remember, the charges here, there are two counts of murder, one for the murder of maggie murdaugh, the defendant's wife. and one murder charge for his son, paul murdaugh, on top of that, there's a charge for each of those murders for possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime. there are 12 jurors that have been in that room tonight. there was one alternate that was still waiting outside in case something were to come up and possibly they needed to step in. nothing like that has happened. those 12 original jurors are the ones who are in the room. well, not original. we had a juror dismissed today. but the core 12 group that started at 3:50 are the ones who have reached the verdict now, and i see on my screen that we're watching of inside the courtroom, the judge sitting down right now, so joy, i'm going to send it back to you in case that's something we want to listen to. we're going to listen. >> i understand there's a verdict. you may bring the jury. >> thank you. madam foreman, will you stand for me. have you reached a verdict? >> yes, sir, we have. >> it's unanimous

turned around and it was maggie murdaugh.ng in the truck with me to make everybody else see that. but then she started questioning me and my opinion about things. and one of the things she said was -- what do you think will happen if they never find her? i mean, how can you even say that? like, i can't think that way. my lord. what -- i want her to be found alive! and i'm not entertaining this conversation. so she waited a few minutes and then she got out. and that was the last time i ever talked to her. i saw her a few times, like in the grocery store or whatever, but i've made sure i went the other way because i didn't want to entertain any conversation. and so i just stayed away. >> it was sunday. that was the -- that was the only day that i didn't go to the bridge. >> yesterday, after one week, the search for beach ended. >> it's the conclusion that family and friends of mallory beach feared after praying for a week for a miracle that maybe she had survived that boat crash and would be found alive. >> it took me months to

alex murdaugh and we heard talking in the background. >> i was nowhere near paul and maggie when they got shot. >> despite his denials, prosecutors say murdaugh killed them to distract from his alleged financial schemes that were coming to light. he had been confronted about missing funds at his law firm, and his personal finances were about to be exposed at an upcoming court hearing. >> there were plenty of times where i took money that i shouldn't have taken. >> murdaugh's defense team has pushed back on the alleged motive, and this defense witness told the jury, after analyzing the bullets trajectory, he determined someone much shorter than alex murdaugh who's about 65 likely was responsible for killing his wife. >> it puts the shooter or whoever fired the weapon, if they wear that tall, it puts them in a unrealistic shooting position. >> and -- the prosecution came back with a very strong counter argument which we showed. in demonstration in the courtroom. what stood out in all the testimony you witnessed and what's happening? >> certainly, that candle video was the prosecution, 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 someone of alec's size could have maneuvered around that easily. the thing to remember is the feed room and what we're seeing all of this, it doesn't look like it did that night. there were a number of dogs there. the feed room itself, and i was going back and looking at photos

murdaugh took a major step toward a verdict today. first, a field trip to the sprawling family estate so jurors could see where maggie and paul murdaughen the prosecutor's closing argument with the defense up tomorrow. whatever the jury decides, one thing is clear -- true crime fans can't look away from the spectacle. abc's eva pilgrim is in south carolina. >> reporter: before the sun rises, people lined up for hours hoping to get into this once-sleepy south carolina courthouse that's now at the center of a true crime obsession. >> the trial of the once-prominent attorney, alex murdaugh. >> the defense officially resting its case. >> the jury in the alex murdaugh trial are on the move. >> i'm here because i am a true crime lover. i've been watching this, and it's just fascinating. so i want to see inside. >> you don't get an opportunity like this often, to see something like this up close. >> it has been just like the circus coming to town. >> reporter: alex murdaugh's fall from grace captivating many both inside and outside of this courthouse. a man whose last name was once synonymous with a southern legal dynasty full of wealth and

there are many people we could potentially hear from, mare yan proctor the sister of maggie murdaugh te about her feelings and some strangeness she felt, she said, that alex murdaugh asked maggie to go to moselle that say da i that she was murdered, that she hadn't planned to go there. alex murdaugh testified differently on the stand, but she is also a potential that we can maybe hear from and maybe even maggie murdaugh's parents. we haven't heard from them yet. they were on a witness list, they were never called, but we're not sure, again, who we are going to hear from. alex murdaugh he will be in a jumpsuit, potentially shackled as he is in the custody right now. he will then go through the custody of the department of corrections after conviction. >> dianne gallagher, thanks so much. let's bring back joey jackson and sarah ford as we await the judge heading into the courtroom. sarah, there is a broader issue here, the influence that the murdaugh family had in these counties for more than 100 years. former u.s. attorney for south carolina bill neville said last night with this case

