A Look Back at Alex Murdaugh's Murder Trial 4 Years After He Killed His Wife and Son (and Why He Is Still Fighting for His Freedom)

It's been 4 years since Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her boy Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead astatine their hunting lodge connected June 7, 2021 — and 2 years since nan family's patriarch Alex Murdaugh was charged pinch their murder.

On March 2, 2023, Jurors deliberated for little than 3 hours earlier finding Alex Murdaugh guilty of sidesplitting his woman and son. He was fixed two consecutive life sentences successful situation for nan crimes.

Between nan highly publicized proceedings and nan Netflix series Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, each eyes person been connected nan Murdaugh family for years.

Throughout nan investigation and trial, Murdaugh maintained his innocence. In fact, he tried to cast suspicion connected his relative Curtis "Eddie" Smith, contempt nan "mountain of evidence" prosecutors had allegedly assembled against him.

Since nan deaths of his woman and son, nan once-wealthy and powerful lawyer from a salient South Carolina family has been disgraced successful relationship pinch his alleged engagement successful forbidden supplier distribution, money laundering, theft, embezzlement and perjury. Murdaugh has struggled pinch terrible opioid addiction for years, allegedly spending $50,000 a week connected drugs.

Here's everything to cognize astir Alex Murdaugh's execution proceedings and alleged crimes.

Jan. 25, 2023: Alex Murdaugh's execution proceedings begins

In nan opening statements, lead charismatic Creighton Waters said that authorities person GPS accusation from Murdaugh's smart devices contradicting his alibi, and cell telephone video placing him astatine nan property during nan clip of nan murders.

According to authorities, a video Paul took astatine 8:45 p.m. picks up his voice, and nan voices of some his parents, astatine nan property's canine kennels. Murdaugh primitively told authorities he wasn't adjacent nan kennels but later admitted he was lying.

Jan. 26, 2023: Alex Murdaugh wipes distant tears erstwhile shown footage of his deceased family

When footage from a responding officer's assemblage cam was shown successful court, which showed Maggie and Paul's bodies, Murdaugh was seen wiping distant tears — though an serviceman who was called to nan crime segment reported that Murdaugh didn't look upset, saying location were nary "visible tears."

Paul was changeable doubly pinch a shotgun, but Maggie was changeable successful nan backmost pinch an battle rifle, and past respective much times erstwhile she was already connected nan ground.

Jan. 27, 2023: Police attest location was nary humor connected Alex Murdaugh's clothes

Murdaugh's lawyer, Jim Griffin, asserted that his customer invited authorities to hunt nan family estate, which pointed to his innocence, because nary blameworthy personification would beryllium truthful transparent.

Griffin besides cross-examined Det. Laura Rutland astir nan authorities of Murdaugh's clothes, asking, "He didn't look for illustration personification who had conscionable been wrong feet of blowing Paul's caput off, right?"

She responded, "I can't opportunity that. There are truthful galore factors that you would person to return into account." Though, she said that Murdaugh could person changed his apparel aft nan shooting.

"He's sweating, and they're dry, truthful I'd opportunity yes," she said.

Jan. 31, 2023: Alex Murdaugh allegedly said "I did him truthful bad" erstwhile shown photos of his deceased son

Jeff Croft, an supplier pinch nan South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified that Murdaugh was brought successful for questioning days aft nan murders of Maggie and Paul. Croft claimed that during nan constabulary interview, Murdaugh sewage affectional and made a astonishing connection erstwhile he first saw schematic photos of his slain son.

"It was truthful bad, I did him truthful bad," Croft alleged that Murdaugh cried. "He's specified a bully boy, too."

Feb. 1, 2023: Details are revealed astir Maggie Murdaugh's phone

Britt Dove, from nan machine crimes portion for nan South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified astir usage of Maggie's phone connected nan nighttime of her murder, some earlier and aft she died. She made a telephone telephone astatine 7:50 p.m. that lasted 3 minutes; according to authorities, Maggie besides sent messages to a friend that nighttime arsenic she headed to nan property, saying thing felt "fishy" astir Murdaugh's behavior.

After her telephone call, she didn't usage nan telephone again. At 9:06 p.m., aft prosecutors judge Maggie was already dead, nan phone's camera activated for a second. "It appears nan phone's being moved and nan camera's activating successful nan inheritance to spot if it would admit somebody's look that would unlock it," Dove said. In nan consequent hour, Murdaugh called his wife's telephone 3 times, and sent her a matter saying "Call maine babe." Prosecutors declare those were an effort to bolster his alibi.

Maggie's telephone was discovered discarded beside nan roadworthy extracurricular nan gates of nan estate.

Feb. 2, 2023: Footage emerges of Murdaugh successful 2 different outfits connected nan nighttime of nan murder

Evidence surfaced that Murdaugh changed his clothes astatine immoderate constituent successful nan evening. Prosecutors showed a Snapchat video of nan disgraced lawyer wearing khakis and a bluish fastener down astir an hr earlier nan murders, and he past said to nan constabulary later that nighttime successful a achromatic t-shirt and shorts.

Feb. 6, 2023: A family caregiver testifies that Murdaugh attempted to power her

On nan stand, Mushelle "Shelley" Smith, a caregiver to Murdaugh's mother, testified that he visited his mother's location for 15-20 minutes connected nan nighttime of nan murders, but that he instructed her to opportunity that he was location for 30-40 minutes "if personification asked." The timeline is important to some nan prosecution and nan defense, arsenic authorities person stated that Murdaugh visited his mother to create an alibi for his whereabouts nan nighttime of nan murders. If he did stay astatine his mother's location for 15-20 minutes, prosecutors allege he would person had nan clip to perpetrate nan crime.

