Court is now in session.
Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters says the state has no victim impact statements to offer this morning.
Waters on the evidence: “It shows this man to be a cunning manipulator, a man who placed himself above all others, including his family, a man who violated the trust of so many - including his friends, his family, his partners, his profession, but most of all Maggie and Paul.”
Waters asks for two consecutive life sentences for Murdaugh. “A man like that should never be allowed to be among free, law abiding citizens again.”
Waters offers his condolences to the Murdaugh family. On Maggie and Paul: “Both of them, like everyone else, was unaware of who he really was.”
Waters: No one really knew this man. “I’ve looked in his eyes. He liked to stare me down as he walked by me during this trial. And I could see the real Alex Murdaugh.”
Waters reiterates that none of Murdaugh’s relatives want to speak today.
Murdaugh’s attorneys say they have no comment. But Alex Murdaugh himself stands to speak: “I’m innocent. I would never hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never hurt my son Paul.” That's it.
Newman: This has been one of the most troubling cases that I’ve handled. “We have a wife who has been killed, murdered, a son savagely murdered, a lawyer - person from a respected family who has control of justice in this community for over a century …”
Newman: "... - a person whose grandfather’s portrait hanged at the back of the courthouse - that I had to have ordered removed in order to ensure that a fair trial was had.”
Newman: “It’s also particularly troubling, Mr. Murdaugh, because as a member of the legal community … you’ve practiced law before me, and we’ve seen each other at various occasions throughout the years. It was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go in the media from …”
Newman: "... being a grieving father who lost their wife and son to being a person indicted and convicted of killing them.”
Newman: “And you’ve engaged in such duplicitous conduct here in the courtroom, here on the witness stand.”
Newman: “Appeals are probably expected or absolutely expected. I would not expect a confession of any kind." Newman notes this case qualifies for the death penalty, though the state did not seek it here.
Newman: “Over the past century, your family - including you - have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty - probably for lesser conduct.”
Newman: On the witness stand, you said “oh what a tangled web we weave.” What did you mean by that? Murdaugh: “I meant that I lied and continued to lie.” Newman: “The question is, when will it end? When will it end?”
Newman: “A notice of alibi was filed in this case by counsel in November. We conducted a pretrial hearing in which you claimed to have been someplace else at the time the crime was committed.”
Newman: "Then, after all the witnesses placed you at the scene of the crime, at the last minute or days, you switched courses and admitted to being there.”
Newman: You will reflect on the last time they (Maggie and Paul) looked you in the eyes.
Newman says he is surprised Murdaugh didn’t say more today other than claiming his innocence.
Murdaugh: “I’ll tell you again. I respect this court, but I am innocent, and I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son Paul.”
Newman: “It might not have been you. It might have been the monster you’ve become. If you take 20, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills, you become a different person.”
Newman on the remaining cases in the Murdaugh saga: “But there are other victims whose cases deserve to be heard. This case has jumped some of the other cases.”
Newman: Law enforcement has been maligned in this trial for the past 5-6 weeks “by one who had access to the wheels of justice, to be able to deflect the investigation.”
Newman on the pressures AM was facing 6/7/21. “But amazingly, to have you come and testify that it was just another ordinary day, that my wife and son and I were out just enjoying life. Not credible. Not believable.”
Newman: “You could convince yourself,” but clearly you could not convince anyone else.
Judge Newman sentences Alex Murdaugh to LIFE IN PRISON for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. Sentences will run consecutively.
I found it interesting that the judge said others who have done less (maybe only one victim) were sentenced to death. IMO, he inferred from his statement this certainly was a DP case, but of course, I think we all can imagine why the state did not seek it.
www.goodmorningamerica.com
