Since the January 25 trial of Alex Murdaugh in Walterboro, South Carolina, began, the surname of one of the most powerful families in the state has had a privileged place in almost every news portal in the West. Netflix helped: a few days ago a miniseries about the case came out.
The 54-year-old millionaire lawyer is on trial for the murders of his 22-year-old son Paul and his 52-year-old wife Maggie.in July 2021. He is also accused of something else 100 feloniesranging from customer theft to tax evasion.
Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh stole money from his clients and decided to kill his family to buy time to cover up his financial crimes.
Just a few days ago, the tycoon spoke for the first time in court and he denied killing Paul and Maggiethough he admitted he lied when asked about the last time he saw them alive during the hours before the bodies were discovered in the animal shelter at his South Carolina home.
At the time, Alex had told investigators he had not visited the animal shelter before the bodies of his wife and child were found there, which was a lie. According to CBS News, Murdaugh blamed her inconsistency on opiate addiction which “clouded thinking about her.”
The lawyer has been in prison since October 2021as both prosecutors and the defense agreed to deny him bail.
What could happen to Alex Murdaugh?
to be guilty, Murdaugh could face sentences ranging from 30 years in prison to life in prison.. Prosecutors said in December 2022 that for the murder charges against him they will not seek the death penaltybut the perpetual.
“After carefully reviewing this case and all the facts surrounding it, we have decided to seek a life sentence without parole for Alex Murdaugh,” Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office said in a news release.
If found not guilty on the murder charges, Murdaugh would not leave prison a free man, since, as we previously reported, he was also charged with 100 other felonies without bail.
South Carolina, the state in which he is being prosecuted and where the alleged murders took place, It is one of the 27 states of the American Union that allow the death penalty.or capital punishment, by the federal government and the US military.
In the southern state, more than 680 people have been executed since 1718 and 43 since 1976. There have been no death penalty cases in South Carolina since 2011.
The other states that still allow the death penalty are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.