Judge says Alex Murdaugh will "spend the rest of his natural life" in prison
Murdaugh's defence team says they will file an appeal within the next 10 days
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate, in June 2021
Before hearing his fate, Murdaugh told the court "I'm innocent" and that he would never hurt them
But the prosecution called him a "cunning manipulator" during a dramatic six-week trial that captivated the US
The court in South Carolina heard claims of financial fraud, drug taking, and a failed hitman suicide plot
We're closing our coverage of the Alex Murdaugh sentencing hearing shortly. Thank you for joining us.
Today's coverage was written by Kayla Epstein, Holly Honderich, Marita Moloney, Aoife Walsh and Jack Burgess. It was edited by Jessica Murphy, George Bowden and Jamie Whitehead.
Chelsea Bailey
BBC News, Washington
The murder trial was set against the backdrop of South Carolina’s sprawling Lowcountry, a rural area where oak trees are dripping with Spanish moss and the coastal waterways lead to the Atlantic Ocean.
If you enjoy hunting, oyster roasts, or sipping tea on a wrap around porch, then South Carolina’s low country is the place for you.
In a lot of ways, Hampton County seems like it’s frozen in time. It’s a sleepy southern town where generations of the same families have grown up together. And it was once a place where the last name Murdaugh could get you really far.
Perhaps that’s why these murders — and the air of mystery surrounding Alex Murdaugh himself — has rocked this charming southern village to its core.
Kayla Epstein
Reporting from South Carolina
Lauren Smith called the media attention "kind of wild"
The final day of the Murdaugh media circus saw locals and journalists jostling for space along the barricades lining the court. Spectators asked for photos with Eric Bland, an attorney who features prominently on a podcast about the case and was milling about in the media area outside the courthouse. “I guess this kind of like South Carolina’s OJ [Simspon] trial, said Lauren Smith, who lives about an hour from Walterboro. Seeing the media descending on a small town was “kind of wild!” She said. She was excited to see Nancy Grace, a famous television journalist who covers crime. “I want to get a job being a grip, or something!” Smith said. Two young women, dressed up in bright sheath dresses and shades, appeared eager for press to interview them about the case. By late morning, several outlets had obliged.
Marita Moloney
Live reporter
If you're just joining us or need a recap on today's sentencing of Alex Murdaugh, here's all you need to know:
Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington
As we've heard over the past few hours, Alex Murdaugh is facing a mountain of charges for financial crimes.
Investigators say he stole some $8.8m (£7.3m) from clients and colleagues over a decade.
His alleged financial crimes have played a big role in the murder trial, after the judge ruled that they were admissible at trial - a big win for prosecutors.
The financial crimes, prosecutors argue, is key to Murdaugh’s motive. They say he killed his wife and son in a desperate effort to conceal his wrongdoing.
Murdaugh has not yet to enter a plea in these cases, but his friends and colleagues have testified that he confessed and apologised for the theft.
As we've been reporting, it took a jury just three hours after a six-week trial to find Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son.
The swiftness of this has been described as "shocking" by Rikki Klieman, a legal analyst with CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
"It was one thing for them to come to a rather quick decision, meaning a day or two, if they were going to find Alex Murdaugh guilty," Klieman said. , external
"It's another thing to come to the decision within three hours."
She added that the quick decision was likely due to Murdaugh taking the stand.
The foreperson of the jury probably decided to look at "a couple of pieces of evidence", rather than going each piece, Klieman said, adding: "I would bet my house that what they really discussed were the lies of Alex Murdaugh and his testimony."
The attorneys are asked if they regret not asking for a change of venue for the trial.
"Not really because we did focus groups in this case in a county far away from her and eight of the ten people on the two focus groups knew all about this case," Harpootlian responds.
Quote MessageThere was nowhere you could go that you would find a jury that didn't know, hadn't watched TV, hadn't read the stuff you [the media] write."
Dick Harpootlian, Murdaugh attorney
And with that, the short news conference is over.
The attorneys are asked how Murdaugh's son Buster is doing, and why he chose not to speak at the sentencing.
In response, the attorneys say they could have had "Mother Teresa up there speaking on behalf of Alex at sentencing" but it wouldn't have made a difference as he was "expected" to get a double-life sentence.
They say Judge Newman is a very stringent punisher when it comes to crimes and sentences and Buster speaking on behalf of his father wouldn't have changed the outcome.
"Why would you want to put that kid through more trauma than anybody that we can imagine has ever been through?" they add.
Harpootlian and Griffin are now outlining how their appeal process will proceed.
They have to file the appeal within ten days, after which they will seek a transcript of the trial which will take months.
The lawyers add they are willing to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court, adding their confident that if they lose in the state courts, they will win at federal level.
Alex Murdaugh's legal team is asked why they think the prosecutors didn't seek the death penalty in this case.
Dick Harpootlian replies saying he's someone who's prosecuted and defended "a bunch of death penalty cases" and goes on to say "you'd never do it in a circumstantial case".
He continues by saying 99% of the time a jury's not going to sentence someone to death without "I saw him do it, he confessed, or great forensic evidence at the minimum".
