Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has been writing letters from prison to his friends and family, telling them he did not murder his wife and son.
Murdaugh’s friend, Chuck Arnold, received one of those letters and told The Messenger that the once prominent South Carolina attorney is “a broken man.”
“He’s trying to make amends for the financial crimes he admits that he committed, but he insists he did not kill Maggie and Paul,” Arnold told the outlet.
Arnold also told the outlet that Murdaugh admitted to the numerous financial crimes for which he was accused but maintained he did not kill his wife and son.
A jury found Murdaugh guilty of murder on March 2, and he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
The decision came after just a few hours of deliberation and a six-week trial where more than 70 witnesses testified. Murdaugh has maintained his innocence, suggesting his son Paul was the main target for the murders due to his involvement in a 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
Murdaugh spent nearly two days testifying in his own defense at his trial and immediately admitted to lying for years about his whereabouts on the day his wife and son were murdered.
The prosecution had already argued that Murdaugh lied about not going to the dog kennels on the day his wife and son were murdered. Prosecutor Creighton Waters previously pointed to cell phone evidence taken from Paul’s phone less than five minutes before he was killed. Paul had filmed one of the dogs to send to a friend, and prosecutors allege Murdaugh’s voice can be heard in the background of the recording. Murdaugh has said he wasn’t at the kennels that night. Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh murdered his wife and son around 8:49 p.m., just a few minutes after the video was taken.
When Murdaugh took the stand, his defense attorneys asked him if he had lied to police about his whereabouts on the night his family was murdered, and Murdaugh admitted to lying.
“I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” Murdaugh said, according to People Magazine.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP
Murdaugh maintained that he did not murder his wife and son, whom he referred to by nicknames “Mags” and “Paul Paul.” He claimed during his testimony that his alleged drug addiction made him “paranoid,” which caused him to lie.
“As my addiction evolved over time I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid,” Murdaugh testified. “I’m sorry I lied.”
Murdaugh also testified that his son Paul was receiving threats over his involvement in the boat crash that killed Beach. Paul was indicted on one count of boating under the influence, causing death and two counts of causing significant bodily injury.
“Paul got the most vile threats — the stuff that was on social media — you couldn’t believe it,” Murdaugh testified, according to People. “You couldn’t believe it. It was so over the top, truthfully we didn’t think anything about it, it was so crazy. People talking about what he was going to get. … We disregarded it. It was so over the top.”