i think that alec murdaugh defense team are going to throw everything into that appeal. the admission of the 404b financial times which was and creighton waters and the team did the right call to admit that evidence. it is the subject of the appeal as and then it will be in effectiveness of counsel, and two separate issues he can take up post sentencing, and this is going to be a long road ahead for alec murdaugh. i do believe ta the de -- that decisions that he made in the trial were the right decisions. >> and speaking to you, bernardo, that when i got the notice on my phone that the jury came down because she had to go in, and there were two people who were guilty, and one that was tighted. let's listen to what the juror said. >> when you got into the room, you first took a vote? >> yes, it was two not guilty and one not sure and nine guilty. >> what was your vote? >> guilty. we started to deliberating and going through the evidence, and everybody was pretty much talking. and about 45 minutes later after all of our deliberating, we figured it out. >> and he said that

and that despite alec murdaugh's wealth.nd his power, and his privilege, he faced justice just like every other american citizen. if so, he called the jury courageous and clearly is very happy about the verdict. sentencing, the sentencing hearing will take place tomorrow at 9:30 in the morning. and, under south carolina law what is required by most state laws, victim impact statements will be interesting to hear. it'll be interesting to hear what victims will be testifying weather will be any of the victims of murdaugh's financial crimes or whether it will be people with more of a direct relationship with the people who died and the people who were murdered and maggie and paul murdaugh. whether it is surviving family members or close family friends. jessie? >> and other money that he stole all we ever going to get it back to the victims? >> well, the law form is liable for that. the money that he pocketed from his law form, and from those clients. so, the law firm is making good on those payments. and, the attorneys who work

here's what he said. >> i think alec murdaugh was our biggest piece of evidence.he took the stand, i think that was fatal for him ultimately. obviously he had created a web of lies for over a decade that led to this culminating point in this trial. >> there you have it, wilson himself saying that, you know, when murdaugh got on the stand to testify, he really opened himself up. it's interesting because i asked murdaugh's attorneys about that decision, and they pretty much acknowledged it was one of those situations where it's damned if you do, and alec murdaugh convinced himself had he been convicted of the murders and not testified, that was a decision he would regret for the rest of his life. you have to wonder if that's a decision he's going to regret for the rest of his life nonetheless. >> i talked to a south carolina lawyer earlier in the show who said basically, the family they were in there all the time. so much of their success was tied to that courthouse, maybe he thought that was what was going to turn it for him. craig, tonight, right? date line, don't

so there are additional pleas going forward that are dealing with alec murdaugh. so some of the people coming out, they are coming in from the area, and their fascination with the fall from power. i spoke with an attorney who represents ten of the alleged financial victims, and he said it is not a fall from grace or power, but it is a jump. just to see how quickly this has unraveled with alec murdaugh admitting on the stand with a decade of lying and stealing on the stand. it is important to note that he has been convicted and that he has never hurt maggie or paw-paw, and obviously, the jury is not convinced by the testimony. >> yeah. such important context, dianne. and we appreciate the excellent reporting over the days and months as we bring you back in with the panel. sarah ford, we were waiting to see whether there would be any victim impact statements, and not a single one. was that surprising to you? >> i don't think that it is surprising. the victims have an opportunity to speak if they want, and they have the opportunity to choose not to. because there is

alec murdaugh has admitted that he lied. he admitted that he has stolen from the most vulnerable people he represented as well as his closest friends. he insists he's not a murderer and all it takes is one juror on that panel to have doubts to prevent him from being convicted. >> yeah, on the right-hand side of the screen, we have live images that jury instructions are about to be read. i want your take on the concept of the defense putting forth this witness. it seems like the jury wants to blame somebody. so the defense is saying, it could very well have been alec murdaugh's drug dealer that committed these killings. jonathan, hold on a second. let's go to the court. the judge is now speaking. >> i will now explain to you the law that applies to this case. under the constitution and laws of south carolina, you are the finders of the facts in this case. i do not have the right to pass upon the facts or to even express any opinion that i might have as to them. this is a matter soly for you the jury to determine. as jurors, i

. >> john: all right, a break in the closing arguments in the alec murdaugh double murder trial, this after the jury received a firsthand look at the crime scene earlier today where maggie and paul murdaugh were shot and killed nearly two years ago, and we'll be monitoring anything that happens over the break. in the meantime, a lot of news to bring you today. i'm john roberts in washington. good to see you today. >> gillian: gillian turner in for sandra smith, this is "america reports." so jurors there spent over an hour today at the crime scene, they toured the wooded area and the infamous dog kennels. >> john: jonathan is in the southeast bureau, monitoring the trial and the latest. what have we seen so far on the closing arguments, john? >> prosecution is taking a break in the middle of closing arguments. they are really trying to paint the portrait of a defendant who was a prominent member of the community but who was living a lie. they argue that alec murdaugh's lies were beginning to catch up with him, and so he committed the murders of his wife and son, the prosecution argues,

