Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife and 22-year-old son

Chief Mark Keel of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division speaks during a press conference on First, March 3. (CNN)

The chief of the state law enforcement agency that played a role in the investigation of the Murdaugh family murders spoke outside the courthouse shortly after Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison Friday, saying he understood the immense scrutiny the case had placed on his organization.

Chief Mark Keel of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said he rarely holds news conferences, but it was "important for me to speak out ... because Maggie and Paul (Murdaugh) cannot."

Keel said his team worked "under constant scrutiny, constant pressure" in the case.

During the trial, Murdaugh's defense attacked the work of SLED agents in an effort to prove his innocence, claiming the agency had "failed miserably" in their investigation, and going as far as to accuse investigators of fabricating evidence against Murdaugh because his known financial and drug issues made him an "easy target."

Keel said he chose not to speak publicly about the investigation until the trial concluded, because he believed in the criminal justice system and in "the rights of an accused to have a fair trial."

Now that the trial is over, he voiced pride for the investigators' work. Keel said his staff works "day in and day out for days just like today — to bring justice for victims."

"And today is not the end, just the next step in a long road to justice for every person who has been victimized by Alex Murdaugh," Keel said, referencing the 99 separate charges that Murdaugh still faces from a horde of alleged financial crimes.

Alex Murdaugh arrives at the Colleton County Courthouse for his sentencing on Friday, March 3. (Chris Carlson/AP)

After being sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son, Alex Murdaugh was released into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Wearing a brown jumpsuit and handcuffs, he could be seen exiting the courtroom with a law enforcement official guiding him.

Murdaugh is now expected to begin intake and evaluation processing, which is expected to last for several weeks, according to the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. The average time is normally about 45 days.

Murdaugh will remain in a holding facility in Columbia, South Carolina, during that period, according to a South Carolina legal source with knowledge of the situation.

During the sentencing hearing for disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, Judge Clifton Newman said he had to have a portrait of Murdaugh's grandfather removed from the courthouse to ensure a fair trial.

"You have a wife who has been killed, murdered. A son who has been savagely murdered. A lawyer, a person from the respected family who has controlled justice in this community for over a century, a person whose grandfather's portrait hang at the back of the courthouse that I had to have ordered removed in order to ensure that a fair trial was had by both the state and the defense," Newman said during the sentencing hearing.

Family background: Murdaugh was a former personal injury attorney and member of a dynastic family in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather served as the local prosecutor consecutively from 1920 to 2006.

Judge Clifton Newman adjourns court following Alex Murdaugh’s sentencing on Friday, March 3. (Pool)

After sentencing Alex Murdaugh to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son, Judge Clifton Newman adjourned the court.

Before adjourning, Newman gave some instructions on protecting the jurors' identity. He said jurors can choose to speak to the media or stay private and requested that their wishes be respected.

Alex Murdaugh attends a sentencing hearing on Friday, March 3. (Pool) (Pool)

Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole, for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his son Paul Murdaugh.

Alex Murdaugh attends his sentencing hearing on Friday, March 3. (Pool)

Judge Clifton Newman spoke about Alex Murdaugh's lies during the investigation, saying that his slain wife and son must "come and visit" while he is trying to fall asleep, to which Murdaugh responded that he sees them "all day and every night."

Newman said Murdaugh's murder conviction qualifies for the death penalty.

The judge then asked Murdaugh about his statement during testimony about lying to investigators about his whereabouts on the night of the murders.

"Remind me of the expression you gave on the witness stand. ... 'Oh, what tangled web we weave.' What did you mean by that?" he asked, and Murdaugh responded, "I meant that when I lied, I continued to lie." 

The judge then said, "And the question is, when will it end? When will it end? And it has ended already for the jury, because they've concluded that you have continued to lie and lied throughout your testimony." 

Murdaugh said he sees his wife Maggie and son Paul "all day and every night."

"And they will continue to do so and reflect on the last time you looked them in eyes, as you looked the jury in the eyes," Newman said.

Murdaugh again said he is innocent.

Judge Clifton Newman speaks during Alex Murdaugh’s sentencing hearing on Friday, March 3. (Pool)

Before giving his sentence, Judge Clifton Newman spoke of the opioid addiction that Alex Murdaugh admitted on the stand.

Some background: During his trial, Murdaugh said he sometimes took more than 2,000 milligrams of oxycodone per day in the months leading up to the deaths of his wife and son.

It is virtually unheard of for a doctor to prescribe a patient more than 100 milligrams of oxycodone a day, even for the most severe acute or chronic pain.

While 2,000 milligrams sounds astronomical in comparison, taking that much daily is medically possible, according to CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta.

Judge Clifton Newman speaks during Alex Murdaugh’s sentencing hearing on Friday, March 3. (Pool)

Judge Clifton Newman said that Alex Murdaugh's trial was "one of the most troubling cases" for him as a judge, as well as for the state, defense team and the community.

Newman acknowledged he saw Murdaugh on various occasions, since they are both part of the legal community.

"It is also particularly troubling, Mr. Murdaugh, because as a member of the legal community ... we have seen each other at various occasions throughout the years," Newman said. "And it was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go, in the media, as a grieving father who lost a wife and son to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them."

He added, "You have engaged in duplicitous conduct here in the courtroom, here on the witness stand, and as established by the testimony, throughout the time leading from the time of the indictment and prior to the time of the indictment to this point in time."

Newman said he does not expect Murdaugh to confess.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters speaks during Alex Murdaugh’s sentencing hearing on Friday, March 3. (Pool)

Prosecutor Creighton Waters offered condolences to the Murdaugh family and also recommended the maximum sentence for Alex Murdaugh during his sentencing hearing.

"This is a very complicated situation, and I want to offer my condolences to the family that has suffered here," he said.

"The reality remains is that despite all this attention, this case is about Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh, and I'm so thankful that the jurors gave them a voice," Waters added. 

Waters claimed that Alex Murdaugh "liked to stare me down" while they passed each other in the courtroom during the trial.

"I could see the real Alex Murdaugh when he looked at me. The depravity, the callousness, the selfishness of these crimes are stunning. The lack of remorse and the effortless way in which he lies, including sitting right over there on this witness stand. Your honor, a man like that, a man like this man, should never be allowed to be among free, law-abiding citizens again," he said. 

"I would submit to you that the only just sentence here to give justice for Maggie and Paul is the maximum, and that would be two consecutive life sentences," Water said.