WALTERBORO, S.C. — Disgraced former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty of killing his wife and son after a six week long trial that saw the defendant himself take the stand. So what will happen to him now?
Jurors heard from dozens of witnesses and saw hundreds of pieces of evidence. Murdaugh and his legal team had sought to sow doubt about the prosecution's case, claiming that the investigation was sloppy. The state said he was a habitual liar whose couldn't even tell the truth about what he was doing on the night of the murders.
In the end, after a trial that extended well beyond what was projected, jurors needed just three hours to determine that they didn't buy his story. Just after 7 p.m. Eastern, he learned his fate: convicted on all charges.
So what will happen next for him? Here's a look at what will transpire next.
When was Alex Murdaugh's sentence?
Judge Clifton Newman said he didn't start the sentencing phase Thursday night for Murdaugh because of how late it was. He asked both sides when they wanted to have the sentencing and they both agreed on Friday morning.
When court resumed at 9:30 AM, Murdaugh heard brief comments from the prosecution and defense. After Alex Murdaugh once again declared his he didn't commit the crime.
Judge Newman chastized Murdaugh for all his lies. He then sentenced him to two life sentences.
Could Alex Murdaugh be sentenced to death?
In short, no. The prosecution made the decision in December, a month before the trial began, that they would not seek the death penalty. They didn't give a reason why.
Instead, Murdaugh faced a minimum of 30 years in prison or maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole, which are the possibilities that state statues mandate. The judge ultimately gave him two life sentences.
Can Alex Murdaugh appeal?
Under South Carolina law, Murdaugh has 30 days to file an appeal of his conviction. But his attorneys will be faster, saying Friday they will make that appeal in 10 days.
When will Alex Murdaugh go to prison?
The South Carolina Department of Corrections confirmed Murdaugh was taken after sentencing to the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia. That's on the large Broad River Road complex where several prison facilities are housed.
A spokesperson for the SCDOC told News19 that all male inmates are first taken to the Kirkland. It's a maximum security prison but it has many other purposes that serve the state prison system.
Any inmate who arrives there will have an evaluation on a variety of aspects, including medical and mental health tests, education assessments, and other background appraisals.
There is an inmate classification system that uses several metrics to determine where the inmate will spend the rest of their sentence and which custody level they need. The corrections department also takes into account what facilities may be best equipped to deal with the inmates, including providing educational opportunities and addiction treatment services.
The evaluation is expected to take about 45 days.
If he is sentenced to life in prison, that would mean he'd go to another maximum security prison. However, any inmate who goes there could have the opportunity to be transferred to a lower custody level if they have good behavior and meet other qualifications.
PHOTOS: Jurors find Alex Murdaugh guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
Does Alex Murdaugh still face other trials for financial crimes?
Yes. All those trials are still pending. He faces nearly 100 counts of various forms of financial fraud, many of which were detailed in the murder trial. (The prosecution had argued it was the motive in the killings).
How those trials will proceed is still to be determined. He admitted to stealing millions from clients, friends, and his law firm, so arguing that he's innocent may be difficult. Still, he'll still have the option of mounting a defense.
When is sentencing?
Sentencing is set to take place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning.
You can find trial updates here. Watch live streaming testimony and coverage on wltx.com, on the WLTX+ streaming app on Amazon Fire and Roku TV, and on the News19 WLTX YouTube page.