we are watching the defense attorney for alec murdaugh.ly, they talked about what they'll say on appeal. that netflix special i had asked about a week ago wondering defense did not calling for an injunction, leading to adjudicating a case. how do you do that? appeal. >> i note as well, think about how we have been sort of introduced to two narratives of sequence of events that's happening. and, there we have them articulating that but for the presentation of financial crimes, but for the "bad acts," their quotes of alec murdaugh, the jury would not have thought he's so in-credible. by the time you got to that point, you hated that guy and you don't believe anything he said and he was despicable. this was addressed in the closing argument. it was the defense that filed a notice of alibi. >> exactly. >> they had a hering on it. only after alec murdaugh was caught on video being placed at the kennel then he said "you are right," there is a level of cupablety that defense brought on themselves. they brought up technological aspect, if sleds wh

creighton waters has made his case and said that alec murdaugh killed his wife, killed his son, paul out of a desperation in the middle of a financial crisis. there was a gathering storm he said and the hound were at the gate when the murdaugh family was shot down. two of the members of the murdaugh family. he even addressed the double gun issue using regular shotgun to kill his 22-year-old son paul, according to creighton waters and then a rifle to executed his wife, maggie. outside their hunting estate known as moselle on june 7, 2021. now, he also linked the financial desperation of alec murdaugh at that time saying on the die of the killings, the chief financial officer of murdaugh's law firm known as peter parker and at the time liz ross which has been simplified, confronted him over the missing frees. he was frantic about this money that he embezzled and stolen. that financial world was collapsing. again, to even take the issue of the guns, the two guns, he didn't really make any case of it. creighton waters saying he used both guns. he used the shotgun and he used the rifle. on

that and the paycheck. >> alec murdaugh is sentenced to prison for two life terms. the judge calling this one of the most troubling cases he's ever seen. lashing out at murdaugh, a former lawyer, for the tangled web of lies that he admits telling including about his own alibi changing his story at the last minute after video put him at the murder scene. >> within your own soul, you have to deal with that. i know you have to see paul and maggie during the night time when you attempt to go to sleep. i'm sure they come and visit you. >> trace: murtaugh still insists that he's not guilty. >> i respect this court but i'm innocent. i would never understand any circumstances hurt my wife, maggie and i would never under any circumstances hurt my son, paw paw. >> trace: murdaugh's lawyers say they will appeal his decision to the supreme court if that's what it takes. let's bring in bob bianchi, former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. murdaugh is saying i didn't do this, maintaining his innocence. it goes towards the appeal. here's the defense attorney after ward. >>

a lot of that house was cards was coming down for alec murdaugh. as well. there were times, mr. waters, when people observed what you were doing in there and said, you know, he's letting alec murdaugh control this whole thing. did you ever feel that you were losing control of it? that he was taking over at times? >> not at all. i think that that was precisely the strategy that i had. this was not going to be a traditional cross examination if i tried to do it that way. that's typically it where you try to control the conversation. it would have been a disaster. one thing i knew about this man is he was an effective trial use of what we understood about him and his makeup that he would able to look the jurors in the eye and try to convince them of one last lie. my strategy is to get him talking. there were intentional pauses that he couldn't help himself and start talking anew. i want the jury to watch him lie in real time. they would see him or find that lie and actually lie. and in the end, you know, that was an effective way to to that. i had to

closing arguments in the murder trial of alec murdaugh continue today where defense attorney jim griffinraming. you're going to remember a now

toward the end, paul was known as the little investigator in the house and he discovered where alec murdaugh was keeping his drugs and he confronted him about it. what happens if he confronts alec's drug dealer and said i'm upset at you i'm going to expose you and maybe it was the drug dealer who took he and his mom out. >> brilliant, absolutely, yes. but brilliant, and it was actually objected to by the prosecution because pure speculation and there's no evidence of it. and then the judge overruled -- no, sustained it and the jurors still heard it. the point is that was brilliant lawyering to suggest anything is possible and they didn't prove, i think, that somehow that there's no other possibility that anyone else could have done this. >> john: all right, we'll see which way the jury goes after they get the charge. should be pretty soon. appreciate it. jacqui. >> jacqui: prominent house republicans demanding to know more about the immigrant in the u.s. illegally now charged with killing 20-year-old kayla hamilton in her own bedroom. 17-year-old suspect is believed to be a member of the ms1

closing arguments concluded today in the high profile case of alec murdaugh.ondent jonathan serrie has the story. >> totally illogical irrational and insane. >> in closing arguments the defense had choice words for the prosecution's theory that alec murdaugh killed his wife maggie and son paul to create a distraction the day his law firm confronted him about funds he had stolen from clients. >> even if the financial day of reckoning was impending, if it was right there, alec would not have killed the people he loved the most in the world. >> but in a concluding rebuttal, the prosecution argued an innocent husband and father would not lie about the last time and place he saw his loved ones alive. >> he is withholding an obstructing justice by not saying i was down at the kennels. >> i knew she had gone to the kennel. i was at the house. >> murdaugh repeatedly told investigators he was not with his wife and son at the kennels on the family's hunting estate the evening of the murders. but, admitted he lied after multiple trial witnesses identified all three of th

