Kayla Epstein
Reporting from South Carolina

The packed court fell silent as Judge Clifton Newman began sentencing proceedings. Alex's surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, dressed in a simple navy-blue blazer, sat still and silent throughout the proceedings - even as the judge sentenced his father to two consecutive life sentences.

Despite the silence in the courtroom Murdaugh was barely audible as he addressed the judge. When offered the opportunity to make a statement, he reaffirmed his innocence and said he would never hurt his wife or son.

The jury, however, had decided otherwise. A few members sat silently behind the media, and none made a statement when the judge offered the opportunity. They nodded politely but remained stoic as they filed out of the courtroom.

The tension finally broke when Judge Newman banged his gavel - with gusto - to end the trial. A small applause broke out among the spectators, but it lasted only moments.

Then it was all over.

Max Matza
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Getty Images

Judge Clifton Newman was born in Kingstree, South Carolina, in 1951.

Part of his inspiration to practice law came from an experience playing a lawyer in a high school play, he said in a 2017 interview.

But despite his theatrical introduction to the law, he has maintained an impartiality during this high-profile case that has earned him praise from court watchers.

After attending law school in Ohio, Newman returned to South Carolina to open up his own private defence law firm, before later going on to work as county prosecutor.

“I’ve run the gamut, as far as handling all aspects of the law,” he told the American Bar Association, external.

He was first elected as a judge in 2000. His last re-election was in 2021, with the term due to expire in 2027.

On Friday, Judge Newman sentenced Alex Murdaugh to life in prison for the murder of his wife and son.

Speaking during Murdaugh's sentencing, he said the trial was "one of the most troubling cases" for him as a judge.

Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul.

Watch the moment he was told here.

Judge Newman has banged his gavel and court is now adjourned.

That brings to a close the six-week trial in Colleton County Courthouse which led to Alex Murdaugh being sentenced to life in prison.

We'll be bringing you reaction from the ruling, so stay with us.

Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his son and wife on their family estate in 2021.

Judge Clifton Newman sentenced Murdaugh to life in prison for each murder count and said these will be served consecutively.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool

Speaking in slow and measured tones, Judge Clifton Newman is continuing his withering address to Alex Murdaugh. After six weeks of steady and impartial control of proceedings, it's striking to finally hear from Judge Newman himself.

The judge asks Alex Murdaugh to repeat a phrase he said on the stand, "what a tangled web we weave".

He tells Murdaugh he will have to contend with what he has done while he lies awake at night.

"I’m sure they [Maggie and Paul] come and visit you, I’m sure," Judge Newman says.

"Every night," Murdaugh responds.

Murdaugh again asserts his innocence, to which Judge Newman calmly responds: "It may not have been you, it may have been the monster you've become."

More now from Judge Clifton Newman.

He tells the court that he doesn't question the decision of the state to not pursue the death penalty, but says he's been reflecting on how Murdaugh's family have prosecuted people in that same court room for over the past century.

"Many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct", he adds.

He says Murdaugh continued to "lie and lie" throughout his testimony.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington

Courtroom cameras are trained on Alex Murdaugh's son, Buster, and brother, John Marvin, as they listen to Judge Clifton Newman.

They sit together in the courtroom's wooden pews as they have for all six weeks of trial. Neither betray much emotion but both listen intently to Judge Newman, with John Marvin craning his neck to get a better view.

We're hearing now from Judge Clifton Newman, who says this has been one of the "most troubling cases" for himself, the state, the defence team and the citizens of the state.

He speaks about how Murdaugh's family has controlled justice in the community for over a century.

He tells the court how he ordered to have Murdaugh's grandfather's portrait that hung at the back of the courthouse removed before the trial began.

Addressing Murdaugh directly, he describes it as "heartbreaking" to see him go from a grieving father to being the person convicted of killing his wife and son.

Speaking a few minutes ago, prosecutor Creighton Waters thanked the jury for giving Paul and Maggie Murdaugh a voice in finding Alex Murdaugh guilty of their murders.

Paul was fun loving and cut down just as he was starting his life, while Maggie was killed in her prime, Waters tells the court.

A man like Murdaugh should never be allowed among law abiding citizens again, he says.

That's why the prosecution is seeking the maximum sentence in this case - two consecutive life sentences.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington

Alex Murdaugh rises to address the court.

"Your honour, I'm innocent," he says. "I would never hurt my wife Maggie and I would never hurt my son Paw Paw," using his nickname for his son Paul.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool

Chief prosecutor Creighton Waters is speaking now, saying that no victims of Alex Murdaugh were available to speak.

Waters says he wanted to give voice to them instead.

Waters calls Murdaugh "a cunning manipulator, a man who placed himself above all others...a man who violated the trust of all others".

After weeks in clean blue suits, Murdaugh appears today in a brown prison jumpsuit.

He stares straight ahead as he listens to Waters.

The sentencing hearing for Alex Murdaugh has now started in South Carolina.

Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the six-week trial, has taken his seat in the packed courtroom.

Stay with us as we bring to latest from the hearing.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Jeff Blake/The State/Pool

Last night, after the jury announced the guilty verdict, Judge Clifton Newman said he wanted to allow victims of Alex Murdaugh's crimes to speak as part of the sentencing process.

It seems unlikely we will hear from Buster Murdaugh. Though clearly a victim of his father's crimes - he has lost his mother and younger brother - he has supported Murdaugh throughout the trial, even taking the stand in his defence.