a defendant richard alexander murdaugh is charged with the murder of maggie -- margaret murdaugh and paul murdaugh. the state must proved that the defendant killed margaret murdaugh and paul murdaugh with malice of forethought. malice is hatred, i'll will or hostility towards another person. it is the intentional doing of a wrongful act without just cause or excuse. and with an intent to inflict an injury or under the circumstances that the law will infer an evil intent. malice of forethought does not require that malice exist for any particular time before the act is committed. but malice must exist in the mind of the defendant just before an at the time the act is committed. therefore, there must be a combination of the previous evil intent and the act. malice of forethought may be expressed or inferred. these terms expressed an inferred do not mean different kinds of malice, but merely the manner in which malice may be shown to exist. that is by direct evidence or inference from the facts and circumstances which are proven. expressed malice is shown when a person speaks words, whi

murdaugh, is that you on the kennel video at 8:44 p.m. on june 7th, the night maggieit is. >> over and over murdaugh had told investigators he hadn't seen his family since dinner and was not at the dog kennels at the time of the murders, but that video extracted from his son's phone was recorded just a few minutes before prosecutors believe the killings happened. murdaugh told the jury he had left the kennels right after the video was recorded and driven his golf cart to the main house on the property to take a nap. >> why'd you get out of there so quick, mr. murdaugh? >> because it was chaotic, it was hot. it certainly could have been 8:47 before i left out of there. >> murdaugh estimated it's about a 2-minute drive on the golf cart from the kennel to the main house, which would put him there at 8:49 p.m., the very same time prosecutors say maggie and paul's phones ceased all activity, suggesting they were dead. once back at the house -- >> you lay down on the couch? >> that's correct. >> keep in mind murdaugh's phone showed no activity from 8:09 to 9:02. he says he

these crimes. >> reporter: with emotional descriptions painting the state's picture of maggie and paul murdaugh's maggie had no defensive wounds. you also heard paul at close range shot with no indication that he detected a threat from the person who fired that weapon. and, why? because it was him. same with maggie. because maggie sees what happens and she comes running over there, running to her baby. >> reporter: after denying he was ever at the crime scene before the murders, prosecutors say the video found on paul's phone changed everything, forcing murdaugh's bombshell testimony, admitting he'd been at the kennels in the minutes before the state says paul and maggie were killed there. >> one thing i will agree with him on that he said up there, oh, what a tangled web when we first practiced. how appropriate coming from that man. >> reporter: jurors getting to see that crime scene for themselves wednesday morning. a media pool granted access after the jury tour described the now overgrown deserted moselle property as haunting. the last place maggie and paul were seen alive. >> we couldn't bri

alex murdaugh has been rightfully found guilty of murdering his wife maggie and paul. as guilty. and as one of the witnesses said, paul was a little detective. this case serves notice to anyone who aided or assisted alex murdaugh in committing any crime that justice will result. this was an incredible effort by sled, our local and federal partners, and our partners in the attorney general's office. i want to thank attorney general wilson and all of his prosecutors, parra legals and support personnel as well. they did a fantastic job. the agents and prosecutors working this case sacrificed countless moments from their own families to insure a person responsible for the murders of maggie and paul was fairly tried and brought to justice. the people who work this case do it because they are called to serve. they do it to bring a voice to the voiceless and they are dedicated public servants. for that i'm grateful. sled agents have worked tirelessly for the past 21 months to insure justice was served for maggie and paul. it is impossible for most people to understand the coun

. >> on june 7, 2021, at the moselle property in colleton county, maggie murdaugh and paul murdaugh wereliciously murdered at the kennels by alex murdaugh. >> just before closing arguments, the jury visited those kennels. the crime scene, up close for the first time. video of the scene, not the jurors, was allowed to be recorded by the media. the jury saw the small room where paul murdaugh was killed. >> he takes that buck shot to the chest. it didn't kill him. alex is putting down that shotgun. that is why the angle is that. and catches paul like that. and goes up into the ceiling. as you have heard the testimony from kinsey. and blows his brains out. >> paul fell to the concrete after the second fatal shot. his brain hitting the pavement. as the jury could see at the scene, all of that was within sight of where maggie murdaugh's body was found on the grass near the shed. the reporter measured the two shootings were 12 steps apart. listen as the prosecutor recreates the alleged events, including the use of the second gun, the blackout rifle. >> because maggie sees what happens, and she

