The South Carolina attorney appealed his conviction of killing his wife and son, arguing that the clerk of court's comments to jurors influenced their decision.

The emotional testimony from victims who had been duped by the disgraced lawyer came before a judge accepted a deal sentencing Murdaugh to 27 years in prison for stealing about $12 million.

The autopsy was completed this weekend on the exhumed body of a teenager found dead nearly eight years ago on a South Carolina road, according to the family's lawyer.

The 54-year-old, who belongs to one of the most prominent families in South Carolina, faces a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for each murder conviction.

Court papers made public to date don't indicate how police linked the once-powerful lawyer to the June 2021 deaths. Prosecutors agreed to keep the evidence secret amid media attention.

Alex Murdaugh's lawyers say he can't afford to buy new underwear or pay his phone bill after his accounts were frozen so victims won't lose their chance to collect settlements.