A Look Back at Alex Murdaugh's Murder Trial 4 Years After He Killed His Wife and Son (and Why He Is Still Fighting for His Freedom)

It’s been four years since Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead at their hunting lodge on June 7, 2021 — and two years since the family’s patriarch Alex Murdaugh was charged with their murder.

On March 2, 2023, Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before finding Alex Murdaugh guilty of killing his wife and son. He was given two consecutive life sentences in prison for the crimes.

Between the highly publicized trial and the Netflix series Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, all eyes have been on the Murdaugh family for years.

Throughout the investigation and trial, Murdaugh maintained his innocence. In fact, he tried to cast suspicion on his cousin Curtis “Eddie” Smith, despite the “mountain of evidence” prosecutors had allegedly assembled against him.

Since the deaths of his wife and son, the once-wealthy and powerful attorney from a prominent South Carolina family has been disgraced in connection with his alleged involvement in illegal drug distribution, money laundering, theft, embezzlement and perjury. Murdaugh has struggled with severe opioid addiction for years, allegedly spending $50,000 a week on drugs.

Here’s everything to know about Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and alleged crimes.

Jan. 25, 2023: Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial begins

In the opening statements, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said that authorities have GPS information from Murdaugh’s smart devices contradicting his alibi, and cell phone video placing him at the estate during the time of the murders.

According to authorities, a video Paul took at 8:45 p.m. picks up his voice, and the voices of both his parents, at the property’s dog kennels. Murdaugh originally told authorities he wasn’t near the kennels but later admitted he was lying.

Jan. 26, 2023: Alex Murdaugh wipes away tears when shown footage of his deceased family

When footage from a responding officer’s body cam was shown in court, which showed Maggie and Paul’s bodies, Murdaugh was seen wiping away tears — though an officer who was called to the crime scene reported that Murdaugh didn’t seem upset, saying there were no “visible tears.”

Paul was shot twice with a shotgun, but Maggie was shot in the back with an assault rifle, and then several more times when she was already on the ground.

Jan. 27, 2023: Police testify there was no blood on Alex Murdaugh’s clothes

Murdaugh’s lawyer, Jim Griffin, asserted that his client invited authorities to search the family estate, which pointed to his innocence, because no guilty person would be so transparent.

Griffin also cross-examined Det. Laura Rutland about the state of Murdaugh’s clothes, asking, “He didn’t look like someone who had just been within feet of blowing Paul’s head off, right?”

She responded, “I can’t say that. There are so many factors that you would have to take into account.” Though, she said that Murdaugh could have changed his clothes after the shooting.

“He’s sweating, and they’re dry, so I’d say yes,” she said.

Jan. 31, 2023: Alex Murdaugh allegedly said “I did him so bad” when shown photos of his deceased son

Jeff Croft, an agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified that Murdaugh was brought in for questioning days after the murders of Maggie and Paul. Croft claimed that during the police interview, Murdaugh got emotional and made a surprising statement when he first saw graphic photos of his slain son.

“It was so bad, I did him so bad,” Croft alleged that Murdaugh cried. “He’s such a good boy, too.”

Feb. 1, 2023: Details are revealed about Maggie Murdaugh’s phone

Britt Dove, from the computer crimes unit for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified about usage of Maggie’s phone on the night of her murder, both before and after she died. She made a phone call at 7:50 p.m. that lasted three minutes; according to authorities, Maggie also sent messages to a friend that night as she headed to the property, saying something felt “fishy” about Murdaugh’s behavior.

After her phone call, she didn’t use the phone again. At 9:06 p.m., after prosecutors believe Maggie was already dead, the phone’s camera activated for a second. “It appears the phone’s being moved and the camera’s activating in the background to see if it would recognize somebody’s face that would unlock it,” Dove said. In the subsequent hour, Murdaugh called his wife’s phone three times, and sent her a text saying “Call me babe.” Prosecutors claim those were an attempt to bolster his alibi.

Maggie’s phone was discovered discarded beside the road outside the gates of the estate.

Feb. 2, 2023: Footage emerges of Murdaugh in two different outfits on the night of the murder

Evidence surfaced that Murdaugh changed his clothes at some point in the evening. Prosecutors showed a Snapchat video of the disgraced attorney wearing khakis and a blue button down about an hour before the murders, and he then spoke to the police later that night in a white t-shirt and shorts.

Feb. 6, 2023: A family caregiver testifies that Murdaugh attempted to influence her

On the stand, Mushelle “Shelley” Smith, a caregiver to Murdaugh’s mother, testified that he visited his mother’s home for 15-20 minutes on the night of the murders, but that he instructed her to say that he was there for 30-40 minutes “if someone asked.” The timeline is important to both the prosecution and the defense, as authorities have stated that Murdaugh visited his mother to create an alibi for his whereabouts the night of the murders. If he did remain at his mother’s home for 15-20 minutes, prosecutors allege he would have had the time to commit the crime.

