UPDATE
4:41 PM PT — Alex Murdaugh‘s legal team tells TMZ … “We are disappointed in the jury’s verdict but we will not have any further comment until after sentencing.”
Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty in the double murder trial of his son and wife.
The jury took less than 3 hours to reach a verdict Thursday, announcing it in a South Carolina courthouse.
As we reported, Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul were found dead in 2021 at their hunting property, and investigators say they were shot with 2 different guns.
Murdaugh was originally a person of interest for more than a year but claimed he had an alibi. Still, a grand jury heard enough evidence last July to indict him for the murders of Maggie and Paul.
During the trial, which started back in January, Murdaugh’s supposed alibi was blown up when prosecutors introduced a bombshell piece of evidence — video from Paul’s phone recorded at 8:44 PM in the family’s dog kennel … minutes before the murders.
In the video, Paul’s father is heard in the background, meaning he actually was nearby when Paul and Maggie were murdered.
2/23/23
When Murdaugh took the stand last month he broke down as he recalled finding his wife and son dead — however, due to Paul’s video — he was forced to admit lying to authorities about not being on the property when they were murdered.
Under cross-examination, prosecutors grilled Murdaugh over stealing millions from his law clients, and his decades-long addiction to prescription pills.
3/2/23
Youtube / NewsNation
The trial hit one procedural snafu on Thursday — Judge Clifton Newman said one of the jurors discussed her opinion about evidence with 3 people outside court … so, she was replaced by an alternate juror.
The juror requested her belongings before leaving the courtroom — which included her purse, a bottle, and oddly enough a dozen eggs … go figure.