Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murdering wife, son
The five-week trial of Alex Murdaugh garnered national attention before jurors made a swift decision on his guilt.
LEARN MOREMurdaugh attorneys appeal double murder conviction, life sentence
The appeal filed Thursday with the South Carolina court of Appeals challenges the validity of the verdict and the severity of the sentence.
Chris Carlson / AP
March 10, 2023
Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh have filed a notice to appeal his recent convictions and life sentence for murdering his wife and son.
The appeal, filed by attorney Dick Harpootlian Thursday with the South Carolina court of Appeals, challenges the validity of the verdict and the severity of the sentence.
The six-week trial garnered national attention and included over 75 witnesses, but it took the jury less than three hours to find the 54-year-old Murdaugh guilty.
The disgraced former South Carolina lawyer could have received as little as 30 years in prison, but Circuit Judge Clifton Newman gave the maximum punishment of two life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Murdaugh's lawyers called for a mistrial shortly after the jury reached a verdict, but Newman denied the motion.
Murdaugh also faces more than 100 charges for a string of financial and other alleged crimes.
The appeal notice did not include arguments, but Harpootlian had raised issues during the trial about the preservation of the crime scene.
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