Smith also described Murdaugh’s behavior as “fidgety” that night, and said that he offered to give her money towards her wedding expenses in the same conversation.

For his alibi, Murdaugh told authorities that he had visited his ailing father in the hospital and spent time with his elderly mother, and had come home to the 1770-acre Islandton, S.C. estate to discover his wife and son dead, shot to death with separate firearms.

Feb. 7, 2023: Murdaugh’s former law firm colleague testifies she suspected he was stealing

Jeanne Seckinger, the CFO of the law firm where Murdaugh was a partner, testified under oath that she suspected he was stealing money from the company, starting in May 2021, when he was writing company checks to a client, but depositing them into a personal account of his, opened with the client’s company name. She further testified that she confronted Murdaugh about the missing funds, totaling more than $2.8 million, on the day of the murders.

Feb. 15, 2023: Murdaugh’s sister-in-law testifies about a strange conversation

On the stand, Maggie’s sister Marian Proctor testified that she found her conversation with Murdaugh immediately after the deaths strange, because he didn’t seem focused on finding who had murdered his family members.

“We never talked about finding the person who could have done it,” Proctor said. “It was just odd.”

She continued: “He said that his number one goal was clearing Paul’s name,” referring to his son’s role in a 2019 boating accident that led to the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. “And I thought that was so strange, because my number one goal was to find out who killed my sister and Paul.”

Feb. 16, 2023: Murdaugh’s attorneys attempt to cast suspicion on his cousin

Defense attorney Jim Griffin suggested that Murdaugh’s cousin Curtis “Eddie” Griffin could have been involved with the murders, citing his involvement in supplying the disgraced attorney with drugs and his role in the botched suicide-for-hire plot.

Because Murdaugh’s defense team introduced the scheme, which they also admitted he concocted, Judge Clifton Newman ruled that the previously inadmissible information could now be considered as part of the trial.

Feb. 21, 2023: Buster Murdaugh takes the stand

In his testimony, Buster recalled when his father called him to tell him what had happened. “He said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ ” he testified. “He sounded odd, and then he told me that my mom and my brother had been shot.”

Buster also recounted his father’s state of mind on the night of the double homicide that took his mother and brother away from the young man. “He was heartbroken,” he said. “I walked in the door and saw him, gave him a hug. He was destroyed.”

Buster also testified that his mother and brother confronted Murdaugh in the past about his drug use. Murdaugh has said he took up to 60 pills a day to feed his addiction. “I thought that he had handled it,” Buster said, after his father went to rehab in 2018.

After testifying, Buster squeezed his father’s hand.

Feb. 23, 2023: Alex Murdaugh takes the stand in his own defense

In a teary assertion of his innocence, Murdaugh denied committing the murders. “I did not shoot my wife or my son,” Murdaugh said. “I could never intentionally do anything to hurt either one of them, not ever.”

Murdaugh also testified that he lied about information he gave to the authorities, and lied to his family about details of the day of the deaths. He long asserted that he was nowhere near the estate’s kennels on the night of the murders, but recanted that on the stand.

“What a tangled web we weave,” Murdaugh said on the stand. “Once I told a lie — then I told my family — I had to keep lying.” He attributed the lies to paranoia induced by his longtime drug use.

“I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” Murdaugh said.

March 1, 2023: Jurors visit the crime scene

After testimony concluded at the trial, jurors took a visit to the home where Maggie and Paul were murdered. Per The New York Times, jurors spent around an hour on the property examining the areas where the crimes took place.

March 2, 2023: Alex Murdaugh is found guilty of murdering his wife and son

After deliberating for less than three hours, jurors found Murdaugh guilty of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul.

The following day, he was sentenced to two life sentences in prison, which will run consecutively.

March 9, 2023: Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers announce they are appealing his conviction

Murdaugh’s defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, announced on X that he and Jim Griffin are appealing their client’s conviction as well as his prison sentences.

“This is the next step in the legal process to fight for Alex’s constitutional right to a fair trial,” the post read.

Nov. 1, 2023: Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers petition for a new trial

Eight months after receiving his guilty verdict, Murdaugh filed a motion for a new trial in the murders of his wife and son. The motion accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of jury tampering.

According to the motion, Hill pressured jurors to “reach a quick guilty verdict” and advised them not to “believe Murdaugh’s testimony” to help secure herself a book deal. She did publish a book about the case in 2023, titled Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.

Though Hill denied the allegations, one juror did admit that the clerk’s comments influenced her verdict decision.

Still, in January 2024, a South Carolina judge denied Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial. His attorneys later filed a motion in July 2024 to the South Carolina State Supreme Court, and the case is still under review.

April 1, 2024: Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 40 years for more financial fraud crimes

In September 2023, Murdaugh pled guilty to federal charges of money laundering, wire fraud and bank fraud. Seven months later, he was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.

This new sentence will run concurrently with the state prison time he’s actively serving.