the call for this into investigation comes as a result of the investigation into the murders of maggie murdaugh gallagher has more. >> what are emergency? >> hello, i -- [inaudible] as he someone laying. >> it's been nearly eight years since the body of 19 year old stadium smith was found in the middle of this country road in south carolina. the teen's death gained national attention in june 2021. near li six years after he was dead when the state line forsman division announced it was opening an investigation into his death, based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of paul and maggie murdaugh. >> verdict, guilty. >> alex murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son earlier this month. >> for the next of your natural life -- >> investigators never revealed what information they glean from the murdaugh murders investigation that resulted in this case being opened. today, new private efforts and launched to uncover the circumstances, spearheaded by swiss mother sandy and two attorneys. the first goal, exhuming smith's bod

former attorney alex murdaugh will now serve 2 consecutive life sentences for killing his wife, maggie and his son, paul. that six-week trial ended yesterday. a swift verdict. the jury taking less than 3 hours to come up with a verdict. >> today dressed in a person jumps murdaugh stood before a judge and learned his fate. brian entin has details. >> alec murdock leaves the collagen county, south carolina courthouse in a jail jumpsuit and handcuffs after learning his fate for killing his wife and son and the murder of maggie murdaugh. a second shoe for term of the rest of your natural life. >> for the murder of paul. you probably love so much. a sentence you to prison. the matter for the rest of your natural life after just 3 hours, a jury found not guilty of shooting and killing maggie and paul at the family estate in 2021. once again today. >> murdoch denied murdering his wife and son. i'm innocent. >> i would never hurt my wife. maggie and i would never hurt my it was a dramatic fall from grace for the powerful lawyer whose family was once legal royalty in south carolina. >> controll

they've heard over the past six weeks and then to actually visit the location where paul and maggie murdaugheir lives. to be there, standing outside the feed room, to be there at the kennels. to feel, you know, the emotion in that place after visualizing it. very, very powerful. and i think it certainly will help the jury in putting things together visually from what they've heard throughout the past six weeks. >> appreciate you joining us this morning, sarah ford. thank you. >>> coming up next, former house speaker paul ryan is under pressure now forced to answer questions as to why he remains on the board of fox news' parent company after the right wing network knowingly pedaled election lies. now, you can trade in those hats to help earn your grad cap. your past experience can help yoyou earn your degree faster and for less. ♪ at morgan stanley, we see the world with the wonder of new eyes, ♪ helping you discover untapped possibilities and relentlessly working wi you to make them real. ♪ beuse grit and vision working in lockstep ♪ puts you on the path to your full potential. ♪ hi, i'm lau

state department of corrections on each of the murder indictments in the murder of your wife maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for the term of your natural life. for the murder of paul murdaugh, whom you probably loved so much, i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. those sentences will run consec consecutive. under the statute involving a crime where there is no other involving indictment of other crimes, you are mandated to the department of corrections. and officers may carry forth on the imposition. yes, sir ? >>> we have just witnessed quite a moment in an american courtroom, the judge in the alec murdaugh case delivering two consecutive life sentences for alec murdaugh, one each for the murder of his wife and for the murder of his son, and he said in these words that murdaugh would spend the rest of his natural life in prison for those crimes, and quite a preamble to that sentence, twice, alec murdaugh said he was innocent, and i would never under any circumstances hurt my wife, and i would never under any circumstances hurt my son paw-paw. and the

state department of corrections on each of the murder indictments in the murder of your wife, maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for a term of the rest of your natural life. for the murder of paul murdaugh, whom you probably love so much, i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. those sentences will run consecutive. under the statute involving possession of the weapon during a violent crime there is no sentence where a life sentence is imposed on other indictments. that is the sentence of the court, and you are remanded to the state department of corrections. and officers may carry forth on the imposition. >> yes, sir. >> may we approach? >> yes, sir. >> everybody, we have been listening to a blistering sentencing statement from judge clifton newman here in this south carolina courtroom in walterboro, now convicted murderer and former disgraced south carolina lawyer alex murdaugh convicted to two life sentences for the murders of his wife and son to be served consecutively. joining me right now outside the courthouse is nbc's ellison barber and state attorney

