shamed man's legal team attempted to make a motion for a mistrial, which was denied by Judge Clifton Newman who said: "The evidence of guilt is overwhelming," as cited by the publication.
"You all responded and gave due consideration to the evidence. I will make no comment now as to the extent of the overwhelming nature of the evidence, but certainly, the verdict that you have reached is supported," he went on.
"The circumstantial evidence, direct evidence, all of the evidence pointed to one conclusion, and that’s the conclusion that you all reached," Newman added.
Murdaugh had pleaded not guilty, telling the jury: "I did not kill Maggie, and I did not kill Paul. I would never hurt Maggie, and I would never hurt Paul, ever, under any circumstances," per The Telegraph.
But, throughout the trial, he confessed to having lied about his whereabouts that night and to an array of financial crimes. The case prosecutors portrayed him as a serial liar.
The former South Carolina attorney will return for sentencing at 9:30 AM on Friday (March 3) morning, where victim impact statements will be read out.
He faces a minimum of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison on each murder count. In addition to this, the weapons charge carries a five-year sentence, which can be served together or consecutively with the murder charges.
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