Murdaugh murder trial judge speaks on ‘Today Show.’ Here’s what he said

The judge in the Alex Murdaugh trial said he felt sorry for the disgraced lawyer and believes if Murdaugh had the opportunity to go back he would not kill his wife and son.

Judge Clifton Newman appearing on the “Today Show” Wednesday told Today anchor Craig Melvin, who is from Columbia, that Murdaugh worked himself into a hole after stealing millions from clients and using drugs and that he kept plunging deeper and deeper.

Newman said it wasn’t his goal to pull Murdaugh out but wanted to give him the opportunity to say something that could.

Newman said he wasn’t surprised that the jury took less than 3 hours to convict Murdaugh..

“My experience in recent years is that jurors don’t take a long time deliberating after they’ve spent weeks and weeks and weeks listening to testimony and receiving evidence,” Newman said.

The jury was made up of eight women and four men from occupations such as retail, medicine, construction and education.

Murdaugh was convicted in March of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul on June 7, 2021 at their 1,700-acre hunting estate known as Moselle in Hampton and Colleton County. Newman sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences.

Murdaugh is being held in a protective custody unit in a maximum security facility within the S.C. Department of Corrections. The agency said it would not disclose exactly where Murdaugh is being held “for safety and security reasons.”

He has continued to maintain his innocence and is appealing the conviction.

Newman reiterated to Melvin what he said in court — that Maggie and Paul must come to him as he tries to sleep each night.

Melvin asked whether the judge thinks they haunt Murdaugh.

“It has to be. I cannot imagine him having a peaceful night knowing what he did,” Newman said..