Alex Murdaugh appeals against murder convictions and life sentence

Disgraced lawyer was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife and son in 2021

Alex Murdaugh was recently convicted of murdering his wife and son. AP

The legal team for disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh filed a notice to appeal against the convictions for the murder of his son and wife, as well as his life sentences.

Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and their youngest son Paul at the family's South Carolina hunting lodge in June 2021.

Murdaugh could have received a minimum sentence of 30 years behind bars, but Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman gave him the maximum sentence of two life sentences without parole.

The former lawyer maintained his innocence at the time of sentencing.

Authorities said Paul Murdaugh was killed by a shotgun blast while Maggie Murdaugh was struck with four or five bullets from a different firearm. Mobile phone video recorded by Paul Murdaugh showed that his father was at the scene of the crime minutes before their death.

One juror after the trial said that footage was an integral factor in the jury reaching its decision.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours after listening to more than 75 witnesses during the six-week trial.

The Associated Press contributed to this report