Alex Murdaugh jury reaches verdict

The jury in the high-profile murder trial of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has reached a verdict, The Post has learned.

The jury’s decision comes after after just three hours of deliberation following a six-week trial full of shocking twists and turns – the latest chapter in the tragic, lurid saga that began when Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul, 22, were shot dead on the family’s estate on June 7, 2021.

During four weeks of testimony, the prosecution alleged Alex Murdaugh, 54, killed his wife and son to cover up his alleged extensive financial crimes.

The scion of a storied South Carolina legal dynasty, Murdaugh admitted on the stand that he lied to his family, colleagues, and even the police in order to cover up his drug abuse in often emotional testimony, which saw him frequently break down.

Murdaugh repeatedly denied killing Maggie and Paul, whom he often emotionally referred to as “Mags” and “PawPaw” while testifying. Toward the end of his time on the stand, he claimed that a social media vigilante plotted his son’s murder as revenge for the latter’s role in a deadly, drunken 2019 boat crash.

“I did then believe [they were killed] because of the boat wreck and I do now,” the disgraced attorney told lead prosecutor Creighton Waters.

If convicted of the two murders, Alex Murdaugh will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars as even if he is acquitted, he is expected to face prison if convicted on other charges of stealing from clients and defrauding his family’s law firm.