they used cell phone data from paul murdaugh, maggie murdaugh, and gps data that they pulled from alex murdaugh's car, a key thing inexcusable and difficult for alec murdaugh to explain when he was on the stand, why he was at the kennels at 8:44 pm that night, five minutes before prosecutors in the state say maggie and paul's phones stopped working for good. they say that was when they were murdered. and he hadn't told anyone that he had been at that candle, around that time, until he took the stand. chris? >> we will play a little bit of the sound. the attorney general spoke at the press conference after the announcement of that verdict. take a listen. >> it is a good day in south carolina. >> yes it is. yes it. is >> today's voting proves that no one, no one, no matter who you are in society, is above the law. >> katie, to the point ellison just, made there was no smoking gun, no physical evidence. but to an extent there was one, i think for people that just loosely follow the case, it was the fact that he told investigators he was not at the scene of the murder, and then later it tu

this nearly six-week trial tried to characterize the investigation into the murders of paul and maggie murdaugh as messy, sloppy, incomplete. they said today that law enforcement failed miserably with their investigation and pointed out that in part, they believe that's why alex murdaugh was indicted in the first place. >> three out of the four things that you'll be deliberating on for the indictments aren't true. and there's no loaded gun. we're left with the lie we are left with the lie. he did lie. he told you he lied. and he told you why he lied. he said he lied because that's what adducts do. addicts lie. >> that lie that he's talking about is that bomb shell testimony from alex murdaugh himself when he took the stand admitting that he was, in fact, there at the kennels moments before the state says that paul ask maggie murdaugh were killed there at that location. at the hunting property. he said that he started this lie initially because he felt p paranoid and he kept the lie up. nay acknowledged that they have a widely circumstantial case, but they pointed out that circumstantial fd is s

it is a description in how he said it wasn't down and then he described what maggie murdaugh would havech this. >> maggie sees what happened and she comes running over there to her baby. probably the last thing on her mind thinking that it was him who it done this. she's running to her baby. while he's gotten picked up a blackout and opens fire. at close range, again with no defensive wounds. and she takes the two shots that you heard dr. reamer say were parallel. and is crumbles her over. >> a family blackout killed maggie. it was present just a couple of months prior to the murders. a family weapon the defendant cannot account for killed maggie. >> reporter: and, wolf, the murder weapons, the shotgun and the 300 blackout rifle, they were never found and what is key about the 300 blackout is that one of paul murdaugh's friends testified that he and paul were just shooting that just a couple of months on the property. a couple of months before the murders took place. so would you think that would still be on the property. but instead it is gone missing. wolf? >> randi kaye reporting. >>

it gave a voice to maggie and paul murdaugh who were brutally mowed down and murdered on the night of june 7, 2021, by someone that they loved and someone that they trusted. >> we're hearing from some of the victims of alex' financial crimes. the attorney representing the family of his former housekeeper said his power, prestige and money afforded him no special treatment. the people have spoken. alex' life of lies and deceit ended today. we expect the sentencing hearing to happen in about 30 minutes from now and we are expecting a press conference from alex' legal team shortly after. >> we're watching and waiting. good work down there throughout all this. back with you momentarily. >> dana: let's bring in trey gowdy host of sunday night in america. you know this area well. murdaugh verdict sent a low country message. no one is above the law. everything we understood is the murdaugh family was at one point considered untouchable. not so much anymore. >> they were. i'm not sure it was alex murdaugh, more his father and grandfather. i served with his father. he was the district attorney

maggie murdaugh was running away. she was shot as she was running away, and i'm so thankful to attorney general wilson for letting me get that in there, because i thought that was very important, the whole trial she was doing what a mother does. she was running, in my opinion, toward her baby. >> reporter: he told us after the trial, he actually went and met with the jury and he said that was at the jury's request. he said they wanted to meet with him, which is something he said never happened before. i asked what he talked about, he didn't get into details but the jury wanted to thank him, and they thanked him for his testimony. >> there's two major things i want to get in to while i have you. first and foremost is how quickly this came out. three hours. >> stunning. >> i was shocked when this popped up on my phone. abc news got an interview with the first juror. let's take a listen to that. >> so it took basically 45 minutes for you guys to come to a decision. >> probably about 45, maybe an hour. >> that's really fa

based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of paul and maggie murdaughentioion to the c case pepeaking in m months leading upup to alexex murdauaugh's trialal for the e crime. and a a new nenetflix docucuseries drarawing ties between smith and buster murdaugh, who were high school classmates and rumored by some to be in an intimate relationship. >> that name was, he goes by buster murdaugh >> reporter: but buster murdaugh for the first time publicly challenging any and all implications that he was involved i've tried my best to ignore the vicious rum bers my involvement in stephen smith's tragic death that continue to be published in the media as i grieve over the murders of my brother and brother. i love them so much and miss them terribly murdaugh adding that he's still coping with their loss and the incarceration of his father while being harassed these baseless rumors of my involvement with stephen and his death are false. i unequivocally deny anyinvolvement in his death and my heart goes out to the smith family >> i need answers. i'm a mother. i nee