alec murdaugh was sent to prison for the death of his wife and son. investigators never revealed what information they glean about his case being open. new private efforts launched to cover the circumstances, spearheaded by smith's mother, sandy, and two attorneys, the first goal, exhuming smith's body. >> we think we have good cause to show why a fresh set of eyes on this can be beneficial. it starts with a fresh new look at the body. >> reporter: initial reports that the student died in 2014 from a hit and run. but the accident investigation team reports cited, no vehicle debris, skid marks or injuries consistent with something being struck by a vehicle. >> i love my son. and since i couldn't protect him i'm going to fight for him. >> reporter: smith's mother said she worried her son may have been targeted because he was gay. according to police files during interviews with friends and family after smith's death, the murdaugh name kept coming up. no one connected the family to smith's death. r rumors and innuendo persisted, with a follow, bust er mu

said that exist tomorrow for alec murdaugh, -- the guilty verdict the potential factor which we talked murdaugh's drug addiction which he talked about on the stand. how many pills were you using that the? >> depends on a number of items, most importantly, how strong the pill was. >> how many are you taking at one time? how frequent? in this time period looks a january two -- >> there is a point in time, i'm not sure what it was, i think it was well before that. you had to understand this. this is something that i didn't i can still remember the first time i ever took an oxy -- >> alex can i ask you to answer my question, my question was, how many we taking a day during this time from january to june. answer that first please everyone explain, i'm happy to let you do so. >> i'm not positive, and here's why. it's because over the years as i've saying the first oxycontin one oxycontin maybe literally sick. and that was when i was transitioning from heidrick oden to oxycodone. it may be sick because it's a really strong. one oxycontin pill was like ten -- pills. anyway, as i took more and

. >>> plus inside the jury box, why three of the jurors who found alec murdaugh guilty of double murder say they didn't buy his story on the stand. you're watching "chris jansing reports" only on msnbc. you're watching "chris jansing reports" only on msnbc despite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch. it disrupts my skin with rash. but now, i can disrupt eczema with rinvoq. rinvoq is not a steroid, topical, or injection. it's one pill, once a day. many taking rinvoq saw clear or almost-clear skin while some saw up to 100% clear skin. and, they felt dramatic and fast itch relief some as early as 2 days. that's rinvoq relief. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal, cancers including lymphoma and skin cancer, death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq, as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. disrupt the itch and rash of ecz

on "the story" right now, the jury in alec murdaugh's double jury about to get the case. g to investigators but testified under oath that he did not kill his wife and son. here's the defense taking aim at the prosecution's theory of murdaugh's motive and the prosecutor's response.

alec murdaugh will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murders of his own wife and son. the judge who sentenced him today knew murdaugh professionally and personally before all of this and called him a monster. tonight some legal observers say that those three hours of jury deliberations were too fast for a six-week trial. we'll debate that. plus you what will the future be like for the people of palestine ohio who are dealing with toxic chemicals. tonight a woman who grew up in the middle of a different environmental disaster has a message for the people of palestine. what she says she need to do -- they need to do starting now. >>> and how would you like that travel the world for a year, all set in confidence, and see all of the historic sites like the taj mahal, machu pitch ooh, the great wall of china, for the bargt price of $30,000. but there is a catch, we'll tell you all about it and see if our panelists are game to try it. all right. we've got a lot to talk about tonight. our expert criminal attorney john tay mills and patrick whether or not is an expert on a dif

. >>> and also, the double murder trial of disgraced attorney alec murdaugh, and we are learning that a juror has been removed of discussing the case with people outside of the court, and all of this as the defense has just begun the closing argument. >>> and today, a pennsylvania man is in court after he hid explosives inside of his luggage for a flight destined for orlando, and the latest on the case and the suspect's long criminal history. and we begin in michigan where a man is accuse of plotting multiple jewish officials in that state. we go to polo sandoval, and andrew mccabe, and polo, begin with what we know about the suspect and what led to his arrest. >> good morning. we have been digging with more beyond the zen pages laid out by the federal investigators and more on what we could potentially learn from a.g. nessel saying that she has taken to twitter saying that she has been notified by the fbi when she first learned about this shocking potential threat here, and confirming that she was the target of a heavily armed defendant in this matter. the a.g. goes on the write that

