WALTERBORO, S.C. — The attorneys for convicted double murderer Alex Murdaugh have filed a notice of appeal of his conviction in the high-profile case.
The paperwork was submitted with the South Carolina Court of Appeals late Thursday afternoon, nearly a week after he was found guilty on two counts of murder and two weapons charges. Under state law, people have 30 days to file their full appeal of a conviction but his attorneys had said last week they would file this notice first.
The document does not give details of why they want an appeal, but by filing this, they now have more time to make that more detailed argument. However, last week Murdaugh's attorneys said the appeal would include their concerns about how law enforcement's actions in the case and Judge Clifton Newman's decision to allow evidence about Murdaugh's financial crimes.
Last Thursday, a jury convicted Murdaugh, 54, of killing his wife Maggie and adult son Paul on June 7, 2021 at the family's large estate in Colleton County following a six-week trial. It took the 12 men and women just three hours to render their decision.
A day later, Judge Newman sentenced Murduagh to two consecutive life sentences for his crime. He was then taken to the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia to begin serving his time and undergo a 45 evaluation.
Through more than 75 witnesses and nearly 800 pieces of evidence, jurors heard about betrayed friends and clients, Murdaugh’s failed attempt to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme, a fatal boat crash in which his son was implicated, the housekeeper who died in a fall in the Murdaugh home, the grisly scene of the killings and Bubba, the chicken-snatching dog.
In the end, Murdaugh’s fate appeared sealed by cellphone video taken by his son, who he called “Little Detective” for his knack for finding bottles of painkillers in his father’s belongings after the lawyer had sworn off the pills.
Testimony culminated in Murdaugh’s appearance on the witness stand, when he admitted stealing millions from clients and lying to investigators about being at the dog kennels where the shootings took place but steadfastly maintained his innocence in the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
“I did not kill Maggie, and I did not kill Paul. I would never hurt Maggie, and I would never hurt Paul — ever — under any circumstances,” Murdaugh said.
Murdaugh’s 52-year-old wife was shot four or five times with a rifle and their 22-year-old son was shot twice with a shotgun at the kennels near their home.