Smith besides described Murdaugh's behaviour arsenic "fidgety" that night, and said that he offered to springiness her money towards her wedding expenses successful nan aforesaid conversation.

For his alibi, Murdaugh told authorities that he had visited his ailing begetter successful nan infirmary and spent clip pinch his aged mother, and had travel location to nan 1770-acre Islandton, S.C. property to observe his woman and boy dead, changeable to decease pinch abstracted firearms.

Feb. 7, 2023: Murdaugh's erstwhile rule patient workfellow testifies she suspected he was stealing

Jeanne Seckinger, nan CFO of nan rule patient wherever Murdaugh was a partner, testified nether oath that she suspected he was stealing money from nan company, starting successful May 2021, erstwhile he was penning institution checks to a client, but depositing them into a individual relationship of his, opened pinch nan client's institution name. She further testified that she confronted Murdaugh astir nan missing funds, totaling much than $2.8 million, connected nan time of nan murders.

Feb. 15, 2023: Murdaugh's sister-in-law testifies astir a unusual conversation

On nan stand, Maggie's sister Marian Proctor testified that she recovered her speech pinch Murdaugh instantly aft nan deaths strange, because he didn't look focused connected uncovering who had murdered his family members.

"We ne'er talked astir uncovering nan personification who could person done it," Proctor said. "It was conscionable odd."

She continued: "He said that his number 1 extremity was clearing Paul's name," referring to his son's domiciled successful a 2019 boating accident that led to nan decease of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. "And I thought that was truthful strange, because my number 1 extremity was to find retired who killed my sister and Paul."

Feb. 16, 2023: Murdaugh's attorneys effort to formed suspicion connected his cousin

Defense lawyer Jim Griffin suggested that Murdaugh's relative Curtis "Eddie" Griffin could person been progressive pinch nan murders, citing his engagement successful supplying nan disgraced lawyer pinch narcotics and his domiciled successful nan botched suicide-for-hire plot.

Because Murdaugh's defense squad introduced nan scheme, which they besides admitted he concocted, Judge Clifton Newman ruled that the antecedently inadmissible information could now beryllium considered arsenic portion of nan trial.

Feb. 21, 2023: Buster Murdaugh takes nan stand

In his testimony, Buster recalled erstwhile his begetter called him to show him what had happened. "He said, 'Are you sitting down?' " he testified. "He sounded odd, and past he told maine that my mom and my relative had been shot."

Buster besides recounted his father's authorities of mind connected nan nighttime of nan double homicide that took his mother and relative distant from nan young man. "He was heartbroken," he said. "I walked successful nan doorway and saw him, gave him a hug. He was destroyed."

Buster besides testified that his mother and relative confronted Murdaugh successful nan past astir his supplier use. Murdaugh has said he took up to 60 pills a day to provender his addiction. "I thought that he had handled it," Buster said, aft his begetter went to rehab successful 2018.

After testifying, Buster squeezed his father's hand.

Feb. 23, 2023: Alex Murdaugh takes nan guidelines successful his ain defense

In a teary assertion of his innocence, Murdaugh denied committing nan murders. "I did not sprout my woman aliases my son," Murdaugh said. "I could ne'er intentionally do thing to wounded either 1 of them, not ever."

Murdaugh besides testified that he lied astir accusation he gave to nan authorities, and lied to his family astir specifications of nan time of nan deaths. He agelong asserted that he was obscurity adjacent nan estate's kennels connected nan nighttime of nan murders, but recanted that connected nan stand.

"What a tangled web we weave," Murdaugh said connected nan stand. "Once I told a dishonesty — past I told my family — I had to support lying." He attributed nan lies to paranoia induced by his longtime supplier use.

"I lied astir being down there, and I'm truthful sorry that I did," Murdaugh said.

March 1, 2023: Jurors sojourn nan crime segment

After grounds concluded astatine nan trial, jurors took a sojourn to nan location wherever Maggie and Paul were murdered. Per The New York Times, jurors spent astir an hr connected nan spot examining nan areas wherever nan crimes took place.

March 2, 2023: Alex Murdaugh is recovered blameworthy of murdering his woman and son

After deliberating for little than 3 hours, jurors recovered Murdaugh guilty of nan murders of his wife, Maggie, and boy Paul.

The pursuing day, he was sentenced to 2 life sentences successful prison, which will tally consecutively.

March 9, 2023: Alex Murdaugh's lawyers denote they are appealing his condemnation

Murdaugh's defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, announced connected X that he and Jim Griffin are appealing their client's condemnation arsenic good arsenic his situation sentences.

"This is nan adjacent measurement successful nan ineligible process to conflict for Alex's law correct to a adjacent trial," nan station read.

Nov. 1, 2023: Alex Murdaugh's lawyers petition for a caller proceedings

Eight months aft receiving his blameworthy verdict, Murdaugh filed a motion for a caller proceedings successful nan murders of his woman and son. The mobility accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of assemblage tampering.

According to nan motion, Hill pressured jurors to "reach a speedy blameworthy verdict" and advised them not to "believe Murdaugh's testimony" to thief unafraid herself a book deal. She did people a book astir nan lawsuit successful 2023, titled Behind nan Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.

Though Hill denied nan allegations, one juror did admit that nan clerk's comments influenced her verdict decision.

Still, successful January 2024, a South Carolina judge denied Murdaugh's mobility for a caller trial. His attorneys later filed a motion successful July 2024 to nan South Carolina State Supreme Court, and nan lawsuit is still nether review.

April 1, 2024: Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 40 years for much financial fraud crimes

In September 2023, Murdaugh pled blameworthy to national charges of money laundering, ligament fraud and slope fraud. Seven months later, he was sentenced to 40 years successful national prison.

This caller condemnation will tally concurrently pinch nan authorities situation clip he's actively serving.