we are left with the lie. >> and of course, that lie was the bombshell testimony that alec murdaugh admittedand last week that he was in fact down at the kennels before he found the bodies with paul and maggie murdaugh where they were killed. he told everybody up until he got on the stand that he wasn't, and including the investigators and family and friends, but a video found on his son paul's phone outed him, because his voice was identified by more than half a dozen witnesses. the defense again saying that just because you are a liar and a thief, it does not make you a murder. and you mentioned that juror being dismissed this morning, and we only have one alternate remaining. the judge said that the juror had been speaking with other people about the case, and not necessarily in depth, but had offered their opinion on evidence in the trial, and she was dismissed this morning. >> all right. dianne gallagher, unclear who that is going to benefit or hurt. appreciate your reporting. joining me now is cnn criminal analyst joey jackson, and i want to get your take on that juror who was removed

as we all expected, alec murdaugh will appeal this case. about the reasons that might underlie that appeal. watch this. >> cars would be pulling up and there's tire tracks that were not being protected. they could have evidence value. we talked about seeing hair in maggie's hands you'll recall. you didn't hear anything about the hair in maggie's hands. we know they failed to take fingerprints. why did they never take dna samples off of maggie's clothes? >> martha: good to have you here. appeal is expected. does he have grounds for it, do you think? >> there's grounds, but i don't think they're going to carry the day and get him a new trial. his best argument is not what just flowed from the defense argument's mouth but they let evidence of his lies and fraud to come into a murder trial. generally that cannot come in. the judge in considering the prosecutor's request balanced their need to prove motive versus the prejudicial effect. he looked like a liar and scumbag before he took the witness stand. that shouldn't happen in a murder case. th

closing arguments in the murder trial of alec murdaugh continue today where defense attorney jim griffinpointed to one of the strongest pieces of evidence against murdaugh and offered an alternate framing. you're going to remember a now infamous snapchat video taken by paul murdaugh that puts alec at the scene of the crime that night. despite his denial that he had been there. >> four minutes later the state would have you believe that alec murdaugh up and blew his son's brains out of his head and murders his wife, after having that conversation about bubba having a chicken. there's nothing on that tape that indicates there's any strife, any conflict, any anger, any planning, anybody being afraid, anybody running, anybody scurrying. nothing. maggie, paul, and alec down at the kennel. that's it. >> and john stood up after the defense to offer the rebuttal, meadors was brought on my the south carolina attorney general's office. maybe he got angry at paul. maybe he got angry, he started all of this. and maybe he just lost it. maybe he just lost it. maybe it looked like a suicide, and then m

closing arguments in the alec murdaugh double murder trial.s after the jury made a rare visit to the crime scene. >> a manufacturer of insulin introducing a drastic price cut. why the company is making the decision now and the impact it will have on millions of americans. >> overdue oversight. the ceo of norfolk southern agreeing to testify before the senate. >>> and march is national reading month, but studies show post-pandemic many kids have fallen behind. how to make those kids fall in love with the written word. >> we begin with breaking news. closing arguments underway in the alec murdaugh murder trial. the claim is that the disgraced former lawyer killed his wife and youngest son. after the prosecution, alec murdaugh's attorneys will deliver their closing arguments. >> earlier today, the jurors were taken out of the courtroom and visited the scene of the alleged crime themselves which they only heard about the past 27 days. sum up for us from we've heard from the prosecution so far in the closing arguments. >> it's a little hectic and y

now she says that alec murdaugh's circus is over but it's time for justice for her son. the case of stephen smith right after paul and maggie murdaugh were killed. stephen smith was a classmate of buster in high school. his mom, sandy, told the "new york post" the family kept inserting themselves in to the case. she's not directly accusing them of being involved. saying "i don't know if they did it or not. i don't care. i just want to know who and i want to know why. i don't care what your name is." jonna, let's start with randy and get to the stephen smith case, which people are intrigued by. randy did not testify. john martin did testify on behalf of his brother, alec. randy said he's sad and confused and he wants to know what his brother knows and what he didn't tell them. >> i agree with that. randy doesn't necessarily agree with the jury's verdict in this case. he's supportive of his brother to a certain extent. he does think that alec murdaughs knows more, perhaps know whose did it, has some more connection than he led us. we all know he's a liar. if you watched th

meantime, we expect to hear from alec murdaugh's defense team this morning after he his sentencing.interesting to see what they have to say, guys. >> griff: it sure. will let's bring in susan williams, south carolina based criminal defense attorney and susan, i spoke to you right in front of that courthouse the day after this double murder. >> here we are now, your reaction to this verdict? >> i was completely shocked. after i heard that there was a verdict, i actually thought that it was a hoax. because i had no idea that the verdict would come in in less than two hours. which is about the same amount of time that alec murdaugh spent on the stand. >> ainsley: you know, we have all watched this case. i know you live in south carolina. south carolina was glued to the tv over this because many people know the family. south carolina is small, y'all, people don't leave south carolina generally. everyone kind of knows everyone. if i didn't know you griff, our moms might have gone to college together. it's just all woven together. and, susan, you know this for sure. what was it during the

and they wholesale rejected any defense that was offered by alec murdaugh. they said it's just not worthy of our time, clearly, because within hours they said you're guilty. >> murdaugh, and his defense team, the high leverage decision that put him on the set day and doesn't happen that often in these kinds of cases, but it did not appear to work. katie phang, ellison barbara, thank many thanks. still to come after another right-wing threat to democratic congresswoman who thought he might have to fight his way out of january six joins me. >> murdaugh, and his defense team, the high leverage decision that put him on the set day and doesn't happen that often in these kinds of cases, but it did not appear to work. katie phang, ellison barbara, thank many thanks. still to come after another right-wing threat to democratic congresswoman who thought he might have to fight his way out of january six joins me. before dexcom g6, my diabetes was out of control. i was tired. not having the energy to do the things that i wanted to do. before dexcom g6, i was frustrated.