. >> reporter: jurors found alex murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife maggie and his son, paul. >> justice was brought for them. we can't bring them back, but we can bring them justice. >> reporter: they were shot to death in june of 2021 at the sprawling property the family owned in south carolina. >> i would never hurt maggie murdaugh. i would never hurt paul murdaugh under any circumstances. >> reporter: during the trial, the once-prominent lawyer took the stand in his own defense, insisting he did not kill his wife and 22-year-old son, but he did admitted to stealing millions from his clients and firm. he also admitted he lied when he told investigators he hadn't e . >> once he took the stand and had to admit that he lied for 20 months about not being at the murder scene, i think they saw him as a liar, as well. >> there's only one person who had the motive, who had the means, who had the opportunity to commit these crimes. >> reporter: prosecutors argued murdaugh's financial crimes were about to be exposed, so high killed his wife and son in an effort to move the focus away from the m

state department of corrections on each of the murder indictments in the murder of your wife maggie murdaughence you to the term for your natural life for the murder of paul murdaugh. whom you probably loved so much. i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. those sentences will run consecutive. under the statute involving possession of weapon during a violent crime there is no sentence, a life sentence is imposed on other indictments. that is the sentence of the court and you are remanded to the state department of corrections. 0fficers may carry forth on the imposition. yes, sir. yes, sir. yes, sir. 0ur washington correspondent gary 0'donoghue explained how the court case has captured the attention of a nation. there's a number of different television series broadcasted about it, people digging into the background, and the case itself has obviously been viewed unfolding over the last six weeks on live television. so there's been a great deal of interest in it, and it's sort of culminated here in these two life sentences for alex murdaugh — although he do

. >> in the murder of your wife, maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for a term of the rest of your natural life. for the murder of paul murdaugh, i sentence you to prison for murdering him. >> reporter: moments before the disgraced lawyer again insisted he did not kill his wife, maggie, or 22-year-old son paul in june of 2021. >> i'm innocent. i would never hurt my wife, maggie, and i would never hurt my son, paul. >> reporter: the judge noted murdaugh's prominence in the community, saying the attorney had practiced law before him and that a portrait of murdaugh's grandfather, a former prosecutor, had hung in the courthouse before it was removed to ensure a fair trial. >> it was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go in the media from being a grieving father to be in the person indicted and convicted of killing them. >> reporter: it took jurors less than three hours thursday to convict murdaugh on all counts. >> guilty verdict. >> reporter: during the trial, murdaugh took the stand in his own defense and admitted stealing millions from his clients and firm. he also admitted he lied

jury less than three hours to find murdaugh guilty. >> verdict: guilty. >> reporter: lead prosecutor creighton waters. >> a verdict like this does not give paul and maggie least that jerry gave them a voice. speed to the defense team told me they plan to appeal the guilty verdict, but regardless of that outcome, murdaugh could face life in prison for his alleged financial crimes, some of which he admitted to during this trial. i spoke with two of maggie murdaugh's close friends today, who told me this verdict was the justice they have been hoping for. margaret? >> margaret: nikki, thank you. now to the dangerous night of whether from the deep south to the northeast. at least seven people have died from a line of powerful storms. pounding rain flooded alabama today, along with hurricane-strength winds. three people were killed by falling trees in that state alone. the storm also knocked trees on the homes in the nashville area. kentucky's governor declared a state of emergency out of the storms headed east from louisiana and texas, where several tornadoes were reported last night. this weather threat continues into the night. let's get the forecast now f

turn in this case. >> alex murdaugh is now charged with two counts of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. >> coming 402 days after maggient, he looks like a different person. >> he looked very thin, very gaunt. >> he's shackled. he's kind of hunched a little bit. he has this appearance of being through an incredible amount of pain and suffering. >> are you guilty or not guilty of the felonies you stand indicted? >> not guilty. >> how shall you be judged? >> by god and my country. >> he didn't need to go to that >> shortly after alex was e did- indicted, his defense attorneys pushed for a speedy trial. they said it was a very narrow investigation that only looked at murdaugh. >> you believe that the killer or killers are still at large. put this behind them, they can go look for the real killers. >> you had two groups of thought, right? you had one group that was like, oh, he absolutely did that. and then you had a second group that was like, eh, if it was only the wife, i could see him doing it. but his son, too? how could a man do his son like that? >> alex murdaugh is just hours away from getting his day in court. >>

