Law&Crime Sidebar - BREAKING: Alex Murdaugh Swiftly Convicted of Murdering Wife and Son

Episode Date: March 3, 2023

The jury in Alex Murdaugh's trial deliberated for nearly 3 hours before finding Murdaugh guilty on all counts for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on June 7, 2021. The Law&Crime Network's Angenette Levy recaps the verdict with Law&Crime's GiGi McKelvey who had a birds-eye view of Murdaugh and his family as the verdicts were read. LAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokePodcasting - Sam GoldbergWriting & Video Editing - Michael DeiningerGuest Booking - Alyssa FisherSocial Media Management - Vanessa Bein & Kiera BronsonSUBSCRIBE TO OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Court JunkieObjectionsThey Walk Among AmericaCoptales and CocktailsThe Disturbing TruthSpeaking FreelyLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. View Shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. Guilty on all counts. That's the verdict for Alec Murdoch and his double murder trial. The jury here in Colleton County, South Carolina, deliberating for just two hours and 50 minutes. So what's next? I'm Ann Janette Levy, and thanks for joining us for this special breaking news edition of Law and Crimes Sidebar podcast. Alec Murdoch has been found guilty on all charges related to the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul, back on June 7th of

2021. Nobody really knew what this verdict was going to be. There was a lot of speculation that it could be a hung jury just based on some of the evidence that we saw. A lot of lot of people thought it would be a not guilty. I personally didn't think that. I thought it would be guilty or hung just based on the amount of evidence the jury saw. And of course, that kennel video. So the jury deliberated for two hours and 50 minutes. As I said, they found Alec Murdoch guilty on all counts. And his family just sat there and listened as the verdicts were read. The state versus Richard Alexander Murdoch defendant, indictment for murder, SC code 16-3-0010, CDR code 0116, verdict guilty, signed by the four lady, date 3-2 of 23.

Joining me to discuss what was going on in the courtroom, as the verdict was read, is Gigi McKelvie. She is the host of the Pretty Lies and Alibis podcast and also has been working with us here at Law and Crime for this trial. And she's a South Carolina native. Gigi, tell us what it was like in the courtroom. It was tense. You could cut it with a knife in there, and Jeanette. just the waiting for the judge to come in, it felt like an hour and a half. And then the family came in, visibly nervous, everybody just very unsettled.

Buster had his head down, red face, kind of rubbing his girlfriend's shoulder. They bring Elican. He's nervous. From behind, he looked really jerky. Kind of like he was just very nervous. I had somebody tell me that on the feed, it looked like he was going to fall over. Very nervous. But when they read all the guilty verdicts, Buster dropped his head.

His sister dropped her head, shook her head, back and forth like no. Then when they cuffed him, he turned around, looked at Buster, immediately got emotional and said, it's okay, I love you. And Buster just put his head down and was wiping his eyes and his nose. You're telling me that Lynn, his sister, is shaking her head no with her head down. They believe he is innocent of these charges. I think so. I mean, they've been here every day in court. I can't think of a day that Lynn has not been here or Buster or Brooklyn.

John Marvin did not make it for verdict, which surprised me. They did FaceTime somebody at the defense table right. before the judge came in. I could not see who. We could not hear who. I'm not sure if it's family or what, but it was interesting to watch. But as soon as they cuffed him, it was kind of aggressive the way the deputy got the cuffs. He made it a very loud. It rang across all those hall, the walls. It was just loud. And he turned around and just looked dead at Buster. It was they locked eyes. And Buster's face got redder by the second. And Alex's face got redder by the second. And he said, it's okay. I'm sorry.

Or I love you. Did you see any tears? Yes. From both. From Buster and Alec. Buster wiped his eyes and his nose. I have heard in the room. It was very emotional once they got into a private room.

They went into a room together. Not Ehrlich and Buster. But when the family was put in a private room, I'm told it was very emotional. A lot of tears all around. Buster is a crime victim here. He's lost his mother, Maggie, and his little brother, Paul. I feel like Maggie and Paul really got lost in this trial. And that happens in trials. It turns to the evidence. But Buster has to move forward now with his dad more than likely spending the rest of his life in prison. He's going to be sentenced Friday morning. He faces 30 years to life without parole. And I think that he's going to get life without parole. Yeah. And I mean, there's no reason not to give him life without parole. The judge flat out said at the end when they asked for a mistrial that the jury has listened. This was the right verdict based on the evidence and it was denied. So I don't see any reason he would go lenient on two murders, double murders with the weapons charges.

just, I think life tomorrow and then these financials, they'll just pile them on top of the life. So just more confirmation, the man will never be free, ever. No, he won't. And he'll appeal, of course. And I think the defense team believes that there is a lot of reversible error here, possibly. But we'll have to see about that. Appeals are hard. They are hard to, it's hard to get an appeals court to vacate something.

And typically it starts at the trial court level anyway. You go back to the trial judge and you're like, hey, you know, we think you messed up here and these were errors. And those typically are denied barring some type of really compelling evidence. Right. And the other thing, too, is when he took the stand, I think that erased a lot of chances for appeals from what I've heard. So it was a risk, but it didn't pay off. But he had to do it. I think the jury had probably made up their mind by the time he got on the stand. We've been doing this six weeks. It's not like they're strangers to this. But I do think he had to do it. It didn't pay off. And, you know, in the meantime, he wiped out some

chances for appeals from what I've heard from legal analysts. So, yeah, but he's got more financial charges over 90. So it's not like he's ever going to have a chance to be free and hurt people again, vulnerable people who need, needed that money for their personal care after accidents, taking advantage of teenagers who had lost their mom. This is not a good man we ever want back on the streets. It's a good verdict. And I think the financial crimes are just going to pile up. And what does he do? Does he fight them? The money has to run out at some point. Definitely. And I remember Linda Kenny Bodden telling us on the air yesterday that the whole financial crimes thing, at least on appeal, that's out the window because he did take the stand. Right. So, you know,

I mean, he cooked his own goose, but you shouldn't take advantage of people. Had he taken the position that he was born into and used it for good? Imagine what he could have done in this community as opposed to what he did all across this state and with people who trusted him. So for me, I have no sympathy for the man. You know, you make your bed, you lay in it. And that's kind of where Alex's going to be laying tonight in that jail cell on that hard. jailbed for the rest of his life. And I won't be surprised if we see him in a jail jumpsuit on Friday morning. They may still allow him because he's being sentenced to wear a suit, but I think more than likely he'll be back in the jail jumpsuit because now he's been convicted. Yeah, and with

handcuffs and shackles, like every other convicted double murderer in the state of South Carolina coming through. There's no special treatment anymore. That's gone. Former volunteer solicitor facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, all in the position of the solicitor of the 14th Judicial Circuit here in Colleton County. And that encompasses several other counties, this as well, including Hampton. Gigi, thanks so much. That's it for this edition of Law and Crime's Sidebar podcast. We will have the sentencing of Alec Murdoch covered for you on Friday morning. So be sure to watch that on Law and Crimes YouTube channel. And we will, of course, keep you updated on a breaking news edition

for the sentencing of Alec Murdoch. You can listen to and download Sideborda. bar on Apple, Spotify, Google, and wherever else you get your podcast, and of course, you can always watch it on Law and Crimes YouTube channel. I'm Ann Janette Levy, and we will see you next time. You can binge all episodes of this Law and Crime series, ad free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.