and they wholesale rejected any defense that was offered by alec murdaugh. 's just not worthy of our time, clearly, because within hours they said you're guilty. >> murdaugh, and his defense team, the high leverage decision that put him on the set day and doesn't happen that often in these kinds of cases, but it did not appear to work. katie phang, ellison barbara, thank many thanks. still to come after another right-wing threat to democratic congresswoman who thought he might have to fight his way out of january six joins me. january six joins me. ♪ you like to... move it ♪ we're reinventing our network. ♪ ♪ ♪ fast. reliable. perfectly orchestrated. the united states postal service. ♪♪ inner voice (kombucha brewer): if i just stare at these payroll forms... my business' payroll taxes will calculate themselves. right? uhh...nope. intuit quickbooks helps you manage your payroll taxes, cheers! with 100% accurate tax calculations guaranteed. nexium 24hr prevents heartburn acid for twice as long as pepcid. get all-day and all-night heartburn acid prevention with

the defense with its final chance to keep alec murdaugh out of prison on murder charges. his lawyer picking apart the prosecution's theory about why he would have killed his wife and son and accusing state police of faking the evidence, the very latest from south carolina as we get close to jury deliberations. >>> plus, president biden heading back to his old stomping grounds on capitol hill this hour, his mission and his message focused squarely on keeping democrats in charge in 2024. and as if delays and cancellations aren't enough to worry about, multiple cases of weapons trying to be smuggled to planes, a near collision, dangerous turbulence, the latest worries for an already exhausted flying public, more on the search for answers and for someone to fix this mess coming up. >>> but, we begin at the alec murdaugh double murder trial. the defense had e wrapped up its closing arguments on an emotional note. right now the prosecution is doing its rebuttal, and then the judge will give final instructions to the jury before they begin their deliberations. nbc's ellison barb

[laughter] >> now to south carolina because while alec murdaugh may be behind bars this infamous family is far from over. the site of the murdaugh family murder so forward 2.of million dollars in the cash flow doesn't stop there. the homes contents went up for grabs at the auction and people spent thousands for a piece of the true crime tell. here now entertainment reporter lauren conlin, lauren, look, let's just start with the first one. can we pull up a clip of some of the stuff i want you to see some of this stuff that they're going after. 10,000 dollars now, i'm going to texan we love this type of stuff but 10,000 dollars for that -- >> yeah. lawrence, this seems very shameful to me because number one, aren't we in recession here. and number two, this case is so fresh it just doesn't seem right. now, the mounted antlers is just tip of the iceburg. let me tell you the top auction item that sold for 36,000 dollars. it was the infamous alec murdaugh alibi couch now this is the brown ugly couch that someone literally thought was toque pay $36,000 for and it doesn't stop there. yeah, it

that buster murdered aldo's that buster murdered the older son of alec murdaugh involved. lly deny any involvement in his death. >> it's a big deal, it's pursued as a hit-and-run and largely forgotten until the murdaugh trial. and that generated new interest. >> reporter: nikki battiste, cbs news. new york. >> norah: officials are% investigating the cause of an explosive fire at a plant near houston. surveillance cameras captured a huge fireball rising from the facility. officials say a tanker trunk transferring liquid petroleum gas when it went up in flames. one person was taken to the hospital. back here in washington, senators grilled norfolk southern ceo about his company's safety record. it is shaw's second appearance before congress following last month's toxic trail derailment. cbs roxana saberi reporting tonight from east palestine, ohio. >> this was a preventable accident. do you agree? >> yes, i do agree. >> reporter: back in the senate hot seat. >> for decades the railroads have lobbied to undermine safety rules. they are still at it. >> reporter: and nearly seve

you have been watching closing arguments in alec murdaugh case. of course the prosecution presenting these closing arguments led by chief prosecutor creighton waters. i'm yasmin vossoughian in for katy tur. really going through the case in the last couple of hours, starting at midday or so, presenting of course reasonable doubt knowing that the jury very much could foil the prosecution's arguments here by reasonable doubt, going into the motive here. this was a man in incredible financial distress, a man that was going through withdrawal because of his drug addictions, the time line, and then of course the lies. the discovery of that snapchat video and then the discovery that, in fact, alec murdaugh was the man who was the third voice that was heard in the snapchat video. i want to bring in nbc news senior legal correspondent laura jarrett, and south carolina criminal defense attorney jack swirly as well, a close associate of murdaugh defense attorney, dick harpootlian. we have been watching this thing all day. what has stood out to you so far in

