Alex Murdaugh was found guilty yesterday of the murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul after a six-week trial.
There was a mountain of evidence and long, emotional testimonials from many of those involved.
But some important questions remain unanswered.
Here, DailyMail.com solves the riddles that prosecutors still couldn’t solve.
Alex Murdaugh with his lawyer. He was found guilty of double murder, but many questions remain unanswered
WHY DID ALEX MURDAUGH KILL HIS WIFE AND SON?
The prosecution put forward the theory that Murdaugh killed his wife and son because his life was spiraling out of control, but they did not pinpoint a specific motive.
He was battling a crippling opioid addiction that he testified about, mounting financial problems, and his marriage was falling apart.
All these factors led to rampant speculation.
Did Alex kill Maggie because she was planning to divorce him, and that would have exposed his financial crimes?
Did he shoot Paul because his drunken boating accident, which led to the death of a teenage girl, put the family in financial jeopardy?
While hints at both were made both inside and outside the courtroom, prosecutors couldn’t pinpoint specifically when or why he snapped.
WHERE ARE THE MURDER WEAPONS?
The Murdaugh family had an impressive arsenal of guns, but none of the firearms seized matched the ballistics of the crime scene.
Prosecutors said Paul was shot in the head and chest with a shotgun, while Maggie was shot five times with an assault rifle. They suggested that she was running away at the time and that the fatal shot was an execution-style blow to the head.
None of the weapons described have ever been recovered.
A missing gun Alex bought for Paul could be a match, prosecutors said, but it was never found.
WHY IS BUSTER MURDAUGH ACTING HIS FATHER DURING THE TRIAL?
Buster, Maggie and Alex’s only surviving son, consistently stood by his father’s side throughout the grueling six-week process.
His support for him was a marked shift from when he told DailyMail.com that he didn’t want it to be “written anywhere” that he supported him.
Buster took the stand in his father’s defense to tell the jury he was “devastated” by the murders.
He stopped by stating that he didn’t think his father was capable of killing, but he was very much in his corner throughout the proceedings.
His support for him remains unexplained.
WHERE ARE THE “BLOODY CLOTHES” APPEARING MORDAUGH WEARED AT THE TIME OF THE MURDERS?
The prosecution told a grand jury that Murdaugh’s shirt had “blood splatters” from the murders.
It was part of the evidence that led them to charge him. But it turned out to be false.
During the trial, it was found that no blood was ever found on the white T-shirt Murdaugh wore when he was first questioned by police after the murders.
Videos from that night show him wearing a different set of clothing several hours earlier, and it’s unclear if those items of clothing were ever confiscated or tested for DNA or blood.
Murdaugh told the court he changed because it was hot that day and he was working on the property.
Buster Murdaugh also testified that it was not uncommon for his father to shower several times a day.
WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY?
Murdaugh is accused of fraudulently obtaining $14 million by both embezzling his law firm and deposing the sons of his late housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.
He told the court that he spent $50,000 a week on drugs, but even a consistent habit wouldn’t have burned up all that money as quickly as he claims he did.
He faces separate charges of financial crimes. It’s unclear how the murder conviction will affect that case.
WILL ALEX MURDAUGH APPEAL FOR HIS BELIEF?
Murdaugh maintained his innocence at trial.
Yesterday, his lawyers said in their closing arguments that he only lied about circumstances such as his whereabouts, and that it was because of his habit of lying as a drug addict, but that he had always been honest about his innocence.
It remains to be seen if he will appeal the double murder conviction and continue his efforts to clear his name.
