WALTERBORO, S.C. (NewsNation) — Attorneys for disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh have filed an appeal following his murder convictions in the deaths of his wife and youngest son.
Murdaugh received two consecutive life sentences when he was found guilty on March 3.
Authorities said Paul Murdaugh, 22, was shot twice with a shotgun, while Maggie Murdaugh, 52, was struck with four or five bullets from a rifle. A crime scene report suggested both victims were shot in the head after initially being wounded near dog kennels on the Murdaughs’ sprawling rural property.
The now-disbarred lawyer has maintained his innocence.
Murdaugh was convicted in the same court circuit where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather tried cases as the elected prosecutor for more than 80 years. Murdaugh’s family founded the area’s most powerful law firm a century ago. For decades, that meant that practically anyone who ended up in court on either side of the law in Colleton or Hampton counties would have a Murdaugh watching their back or staring them down.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.