after alec murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and son, tonight, murdaugh's surviving son, buster, is breaking his silence on the death of one of his classmates. here's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: tonight, that frenzy surrounding alec murdaugh's double murder trial now turning the spotlight onto the unsolved death of his surviving son buster's one-time classmate. the family of stephen smith raising over $70,000 to exhume the 19-year-old's body for an independent autopsy. >> my hope is that we can find the right people that we need to just start from the beginning. and to get us answers. >> reporter: police classifying him as a victim of a hit and run, after his body was found in 2015 on a south carolina road. nearly six miles from the murdaugh home. but authorities investigating the murdaugh murders later announcing they'd found new evidence in smith's death. they did not say what that evidence is. tonight, lawyers for the smith family rejecting that hit and run theory. >> it just makes no sense to us, that he could be struck in that fashion badly enough to cause his death and there

with the prosecution put on, almost ten or so witnesses, that testified that they could identify alec murdaugh'sn that video. that was taken or reduced just moments before the cell phone of his son paul, went dead. that was a big problem for alec, he had told the police for months, he was not at that candle before his wife and son were killed. no, you have ten witnesses coming forward, by the prosecution saying, yes, that's his voice. he was there. just moments before the murders occurred. he had to, i believe, he felt he had to get on the witness stand and try to explain why he had lied to police. >> that video you're talking about from his son on his cell phone, proving that he was there, within five minutes of the murder and then lied about it, essentially, the son helped solve his own murder. >> so many ways, kim, he was painted -- penned into a corner. he had to explain how it is that his voice could be on a video, as you said, five minutes before the murders occurred, yet, he consistently told police he was not there. so jurors were, i think, had he not taken the witness stand, maybe they

. >>> alec murdaugh sentenced to life. what his own lawyers are saying might have sealed his fate. >>> plus, what is happening behind the scenes at cpac. why some of donald trump's own supporters are saying they're ready to move on: what walgreens just decided that will further restrict a woman's right to choose in a post roe america. we'll be right back. n a post roa we'll be right back. switch your car insurance to progressive, and you could save hundreds. -feel better now? -not really. switch to progressive, and you could save hundreds. think he's posting about all that ancient roman coinage? no. he's making real-time money moves with merrill. so no matter what the market's doing, he's ready. and that's... how you collect coins. your money never stops working for you with merrill, a bank of america company. >>> welcome back, alec murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. returned a unanimous guilty verdict in just three hours for the murder of his wife maggie and son pau

investigators are optimistic more witnesses will emerge now that alec murdaugh is behind bars. >> thee's five people that have knowledge and that now the murdaugh trial is over with and there's been a conviction, he believes people will now have the courage to come forward. we're asking people to come forward. >> alec murdaugh's surviving son, buster, went to high school with the victim. but he issued a statement a few days ago denying any relationship with him and said he had nothing to do with his death. sandra? >> jonathan serrie reporting live from atlanta. john? >> john: students at stanford law are getting a lesson in free speech. a half day session to educate them on the first amendment and the norms of the legal profession. it's mandatory after students and an associate dean interrupted a federal judges address earlier this month. the dean has been put on leave but defended her actions saying she was using deescalation techniques. let's bring in host of "fox news sunday," shannon bream. so jenny martinez, the dean of the law school, put out a lengthy letter about this, which s

the new development comes weeks after alec murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for killing his wifewyers if the smith family say they believe that frees up more police resources and hope will encourage more potential witnesses to come forward. >> someone is burdened with this information. whoever that person is, i'm telling you, talk to s.l.e.d., call us. put this weight down. >> reporter: a hope shared by sandy smith, still desperately seeking the truth. >> i'm a mother. i need answers. >> reporter: sandy smith hopes to see a private independent medical examination of her son's body. a judge has to grant permission in order for that to happen. back to you. >>> high winds and extreme flooding aren't letting up in california. where yet another atmospheric river is hammering the state with more dangerous weather on the way. we've got a live report and a forecast next. get directv with a two year price guarantee. pain used to keep me from what i love most. not anymore. blue-emu gave me my horsepower back. it's the powerful relief my joints need. blue-emu, it works fast and you won't st

the jacket was found several months after the murders, at alec murdaugh's mother's home.tegral to the family lifestyle, the residue could be from a day of shooting years ago. the forensic scientists said. >> if the shotgun was not clean there was a potential for the transfer off of that shotgun, yes. >> there is a potential, back with our expert guest right now, keep in mind while they are focusing on the blue green jacket, there has been conversations about what he had on the day of the murder. what he had on earlier in the day, the brown loafers, the polo shirt, it is when he talks to the police officers, a change of clothing, and a week later the blue jacket. but i bet when you are thinking about what he had on, and how this weighs in, i bet that jurors are still thinking to themselves he had clothing, that is one thing, but are you trying to dress up the motive? what do you think. >> oh tell you this, jurors spent about a quarter to a third of the time just talking about their own personal experience. so what ends up happening is they go yeah, when i go hunting, here'

