US criminal case: Murdaugh sentenced to further prison term
Alex Murdaugh, who was found guilty of double murder in the USA, has been sentenced to a further prison term for a number of financial crimes. A judge handed down a 27-year prison sentence.
The 55-year-old Murdaugh appeared in court in Beaufort County in the US state of South Carolina wearing orange prison garb. He had previously pleaded guilty to offenses such as money laundering and fraud. The former lawyer is already serving a life sentence for two counts of murder.
Trial causes a stir
The double murder trial against Murdaugh caused a sensation in the USA at the beginning of this year - the proceedings were televised for hours at a time. Murdaugh's wife (52) and their son (22) were found dead on the family's property in June 2021. On the witness stand, the former lawyer repeatedly burst into tears and protested his innocence. However, he admitted to having lied repeatedly. In the end, the jury found Murdaugh guilty of double murder - he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The prosecution accused Murdaugh of hoping for sympathy because of the death of his family. He had also wanted to buy time to cover up financial crimes. The guilty plea in the current proceedings was part of a plea deal, i.e. an agreement with the public prosecutor's office. This prevented another long trial.
On Tuesday, the victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes also had their say in the courtroom. "You lied, you cheated, you stole," said the son of Murdaugh's deceased housekeeper. Murdaugh burst into tears again in the courtroom and apologized to his family.
After being convicted of financial crimes, Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to additional years in prison, further extends his prison time for crime-related activities. The processes surrounding his financial crimes highlighted the complexity of administering justice in such cases.
In the courtroom, victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes expressed their anger and pain, calling out his deceitful actions, emphasizing the impact of crime on justice processes.
Source: www.dpa.com
