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Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh’s long-awaited appeal is facing yet another delay this week, as court reporters have been granted an extension which will give them until August 17, 2023 to finish compiling transcripts from his murder trial back in March.
Murdaugh, 55, a disbarred attorney and alleged fraudster from Hampton, S.C., was found guilty of the graphic 2021 murders of his wife – 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh – and younger son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, at the conclusion of a six-week trial in Walterboro, S.C.
The trial gained international attention given its gruesomeness – and given Murdaugh’s status as a member of the once-powerful “House of Murdaugh,” a family which ran the Palmetto Lowcountry like a fiefdom for nearly a century. Three Murdaughs held the post of S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor between 1920-2006 – and Murdaugh himself was a badge-carrying assistant solicitor at the time of the murders.
(Click to view)
The jury deliberated for only a few hours before returning its verdict. On March 3, 2023, S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman handed down a pair of life sentences.
Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal on March 9, 2023, however they have yet to formally submit a document articulating the grounds upon which they believe their client’s conviction should be overturned.
Obviously, the transcripts from the trial will be critical in making their case.
The transcripts were ordered on March 21, 2023. Extensions were subsequently requested on May 17 and June 16. The latest round of extensions was filed with the South Carolina Court of Appeals on July 17, 2023.
“We are anxious to get started on the briefing for the appeal,” Murdaugh attorney Jim Griffin told this media outlet on Tuesday. “We hope this is the final extension.”
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Griffin represented Murdaugh in the murder trial along with state senator Dick Harpootlian, Phillip Barber and Margaret Fox. Back in March, Griffin and Harpootlian sought to have $160,000transferred from an escrow account held by Murdaugh’s court-appointed receivers to help subsidize his appeal. In May, S.C. circuit court judge Daniel Halldenied their request.
Most believe Murdaugh’s appeal will focus on the controversial admissibility of evidence related to his alleged financial crimes. However, sources familiar with the situation say defense attorneys may have an “ace up their sleeve” on another subject.
Whatever cards wind up getting played, finding a majority of appeals court judges – or supreme court justices – to overturn Murdaugh’s conviction is a steep climb, according to Palmetto State lawyers we spoke with.
Murdaugh has yet to go to trial on more than 100 counts of alleged financial criminality, although one of his alleged co-conspirators is scheduled to stand trial in September. In addition to the various state charges he is facing, Murdaugh has also been charged federally with nearly two dozen financial crimes.
To view the two appeal extension rulings for yourself, click on the documents below …
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THE EXTENSIONS …
(Via: S.C. Court of Appeals)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.
Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.
Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
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2 comments
“The Never-ending Story” ……………………………..
… “Most believe Murdaugh’s appeal will focus on the controversial admissibility of evidence related to his alleged financial crimes. However, sources familiar with the situation say defense attorneys may have an ‘ace up their sleeve’ on another subject.”
More like, ” … ace up their ass”. Bottom line is Murdaugh was convicted by the kennel video. Murdaugh was there, two of his guns are still missing, the guns in the house were loaded with the same with ammunition found in the bodies, the clothes he was wearing that night are still missing, his phone was conveniently partially wiped during critical times, he tried to get two staff to lie …
Face it, Harpo and Griff, you lost because Murdaugh killed his wife and son … “It’s so bad. I did it so bad.” Tne financial pressures proved motive. You tried to defend the lies, but Truth won the trial.
Where’s the money from Murdaugh coming from to pay these two bozos to continue the long saga of the Murdaugh criminal and corrupt form of “justice” that portions of South Carolina have had to endure for a century?