"They had none of that here," he adds.
Murdaugh's defence attorneys are asked about an appeal, which Dick Harpootlian says will be filed in 10 days.
Jim Griffin adds that the grounds for appeal include admission of all the financial crime evidence in the case, which he says was not enough to form a motive.
Harpootlian adds that the state's case against Murdaugh "was about character, not about motive", with Griffin adding that Murdaugh had been cast as a "despicable human being".
The lawyers maintain that Murdaugh's credibility was stripped away by the financial misdeeds.
Kayla Epstein
Reporting from South Carolina
Alex Murdaugh’s defence team sombrely approached the microphones outside the courthouse just now to address the media.
A couple dozen spectators have also gathered to hear the lawyers.
Asked if they think it was a mistake to put Murdaugh on the stand, one of the lawyers, Dick Harpootlian says swiftly: "No".
Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington
The disgraced South Carolina lawyer has been sent to prison for life for the murders of his wife and son - but his legal battles are far from over.
Alex Murdaugh faces nearly 100 financial charges - accusations of theft, embezzlement and fraud going back a decade. He admitted to stealing millions from clients and colleagues while testifying at his murder trial.
Justice Clifton Newman said today he was slated to preside over these charges too.
Taken together, these alleged financial misdeeds could amount to another decades-long prison sentence.
Kayla Epstein
Reporting from South Carolina
Kim Warner watched the sentencing trial from the courtroom.
A few dozen spectators were able to watch the sentencing trial from the courtroom.
For them, the little orange lanyards the court issued to the public were a golden ticket, one which allowed them to witness first hand a saga they had followed for months on TV.
It was “amazing just to be able to sit there and hear the judge give the sentencing,” said 61-year-old Kim Warner, who lives in town.
“And then to see [Murdaugh] in a jail outfit, be walked out of the courtroom,” Warner said.
“It was nice to have that ending, to see from beginning to end, and justice being served.”
The speed at which Alex Murdaugh was sentenced came as a surprise to one South Carolina attorney.
Eric Bland, who previously represented Gloria Satterfield’s family - the Murdaugh family's housekeeper who died after a fall at work - described today's delivery by Judge Newman as "riveting".
"The jury didn't just find him guilty, they found him incredibly guilty and did it in a very short period of time," Bland told Court TV, which he said was "quite surprising".
"This trial ended up being a referendum on Alex Murdaugh and not so much on scientific evidence," he said.
We're expecting to hear from Alex Murdaugh's legal team soon, coming about 90 minutes after he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and son.
Murdaugh's attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, will address reporters outside Colleton County Courthouse. It will be the first time they speak following his murder conviction on Thursday night.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.
Image source, Whitaker/USA TODAY NETWORK/via REUTERS"One of the harshest looks at the ills of of humankind that will ever seep out of the South Carolina Lowcountry," is how the Alex Murdaugh case has been described by local senior editor David Lauderdale from The Charlotte Observer newspaper.
He has reported on the Lowcountry for more than 40 years and says the jury's verdict could be a "milestone" that shows "no-one is above the law".
Lauderdale writes that for generations everyone in the area has believed "the Murdaughs were untouchable".
However, he adds, the jury "apparently saw right through the age old Murdaugh game plan" and Alex Murdaugh "was seen by the jury as a total fraud".
Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington
It's not often that the life and crimes of a small-town lawyer captivates a country. But the case of Alex Murdaugh has.
Part of the interest may be because of the Murdaugh family name. In South Carolina's Lowcountry, they were a household name long before the trial started, wielding immense power through their century old legal dynasty.
Part of it is also the sheer spectacle of Alex Murdaugh's trial. Since the murders of Maggie and Paul in June 2021, the tale has become stranger and stranger. A botched assassination attempt, millions stolen over a decade to fuel a raging drug habit, and three other deaths linked to the family orbit, two of which are being re-examined by authorities.
And the case of Alex Murdaugh isn't even over yet. After today's sentencing he will have to face up to a wave of financial charges, allegations he stole from client and colleagues for years.
More from Chief of the South Carolina law enforcement division (SLED) Mark Keel now.
He says his team have worked tirelessly for the past 21 months to ensure justice was served for Maggie and Paul.
It is impossible for "most people to understand the countless hours that went into this case" he says, adding it was all done under "constant scrutiny, constant pressure".
Chief Keel says he's speaking to recognise the "heart wrenching journey" Maggie and Paul's family have gone through.
"Justice has been served", he adds.
We're starting to hear reaction to Alex Murdaugh's sentence from outside Colleton County Courthouse.
First we're hearing from Chief of the South Carolina law enforcement division (SLED) Mark Keel.
He tells reporters he's been chief for 12 years and he doesn't often do press conferences, but today it's important he speaks out "because Maggie and Paul cannot".
He says there "are no winners today".
Chief Keel says he leads a dedicated team, who work day in a day out, to bring justice to victims.
He says today is not the end, but the next step in the long road of justice "for every person who has been victimised by Alex Murdaugh".
Murdaugh was found guilty "because he was guilty", he adds.