Alex Murdaugh stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read, betraying no emotions. His son Buster, stared straight ahead, resting his face in his left hand.
Murdaugh’s defense team renews its previous objections and moves for a mistrial. Prosecutor Creighton Waters: “The case properly went to the jury, and the verdict was proper.”
“The evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion,” Judge Newman rules.
Judge Newman: We will defer sentencing to a later date. The minimum sentence for murder is 30 years.
Everyone agrees to handle sentencing at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Alex Murdaugh is placed in handcuffs and is silently escorted out of the courtroom.
Judge Newman thanks the jurors for their work on this case. “You all responded and gave due consideration to the evidence. I will make no comment now as to the extent of the overwhelming nature of the evidence, but certainly the verdict that you have reached is supported.”
Judge Newman: "The circumstantial evidence, direct evidence, all of the evidence pointed to one conclusion, and that’s the conclusion that you all reached.”
Judge Newman: "I applaud you all as a group, and as a unit and individually in evaluating the evidence and coming to a proper conclusion as you saw the law and saw the facts.”
Court is in recess until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, when Alex Murdaugh will be sentenced. Judge Newman is known as a tough sentencer, and he went at length to explain that he agrees with the jury's verdicts tonight.
Court TV has asked media not to show the jurors in their coverage, as Court TV literally just did while filming Alex Murdaugh walking out of the courtroom. Jesus, man.