jumpsuit and handcuffs after learning his fate for killing his wife and son and the murder of maggie murdaugh. a second shoe for term of the rest of your natural life. >> for the murder of paul. mayor de. probably love so much. a sentence you to prison. the matter for the rest of your natural life after just 3 hours, a jury found not guilty of shooting and killing maggie and paul at the family estate in 2021. once again today murdoch denied murdering his wife and son. i'm innocent. >> i would never hurt my wife. maggie and i would never hurt my it was a dramatic fall from grace for the powerful lawyer whose family was once legal royalty in south carolina. >> controlling prosecutions in the very courthouse where murdoch was convicted. the judge reflecting on the remarkable moment. that's that here in this courtroom and look around the. potraits of judges. another court officials. and reflect on the fact that over the past. century, your family. including you. having prosecuting people here in this courtroom. and many have received. the death penalty. probably for less or condo. the death penal

even though the license is not going to bring back paul or maggie murdaugh is to hold them accountable for taking the life of two individuals, two human beings and so brutally the only just sentence in here is life. >> sarah, with a winter juror by juror is this your verdict, do you stand by it, not a pause of the seven men and five women, no pause, no nothing, every single one of them, yes, yes, yes. they were completely in agreement, i took them only three hours after 28 days of testimony. >> they convicted him with conviction. i think early on these jurors had made up their mind and to me the jury spoke i had my heart broken by jurors many times over the years the last two decades but i really did not expect this i did not expect a guilty verdict i did not expect such a quick verdict obviously usually quick means guilty. i definitely thought there would at least be a hung jury. only because we had this big lie but also explanation for it, there was also a contact sport, while he was lying about being at the kennels he was also insisting on data was exculpatory to him he was asking t

i spoke with two of maggie murdaugh's close friends who told me this verdict is the justice they have been hoping for. >> thank you. >>> iran has agreed to reconnect surveillance cameras at nuclear sites and ramp up u.n. inspections. u.n. officials welcomed the news, saying to bodes well for the possibility of reviving the 2015 iran nuclear deal. today ukrainian traps rappelled russian strikes around bakhmut. but the battle for the city has raged on for seven months and the stakes are high on both sides. >> reporter: russian forces be closing in. the battle for bakhmut is in such a confined area, ukrainian soldiers are surrounded on three sides and yet they keep fighting. despite the enormous cost. in a grim propaganda video the founder of the russia-backed wagner mercenary group points to crudely made wooden coffins saying we are sending another shipment of ukrainian army fighters back home. capturing bakhmut is unlikely to change the trajectory of the war. but seizing the city has been an all-consuming goal for moscow after a series of major setbacks, president vladimir putin is des

the jury will have to decide if murdaugh killed his wife maggie and son paul. re than 70 witnesses testified in the trial, which spanned more than six weeks. murdaugh admitted on the stand he lied to investigators about where he was the night of the murders, but he has fervently denied he committed the killings. murdaugh's defense attorney said today in closing arguments that he could not have committed these murders, but the prosecution pushed back reminding the jury about mur murdaugh's lies. >> alec would not have killed the people he loved the most in the world. >> but you don't lie and misremember being at the scene of a murder. >> cnn's randi kaye was inside the courtroom and in walterboro, south carolina, today and has been following this case closely really for years now. randi, before the defense gave their closing arguments there was a juror dismissed. what happened? >> well, john, this juror was dismissed for speaking with other people about the case, not fellow jurors but just other people and every day in the court the judge reiterates to the jury t

alex murdaugh can be heard talking in the background. >> i was nowhere near paul and maggie when theyot shot. >> reporter: despite his denials, prosecutors say murdaugh killed them to distract from his alleged financial schemes that were coming to light. he'd been confronted about missing funds at his law firm and his personal finances were about to be exposed at an upcoming court hearing. >> there were plenty of times where i took money that i s shouldn't have taken. >> reporter: murdaugh's defense team has pushed back on the alleged motive, and this devs witness told the jury after analyzing the jury's trajectory, he determined someone much shorter than alex murdaugh who was about 6'5" likely was responsible for killing his wife. >> it puts the shooter or whoever fired the well, if they were that tall, it puts them in an unrealistic shooting position. >> now you're up to speed. let's slow down for a second. i want to go right to the evidence. you know, it comes down to two things that every single prosecutor has to contend with. i'm talking motive and opportunity. and without direct