now that alec murdaugh is behind bars. he went to high school with smith but insists he had no involvement in h his death. trace? >> laura, thank you. >>> the white house is dispanning the covid-19 task force. in the process of cancelling the task force. the white house is offering a political spin on the matter. later, do certain everyday sounds drive you crazy? chewing, yawning, throat-yearing? if so, you got a lot of company. apparently annoyances is an actual condition that many of us have. let us know what sound you hate the most. social media or twitter or instagram. we'll show you the results and read the best responses in the nightcap. when aspen dental told me that my dentures were ready, i was so excited. i love the confidence. i love that i can blast this beautiful smile and make the world smile with me. i would totally say aspen dental changed my life. aspen dental makes new smiles affordable. right now, get 20% off dentures. we do anything to make you smile. this cough. [sfx: coughs] this'll help. vicks vaporu

testimonies from alec murdaugh describes the home and the use in the kennel in details. the two came with the goal of demonstrating that gunfire at the 1700 acre hunting estate could go unnoticed by someone who was inside the murdaugh's home. prosecutors were quick to note how murdaugh refused to admit he was at the kennel at the night of the murder. and back in the courtroom, prosecutors paint murdaugh as a serial liar who killed his life and son to create a storm of events that mercedes tract from his financial schemes. >> the defendant is the person on which a storm was descending and his own storm would actually mean consequences for maggie and papaul. consequences for thoseo trusted him. >> and murdaugh's defense will make their closing arguments on thursday. they are expected to against the judge that two shooters were responsible for the death and alec murdaugh had nothing to do with those murders. >> marianne is live with us. thank you, we'll have legal analysis but first, watch this. >> on the other hand, has fooled everyone, everyone -- everyone who are thought

i want you to listen because there was testimony that said this was alec murdaugh and then alex murdaugh admitted. this really was the key to the case. >> get back. get back. quit. quit. >> trace: even after him because testifying, you can tell that is his voice. you find the witnesses line, you can throw out all of his testimony. >> if you believe that the credibility is in question, if you believe the witness lied about one thing, then you can disregard all of his other testimony. >> trace: jonathan was playing the sound of the judge saying there was overwhelming evidence of guilt. >> that is unusual and it is not looking good for alex murdaugh because it looks like the judge is going to give him life. he made his views clear after the jury rendered a verdict. he said i think you guys came to the right verdict. i think there's overwhelming evidence of guilt. >> trace: he says are a liar. i'm a crook. i am a drug addict but i'm not a killer and the jury -- >> the jury did not believe it. i thought the defense did a good job in closing, appo pointing multiple issues of reasonable doubt.

where that snapchat video that's been referred to as the kennel snapchat video, the one that puts alec murdaugh at kennels, prior to maggie and paul murdaugh being killed. that's where this was taken inside, and then this point, this is the area or outside this if it moves a bit more, at some point, you'll see someone walking, pointing, we're not there yet, but where maggie murdaugh was found. you see the woman in the dress walking out of what is the feed room, that right there, the space kind of where she is standing there is where paul murdaugh's body was laying face down inside the feed room. that's something that the jurors surely are paying attention to. we know at least one juror at the scene was standing in the doorway looking up and looking all around in the feed room because the defense argued that from what their forensic pathologists say happened in terms of a gunshot wound on paul murdaugh's head, what they say is a contact wound, the state says is an exit room, which would impact the positioning that would mean the shooter was inside the feed room, and they say there's no one someo

. >> alec murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison. you are the judge sentenced him to two life sentences this morning. reached a speedy verdict in his double murder trial. correspondent jonathan serrie has the story. >> i respect this court but i'm innocent. >> convicted of murdering his wife and son alec murdaugh's repeated denials will sway judge newman it? >> might not have you. it might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. >> judge imposed two consecutive life sentences on the now disbarred attorney. >> you practiced law before me and we have seen each other at various occasions throughout the years and it was especially heart breaking for me. >> murdaugh's lawyers are already planning an appeal. they say prosecutor's unfairly introduced testimony about murdaugh's alleged financial crimes including his law practice confronting him about missing funds just hours before the murders. >> that was being offered as motive for why he would go home and kill his wife and son which we thought w

