Charges of murdering his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, caused former lawyer Alex Murdaugh‘s empire to crumble. The Murdaugh murders gained widespread attention as people began to believe that Alex would finally face punishments for all the crimes he had committed.
In July 2022, the lawyer reportedly made headlines after authorities arrested him for the murders of his wife and youngest son. The murder investigation enabled authorities to uncover the financial crimes Alex had committed over the years. Despite gaining widespread attention, the location of the murders during the Alex Murdaugh trial remains unknown to many people.
According to the court documents, Alex killed his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, at their home in Islandton, South Carolina. Notably, their deaths occurred not inside the house but near the hunting lodge on the family’s expansive property. However, what occurred that night, and how did Alex Murdaugh get caught?
Murdaugh Murders: What happened that fateful night?
On June 7, 2021, Alex Murdaugh dialed 911 to report the lifeless bodies of Margaret and Paul near the family’s dog kennels on their hunting lodge estate. Widespread reports indicate that Alex mistakenly believed no one would ever suspect him as the killer.
The lawyer informed the authorities that he was not present at the property when the murders took place. Seven days later, a coroner disclosed that Margaret and Paul had both sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation revealed that Paul had sustained severe injuries to his chest, shoulder, and head from buckshot loads discharged by a 12-gauge shotgun. On the other hand, a rifle inflicted gunshot wounds to Maggie’s leg, abdomen, and head.
Authorities took Alex Murdaugh into custody, and the murder trial began on January 23, 2023, with jury selection, with the opening statements beginning on January 25. The prosecutors presented several evidence indicating that Alex killed two of his family members. The former lawyer allegedly murdered them because he feared his illegal activities would be discovered. He hoped to divert attention from the missing money and maintain his reputation within the community by eliminating them.
The trial also proved that Alex was present at the property when the murder took place and had lied to the authorities. Eventually, the former lawyer confessed to lying to the police about his whereabouts. Following the conclusion of closing arguments, the jury began deliberating in the trial of the Murdaugh murders. After three hours, the court pronounced him guilty of murdering Margaret and Paul.
The court handed Alex Murdaugh two consecutive life sentences as a result of these convictions for the murders.
