Alex Murdaugh filed to appeal convictions in the murders of his wife and son

Alex Murdaugh, a disbarred South Carolina attorney jailed for the murders of wife and son, will appeal his conviction and sentence.

His defense team filed the motion in the South Carolina Court of Appeals on Thursday, a week after jurors found him guilty in the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his 22-year-old son Paul Murdaugh. He was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime after the weeks-long trial, which included dozens of witnesses and testimony from Murdaugh himself.

The victims were found dead near a kennel area on the family’s sweeping “Moselle” hunting estate on June 7, 2021. Police said they were both shot several times with different guns.

Murdaugh received two life sentences for the double-slaying, even though he has long maintained his innocence.

Prosecutors during the murder trial contended Murdaugh murdered his family members on their property in Islandton to distract from and slow investigations into his alleged financial crimes. On the stand, Murdaugh confessed to stealing money from his family’s law firm and having an opioid addiction but denied killing his wife and youngest son.

“I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son Paul-Paul,” he told the judge before his sentencing.

The jury deliberated less than three hours before returning the guilty verdict.

In a separate case, Murdaugh also faces 99 counts of embezzlement, computer crime, money laundering and conspiracy, among others. The charges stem from what prosecutors described as a sweeping scheme to bilk his law firm, clients and the government out of about $9.3 million.

He’s also facing charges for a September 2021 shooting in which he allegedly paid a man to kill him so that his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, could collect a life insurance payout.

With News Wire Services

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