. >> john: convicted double murderer alec murdaugh set to spend the rest of his life and after life behind bars after a south carolina judge handed down two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. john roberts in washington. good friday to you. >> gillian: good friday, that's an awful long time, two life sentences. i'm gillian turner, i'm in for sandra, this is "america reports." so in this fairly dramatic sentencing hearing, judge clifton newman admonished him, called the defense not credible and assault on the integrity of the judicial system. >> john: murdaugh repeatedly claimed he did not murder his wife and son. his conviction capped off a stunning fall from grace for his family which the judge described as controlling justice in their south carolina community more than a century. >> sandra: we have legal experts standing by. >> john: jonathan has been covering the trial since the beginning. what are the next steps? >> facing two consecutive life sentences, murdaugh plans to file appeal. his defense attorneys announced that minutes ago. they say it was unfair of

sled has made it clear they are going to investigate any and every crime connected to not only alec murdaughthey discover at mizelle. as we all now know something discovered at mizelle has led them to open the investigation into stephen smith. we don't yet know what it is but clear sort of the bad name that was left behind after the murdaugh investigation. but all these unanswered questions. >> ainsley: the murdaugh name kept coming up when investigators were looking around, correct? >> correct. the initial highway patrolman who investigated this case determined it was not a hit and run. the young man was laying in the middle of the road his shoes slip on shoes loosely tied. they were still on him. and we have seen many accidents handled many of these cases. we have never seen a case quite like this. it takes people out of their shoes. there was no body trauma but there was head trauma. did not find it to be a hit and run. coroner and oddly enough murdaughs came to the changed it. got changed to a mitt and run accident. that's most unusual. it's not like any case we have ever seen be before

have new information tonight regarding the family of south carolina attorney and convict killer alec murdaughreopening a case originally ruled a hit and run alex murdaugh's living son buster is defending himself against rumors and speculation he was connected. correspondent jonathan serrie has the story from atlanta breaking his silence the it surviving son of alec murdaugh pushed back on the speculation of a k0e8d case involving the death of his former high school classmate stephen smith. back in 2015 the 19-year-old's body was found on a country road about 15 miles from the murdaugh family's hunting estate. buster murdaugh issued a statement saying these baseless rumors of my involvement with steven and his death are false. i unequivocally deny any involvement in his death and my heart goes out to the smith family. >> i wish his heart went out to the smith family a couple years ago when i was involved and tried interview buster and i was told by the law firm they are not submitting to any interviews. >> state authorities determined steven was the victim of a hit and run and we opened the ca

. >> john: we are back, lunch break about to wrap up and then alec murdaugh's defense team gets one more chance to convince the jury he is a grieving father, not a cold-blooded killer who would murder his wife and son. but he's a liar, too. welcome back as "america reports" rolls into a second hour, i'm john roberts in washington. another busy hour ahead of us. >> gillian: very busy, if the first hour is anything to go by. thanks for sticking with us. gillian turner in for sandra. we'll take you live to the trial in the low country as soon as it resumes, but until then, a lot of news we want to get in for you. start with a fox news alert. >> oxycodone, morphine, testosterone, hgh, you name it, i got it, homey, 40% off on any medication. >> john: tell me what you need, i'll tell you what you want. supposed to be a sales pitch to americans in mexico but turns out it could be a death sentence instead. the drug peddler one of many hawking on behalf of mexican pharmacies to entice tourists just as spring breakers are about to flock south of the border. >> gillian: the cdc says do not fall for

murdaugh were found brutally murdered almost two years ago. a combination of a series of events that has seen three other separate suspicious deaths connected to the family. three months later, alecrdaugh, accused of killing his wife and son, was also to admit to a botched suicide attempt involving a $10 million insurance claim. charges for which are still pending. during the murder trial, he was adamant he was innocent. trial, he was adamant he was innocent-— innocent. did you take this carner innocent. did you take this garner any _ innocent. did you take this garner any unlighted - innocent. did you take this garner any unlighted and l innocent. did you take this . garner any unlighted and blow your son's brains out? on any day or any your son's brains out? on any day orany time? your son's brains out? on any day or any time?— your son's brains out? on any day or any time? no, i did not. one conversation... _ day or any time? no, i did not. | one conversation... throughout the trial, they — one conversation... throughout the trial, they said _ one conversation... throughout the trial, they said he _ the trial, they said he committed the murders in an attempt to generate sympat

70 witnesses took a south carolina jury less than three hours of deliberations to decide that alec murdaugh was guilty of killing his wife and son. his sentencing is set for tomorrow. we're back with s. e. cupp, patrick mcenroe joins us, -- as well. they've, you are an attorney, what do you think sealed the deal but allow the jury to decide this in three hours. >> the jury's all right through this conman. he lied from day one. he lied to his family. he lied to police. and then when he got caught in a lie, because of his sons video, he changed his story on the spot, the jury didn't believe his new story. ironically, it was his son paul who solved his own murder. >> yes, we've been saying that. paul's cell phone capture the audio of alex murdaugh at the kennels that night, when he said he wasn't. didn't he know -- that he said these in discovery where he would've been tipped off that he had this video? why was he caught in that lie? didn't he know that they had the cell phone video? >> they knew later, they found it months later. when they found it, i think he thought he could get away with i