Murdaugh juror defends guilty verdict: ‘Made the most sense’
James McDowell, whose brother was a witness in the double murder trial, described the jury's deliberations on 'Fox & Friends' days after Alex was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul.
Alex Murdaugh's updated mugshot spread through true crime social media pages after it was revealed Tuesday, but the convicted killer remains in the same South Carolina prison.
The new mugshot simply replaced an "out of focus" photo that was taken on March 3 when he was transferred to the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center, a source with the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) told Fox News Digital.
Murdaugh is wearing a white T-shirt under his yellow prison jumpsuit in the most recent mugshot.
He's currently in a cell by himself and will remain in the city of Columbia prison for 45 days as he undergoes several evaluations, according to SCDC.
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Alex Murdaugh is seen in a new mugshot at the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in South Carolina. (South Carolina Department of Corrections)
Corrections will gather other pertinent information before the state determines which one of its maximum-security prisons the 54-year-old disgraced lawyer will serve out his double life sentence after being convicted of killing his wife and son, according to SCDC.
The Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center is a maximum-security, level-three facility that houses male offenders and is responsible for some of the state's most violent and dangerous criminals, according to the prison's website.
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There were just over 1,700 inmates in the facility as of Friday, according to SCDC.
Murdaugh's sentencing on Friday capped off the sordid and spectacular downfall of the scion of a once powerful legal dynasty as he continued to deny he killed his wife and son.
Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia, South Carolina. (Google Maps)
Alex Murdaugh stands with defense attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian during his sentencing at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina on Friday, March 3, 2023. Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and son. (Pool)
Judge Clifton Newman called the evidence against Murdaugh overwhelming but said the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh may have been perpetrated by "the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, opioid pills."
Prosecutors had argued that Murdaugh used a shotgun to kill his 22-year-old son Paul inside a feed room attached to the dog kennels at the family's hunting estate, known as Moselle, in Islandton, South Carolina, and a rifle to execute Maggie, 52, on June 7, 2021.
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Alex Murdaugh during his sentencing at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on Friday, March 3, 2023 after he was found guilty of murdering his wife and son. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier/Pool)
Jurors had endured a wearying six-week trial and testimony from 76 witnesses. The trial, which drew global coverage, was originally expected to last three weeks.
The jurors did not pose a single question to the judge or request clarification during their speedy deliberations.
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The day of the killings, the chief financial officer of his former law firm confronted Murdaugh about missing fees, and he had a hearing scheduled later that week in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a deadly 2019 boat wreck.
Paul Murdaugh had crashed his father's boat into a bridge, killing 19-year-old Mallory Beach and injuring four other friends, and Murdaugh was facing a multimillion-dollar claim.
ALEX MURDAUGH SNAPCHAT VIDEO ‘SEALED HIS FATE,’ SOUTH CAROLINA AG SAYS
Alex Murdaugh is taken to the Colleton County Courthouse for sentencing on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool)
The murders, prosecutors argued, bought Murdaugh time, delaying an inevitable financial reckoning.
He was later charged with stealing nearly $9 million from his clients and his law firm, which was founded by his great-grandfather, who served as the top prosecutor overseeing five counties in the Lowcountry.
Three generations of the Murdaugh family controlled the office for 87 years. The reign only ended with the retirement of Murdaugh’s late father, Randolph Murdaugh III, in 2005.
Alex Murdaugh walks into the courthouse during his sentencing at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on Friday, March 3, 2023 after he was found guilty of murdering his wife and son. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier/Pool)
Murdaugh took the stand during the trial and admitted he's a drug addict, a thief and a liar — but adamantly denied killing his wife and son.
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Newman told Murdaugh that even if he continues to deny his guilt publicly, he'll have to deal with the haunting crimes he's committed in his own soul.
"I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the nighttimes when you’re attempting to go to sleep. I’m sure they come and visit you. I’m sure," the judge said.
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