. >> marianne: prosecution laid out their case against alex murdaugh describing the likely time moments of maggie and paul murdaugh. >> maggie sees what happens and comes running to her baby, last thing on her mind thinking he had done this. running to her baby and he's picked up the blackout and opens fire at close range. the pressures on this man were unbearable and they were all reaching a crescendo the day his wife and son were murdered by him. >> marianne: on wednesday the jurors toured the murdaugh property where maggie and paul murdaugh were killed and went inside the family home. there was a bullet hole. murdaugh says their home was far enough frothe kennel that someo may not hear gunshots. >> right now 10 jurors have made up their mind, even 11 and maybe one is on the fence. >> marianne: in less than two years, the case has gone from shocking murders to reports alex murdaugh's wife and son were shot, a not guilty plea and high-profile trial beginning on january 23rd with jury selection. murdaugh is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon. jurors will be

person. >> reporter: the judge then handing down his sentence. >> in the murder of your wife, maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for the term of the rest of your natural life. for the murder of paul murdaugh, whom you probably loved so much, i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. >> reporter: murdaugh's surviving son buster and his brother looking on as he was led away. inside the courtroom, juror craig moyer, who revealed to abc news in an exclusive interview how the jury reached its decision. when you first got in the room you took a vote. what was the vote? >> it was two not guilty, one not sure, and nine guilty. >> reporter: what was your vote? >> guilty. >> reporter: moyer saying it took less than an hour of deliberations for the jury to agree. >> probably about 45, maybe an hour. >> reporter: that's really fast. >> the evidence was clear. >> reporter: that juror telling me the key piece of evidence was the video with murdaugh's own voice, along with his wife and son, placing him at the scene of the crime. >> hey, he's got a bird in his mouth. >> bubba

in the murder of your wife maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for a term of your natural life. you probably love so much. i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. those sentences will run consecutive. there've been further disclosures from the daily telegraph about the uk's former health secretary matt hancock, following the publication of photos of him with his then lover, in contravention of covid guidance at the time. they're the latest in the paper's publication of a vast cache of messages from mr hancock relating to the pandemic. 0ur correspondent ione wells has more from westminster these messages published tonight reveal the scramble that took place after this photograph was published by the sun newspaper of matt hancock kissing his age. matt hancock kissing his aid. essentially, they show his adviser asking matt hancock to think very carefully about whether any rules could have been broken. matt hancock, who was health secretary at the time, asks for clarification about what the covid rules and guidance were at the time that that pho

in the murder of your wife maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for a term of your natural life. probably love so much. i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. those sentences will run consecutive. 0ur washington correspondent gary 0'donoghue told us about the interest in the case in the us. there's a number of different television series that have been broadcast about it. people have been digging into the background of the case itself, which has been viewed, obviously, unfolding over the last few weeks on live television. there has been a great deal of interest. it sort of culminated here in these two life sentences for alex murdaugh, although he does plan to appeal, and will face other charges connected to financial, alleged financial crimes that could give them hefty sentences. as things stand he is injailfor life. police officers in greece have raided the station where two trains collided on tuesday night. the crash left at least 57 people dead, and led to widespread complaints that the network has long—term safety issues. reports suggest

see it specifically that alex murdaugh killed paul murdaugh and alex murdaugh curled -- killed maggie murdaugh a rifle was almost shocking to see those words come out specifically because i am not sure if anybody believed he truly pulled both triggers. >> he said he had nothing to do with the murderers. >> he appeared in court with a shaved head wearing clothes from his defense attorney son. >> a part of a long legal legacy he will soon learn his fate in a court room where a painting of his great- grandfather hangs. will >> what are they doing to try to save him and help him with all these crimes and what more don't we know about the situation? >> your client was paul murdaugh and now your client is alex murdaugh who is the person of interest in the murder of paul. isn't that conflicting? >> if i thought for one minute that he had a hand in killing maggie and paul then yes i would be conflicted, but i do not think that for a minute. not one minutes. >> everybody needs to know the truth about one bit of everything. i am anxious to find out a lot of truth. >> somebody knows what happened. they n

state department of corrections on each of the murder indictments in the murder of your wife maggie murdaugh, i sentence you for a term of the rest of your natural life. for the murder of paul murdaugh, whom you probably loved so much, i sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. those sentences will run consecutive. under the statute of possession of a crime there is no sentence where life -- a life sentence is imposed on other indictments. that's the sentence of the court and you are remanded to the state department of corrections. officers may carry forth on that position. >> your honor? >> yes, sir? >> there you have it. the disbarred, disgraced now convicted killer alex murdaugh leaving that courtroom in south carolina. judge newman essentially throwing the book at him sentencing him to natural life sentences. two natural life sentences for killing his wife and son. let's bring in nbc senior legal correspondent laura jarrett. judge newman there at times explaining the decision before announcing the sentence at times it seemed very personal for him. >> in