We may get a statement from someone in Maggie's family, perhaps her sister Marion Proctor, who testified for the prosecution.

Alex Murdaugh himself could speak, perhaps as a way to seek a lesser punishment.

And we'll certainly hear from Judge Newman. A calm and impartial presence through six weeks of proceedings, he will provide a statement as he issues a sentencing.

Alex Murdaugh's sentencing is due to begin shortly after he was convicted of murdering his wife and son.

Murdaugh was found guilty on all counts - two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime - on Thursday. He's facing 30 years to life in prison.

We'll bring you all the latest developments, but you can also follow our live stream by pressing the play button at the top of this page.

Image source, Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool

There were a lot of twists and turns during the trial, here are some of the key dates:

• 26 February 2018 - Murdaugh family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, dies at their home believed to have been a trip and fall.
• 24 February 2019 - Paul Murdaugh was allegedly intoxicated when he crashed the family's boat into Archer's Creek Bridge, killing 19-year-old Mallory Beach. This often referred to as"the boat case" in the trial.
• 18 April 2019: Paul Murdaugh was charged with three felony counts in connection with the boat crash. He pleaded not guilty.
• 7 June 2021 - Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were shot and killed on the family's hunting estate. Alex frantically calls 911 to report the shooting.
• 10 June 2021 - A hearing was scheduled for this day the Mallory Beach "boat case" trial. Instead, Alex is interviewed by state investigators in connection to his wife and son's murders. Later that day, his father, Randolph, dies.
• 3 September 2021 - Alex Murdaugh is forced out of his family law firm for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars for opioids.
• 4 September 2021 - Alex calls 911 and claims that he was ambushed and shot in the head on the side of the road. Later that month, he admits to staging the attack in an attempt to die so his son, Buster, could collect his life insurance payout. Alex also admits to stealing money from his law firm and checks into rehab.
• 14 July 2022 - Alex Murdaugh is charged with the murder of his wife and son. He also faces separate charges in connection to alledgely stealing millions in legal settlements from his clients.
• 23 January 2022 - Alex Murdaugh’s trial over the death of Maggie and Paul begins.
• 2 March 2023 - A jury finds Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts - two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon while committing a violent crime.

Alex Murdaugh, who will be sentenced today for the murder of his wife and son in South Carolina, faces 30 years to life in prison for each of the two murder counts.

The prominent lawyer, who is now disbarred, was convicted of shooting the pair to distract attention from his theft of millions of dollars from clients.

On Thursday, a South Carolina jury declared Murdaugh, 54, guilty on two counts of killing his wife Maggie, 52, and youngest son, Paul, 22 on their family estate on 7 June 2021. He was also convicted on two related firearms charges.

Judge Clifton Newman set the sentencing hearing for 09:30 EST (14:30 GMT) today and said after the jury's guilty verdict was read yesterday: "The evidence of guilt is overwhelming."

The prosecution is not seeking the death penalty in this case, but is instead asking for life in prison without parole.

The sentencing hearing will also give people who want to speak about the damage caused by Murdaugh or in support of him the chance to do so.

One of the members of the jury who found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son has said phone footage at the scene of the crimes was key to the conviction.

Craig Moyer told ABC News, external that he became convinced of Murdaugh's guilt once he saw the clip placing him at the scene minutes before the murders.

“I was certain it was [Murdaugh’s] voice,” Moyer said, referring to a background voice in the video taken by his son, Paul, at the dog kennels near where he and his mother, Margaret, were later murdered.

Speaking of Murdaugh's body language in court, Moyer said he looked like a "big liar" when he took the stand, adding: "I didn't see any true remorse or any compassion or anything."

Image source, Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool

Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty of murdering his wife and son after a high-profile trial that gripped America.

His televised trial heard claims of corruption, opioid abuse, and a failed hitman suicide plot.

Here's what to know about the case.

What did Alex Murdaugh do?

On 7 June 2021, Murdaugh, 54, reported finding his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, dead near the dog kennels on the family's sprawling estate.

Murdaugh was indicted last July on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon while committing a violent crime. He insisted he was not involved in the deaths, but state prosecutors argued he shot the pair at close range with a rifle and shotgun.

After less than three hours, a jury found him guilty on all charges. He now faces 30 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors chose not to seek the death penalty.

Murdaugh is separately facing a wave of financial charges, including allegations he embezzled millions from the family-founded law firm at which he was a partner.

Prosecutors said in court that he murdered his wife and son to distract from his misdeeds and gain sympathy.

Investigators never found a murder weapon, but the prosecution built its case using circumstantial evidence including mobile phone data and gunshot residue.

But attorneys for Murdaugh maintained that their client was a loving husband and father who fell victim to sloppy law enforcement work.

Read more: What we've learned from Alex Murdaugh murder trial

Image source, Reuters

Alex Murdaugh, the now-disbarred South Carolina lawyer who was found guilty on Thursday of murdering his wife and son, will learn his sentence today.

He is due in court in Walterboro at 09:30 local time (14:30 GMT).

During his six-week trial, prosecutors showed evidence to the jury that he lied about his alibi the night his wife, Maggie and son, Paul were murdered.

He insisted his opioid addiction, which he embezzled millions of dollars from his own law firm to sustain, led him to become paranoid and lie about his whereabouts on the night of the murders.

Murdaugh took the stand during his own trial to insist to the jury that despite his lies, he did not kill his wife and son.

But the jury of twelve men and women deliberated for less than three hours before coming to their verdict.

You can follow the sentencing and the reaction to it here live.