A US jury on Thursday found well known South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son in a trial that captivated the nation since proceedings first began at the start of February.
Murdaugh was found guilty on both murder counts as well as the two additional counts of possession of a weapon during a crime. The 12-member jury deliberated for less than three hours before announcing the verdict.
Although prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, Murdaugh does face 30 years to life behind bars. The prosecution team has indicated they will be seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole for the double murder.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, Murdaugh was removed from the courtroom. He showed no response and was directed out without issue.
Sentencing in the case is set for Friday at 9:30 a.m. local time.
The case gained nationwide attention after reports detailed that Murdaugh, whose family name for four generations has been synonymous with the law in South Carolina, killed his wife and son in an attempt to keep his embezzlement behavior from being exposed. Prosecutors argued that the disbarred attorney stole millions of dollars from his clients and colleagues.
Outside the courtroom, the prosection hailed the verdict and underscored that the outcome proved justice was given in the case
"Justice was done today, it doesn’t matter who your family is, it doesn’t matter how much money you have or people think you have, it doesn’t matter what you think how prominent you are," Creighton Waters, the chief prosecutor for the state, said at a news conference. "If you murder, then justice will be done in South Carolina."
In earlier closing arguments, Murdaugh's defense team used the opportunity to lay doubt in the investigative work carried out by both the police and forensic teams assigned to the case, saying that no physical evidence tied him to the deaths of his wife and son.
Officials additionally sought to explain the lawyer's repeated alibi revisions by stating they were the result of an addiction-induced paranoia. It was noted Murdaugh was addicted to opiates.
Aside from the looming Friday sentencing, Murdaugh is also facing 99 separate charges in cases that have yet to go to trial, and which all stem from the lawyer's history of alleged financial crimes.