these crimes. >> reporter: with emotional descriptions painting the state's picture of maggie and paul murdaugh'sve wounds. you heard paul had no indication that he detected a threat from the person who fired that weapon. and why? because it was him. same with maggie. maggie see what's happens when she comes running over there, running to her baby. >> after denying he was ever at the crime scene before the murders, prosecutors say the video found on paul's phone changed everything. forcing his bombshell testimony admitting he had been at the kennels in the minutes before the state says paul and maggie were killed there. >> one thing i'll agree with him, he said up there, oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first practice this. how appropriate coming from that man. >> reporter: jurors getting to see that crime scene for themselves wednesday morning. a media pool granted access after the jury tour describes the now overgrown, deserted property as haunting. the last place maggie and paul were seen alive. >> we couldn't bring you any eyewitnesses because they were murdered. >> now the prosecutors

information that was gathered during the course of this double murder investigation of paul and maggie murdaughnt on, we've seen rumors and innuendo. a lot of it has found its way into documentaries and podcasts and social media where rabid followers of that murdaugh murder trial began to talk about the stephen smith case. buster murdaugh, the only surviving son of alex murdaugh was a classmate of stephen smith and has been at the center of those rumors. he broke his silence today in a statement sent to cnn where he basically said he hadn't been talking about this at all because, look, his father was on trial for the murder of his brother and his mother, he's been grieving. he added these baseless rumors of my involvement with stephen and his death are false. i unequivocally deny any involvement in his death and my heart goes out to the smith family. jake, state law enforcement division has never, ever discussed what that information they gleaned from the murdaugh murders investigation was in terms of stephen smith. >> so what are the next steps into the investigation into smith's death? >> rep

based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of paul and maggie murdaugh attention to the case peaking gn monthshs leaeading u up toto a murdaugh's trial for the crime and a new netflix docuseries drawing ties between smith and buster murdaugh who were rumored by some to be in an intimate relationship >> that name was, he goes by buster murdaugh. >> reporter: but buster murdaugh for the first time publicly challenging any and all implications three was involved. i've tried my best to ignore the vicious rumors about my involvement in stephen smith's tragic death that continuing to published in the media as i grieve over the brutal murders of my brother and mother i love them so much and miss them terribly. murdaugh adding that he's still coping with their loss and the incarceration of his father while being harassed these baseless rumors of my involvement with stephen and his death are false. i unequivocally deny any involvement in his death and my heart goes out to the smith family >> i need answers. i'm a mother i need answers >> reporter: and how those a

based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of paul and maggie murdaughily of any wrong doing in the case. alex murdaugh has also confessed to stealing a $4 million settlement from the sons of his family's housekeeper, gloria satterfield. satterfield died in 2018 after an apparent trip and fall at the murdaugh family home. the family and their attorney spoke out for the first time with craig about her death. >> how much money did the family get after gloria died? >> zero. >> police also reopened the investigation into her death, which is still ongoing. and one of gloria satterfield's children testified during this trial, the attorney representing the family were here, after the verdict was handed down, they released a statement saying in part, quote, alex murdaugh will drink from the same cup of justice as every other citizen and other convicted murderers, the people have spoken, and went on to say, alex's life of lies and deceit ended yesterday. kate, aaron? >> ellison barber for us in south carolina, thank you. >>> we're also hearing from murdaugh's def

into stephen's death based on information gathered while investigating the murders of paul and maggie murdaugh.d. has not said what was found. >> he went to school with buster. and they played like little league ball together. >> reporter: during interviews in the case file released by highway patrol to cnn, the murdaugh name is mentioned dozens of times by both witnesses and investigators including the name of buster. during one audio interview then south carolina state trooper todd probctor says this -- >> he was on our radar. >> reporter: why buster was on their radar is still unclear. neither he nor anybody else has been charged in this case. and 2 for the first time buster murdaugh is commenting publicly. he says these baseless rumors of my involvement with stephen and his death are false. i deny any involvement in his death and my heart goes out to the smith family. randi kaye, cnn. >> intriguing. >>> a colorado dentist arrested in connection with the poisoning death of his wife was, quote, searching for ways to kill someone undetected according to a police affidavit filed monday. >> he