Columbia, South Carolina — Alex Murdaugh admitted to being a thief, a liar, an insurance fraud, a drug addict, and a bad lawyer. But even behind bars, he continues to vehemently deny it He is a killer.
On Wednesday, Murdoch’s lawyers will appear before the South Carolina Supreme Court, asking the justices to overturn the two murder convictions and sentence him to life in prison. Mardo He is serving on the case of the shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, outside their home in June 2021.
The defense says the trial judge made rulings that prevented a fair trial, such as allowing evidence to be presented to his defendants Stealing from customers This had nothing to do with the killings but rather with the jury biased against him. They explain in detail the lack of Physical evidence -No DNA or blood was found spattered on Murdo or any of his clothing although the killings were at close range with powerful weapons which were never found.
They said the court clerk assigned to oversee evidence and the jury in the case influenced jurors to convict Murdaugh to help her sell a book about the case. I’ve done it ever since plead guilty For lying about what she said and did to a different judge.
It is a case that remains captivating. There are streaming miniseries, best-selling books and dozens of true crime podcasts about how a millionaire Southern lawyer whose family controlled and controlled the legal system… Little Hampton County He ended up in a maximum security prison in South Carolina.
Even if Murdo wins this appeal, it won’t go anywhere. Above the 57-year-old man’s head hangs a 40-year-old Federal Imprisonment To steal more than $12 million From customers It is intended for medical care and living expenses after suffering devastating injuries in accidents or for their relatives after their death.
Wednesday’s state Supreme Court hearing will feature the same lawyers who competed in Murdoch’s six-week trial in 2023. The justices have set aside 90 minutes, though chances are very good it will go on for a long time. Briefs from both sides exceeded the 100 pages normally allowed for appeals.
While specific questions may indicate which direction the justices are leaning, there will be no immediate decision. Sentencing usually takes months.
Prosecutors said in court papers that there was no reason to overturn the murder convictions against Murdaugh.
They carefully recount the case in the first 34 pages of their brief. Murdoch Financial situation He was falling apart when he stole from customers to pay off his mounting debts from his drug addiction and expensive tastes. He defrauded his insurance company when a long-time family employee fell and died in their home and was financially vulnerable when Paul Murdaugh caused a boat crash that killed a teenager.
The brief cites evidence that helped convict Alex Murdaugh, who told investigators for months that he did not see his wife and son for about an hour before they were killed. This story continued unchallenged until investigators cracked the passcode on Paul Murdaugh’s phone Found the video With a dog barking and Alex Murdo’s voice scolding him five minutes before the young man stopped using his phone.
“The verdict in this case was the product of six weeks of intense trial. There was remarkable advocacy on both sides. An eminent trial judge presided over the proceedings. No rational juror could have received the evidence in this case and concluded that appellant is not guilty,” wrote the attorneys from the state’s attorney’s office who tried this case.
Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys plan to argue Wednesday that several decisions made by trial judge Clifton Newman allowed evidence that led to an unfair trial. They said the lead investigator in the case lied to the grand jury that indicted Murdoch by telling them that ammunition used in one of the killings was found in other weapons in Murdoch’s home and that bloodstains were found on Murdoch’s clothes.
The appeal also focused on the former Colleton County Clerk of Courts Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill. She pleaded guilty in December to charges of obstruction of justice and perjury because she showed a reporter sealed photos of court documents in the Murdadug case and then lied about them.
In the insular world of South Carolina, the state Supreme Court’s decision could have implications beyond the courtroom. Sitting at the prosecutor’s table on Wednesday with the prosecutor in the case is South Carolina’s Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson, a candidate in November’s open election for governor.