The jury followed the prosecutor's allegations with their guilty verdict. The lawyer, who belongs to a prominent legal family, shot dead his 52-year-old wife Maggie and his 22-year-old son Paul on June 7, 2021 at the family's property in South Carolina.

Murdaugh himself had alerted the police at the time and said he had found the bodies. Later, however, the lawyer came under suspicion - and was finally accused of double murder in July 2022. The trial generated tremendous interest in the United States, with television stations broadcasting from the courtroom almost daily.

Murdaugh has denied the crimes. However, he had to admit in court that he lied about his presence at the crime scene. His voice can be heard on a cell phone video that his son Paul recorded shortly before the fatal shooting.