WALTERBORO, S.C.-- After weeks of statement and more than 70 witnesses called, a jury has returned a guilty decision in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial.

The jury informed the Colleton County Clerk of Court that they had a verdict at 6:41 p.m.

Murdaugh, an as soon as popular South Carolina lawyer, has actually been standing trial on murder charges in the harsh shootings of his better half Margaret and youngest kid Paul at their household's Colleton County residential or commercial property on the night of June 7, 2021.

A family image of Buster, Paul, Maggie and Alex is revealed throughout the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier/Pool

Murdaugh was arraigned on two counts of murder and 2 counts of belongings of a weapon throughout the commission of a violent crime on July 14, 2022-- almost a year after the killings. The indictments came amid a flurry of charges by the state on financial and other criminal offenses.

Regardless of the indictments, Murdaugh has long kept his innocence in the deaths of his better half and son and said that he anticipated clearing his name and hoped the Attorney General would then begin "looking for the real killer or killers" in the case.

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Murdaugh would later on end up being a "star witness" during the trial in hopes of additional showing his innocence and delivering statement as part of his defense.

During parts of his direct examination, Murdaugh might barely hold himself together. He sobbed as he described his love for "Mags and Pawpaw" as he called them. He likewise became very psychological when describing the gruesome scene on the night of the murders.

Murdaugh came tidy early in the testimony about being at the kennels around 8:44 p.m. the night of the murders, in spite of at first telling law enforcement that he was not there. Due to the fact that he was paranoid, he stated it was his voice on the video Paul took and that he lied.

State district attorney Creighton Waters took goal at Murdaugh's credibility any opportunity he got throughout cross-examination.

Waters consistently explained that Murdaugh has actually lied to everyone, including individuals he loves, for years. Waters asked Murdaugh why the jury need to think him when he says he didn't kill Maggie and Paul, specifically because he lied about being at the scene simply minutes prior to Maggie and Paul are believed to have actually been murdered.

Get captured up on the Alex Murdaugh examinations

Other essential minutes during the trial consisted of a bomb danger which triggered an evacuation of the Colleton County Courthouse early in the trial. Jurors likewise heard statement from his oldest son, Buster, and the previous lawyer's sibling, John Marvin, cried as he recalled cleaning up his nephew's remains from the walls and floor of the feed room.

Marvin said that as he cleaned, he spoke with Paul and promised that he would discover whoever was accountable. He stated currently, he has not fulfilled that promise.

Members of the jury were secured to the Murdaugh's home to view the dog kennels, feed room, and the household's home prior to the state and defense resting their case.

Numerous members of the jury were likewise dismissed at times during the trial-- either due to health concerns like a COVID-19 diagnosis or a juror who Judge Clifton Newman said had improper contact with a minimum of three individuals and provided her opinion on evidence that has existed in the case.

Sentencing will happen Friday early morning.

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