After less than three hours, the jury in the murder trial for Alex Murdaugh found him guilty of both murder charges as well weapons charges. When reading the verdict, the defendant's face was emotionless, something that legal experts found shocking.
"I was struck by the lack of emotion from Alex Murdaugh. He just sort of nodded his head, stared straight face," said CNN's Dianne Gallagher. "I wrote it down. He was shaking straight face as he listened to that, he didn't look back at his family or Buster his son. That's something we saw him do this entire trial. He had moments where he's incredibly emotional, shaking, crying, making sounds throughout this entire trial, and there was nothing there from them as he was found guilty of killing Maggie and Paul."
Erin Burnett agreed, noting that as the panel watched it together, "his lack of emotion, especially — this was so crucial what Diane pointed out, there were moments in this trial where he was shaking and crying and making noises. He was absolutely motionless that we could see tonight."
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aaronberg called Murdaugh a "professional manipulator."
"It's his real self. He's used to manipulating others with his words and emotions," said Aaronberg. "It is Paul, Paul, Paul when he takes the stands. And it's not Maggie but 'Mags' and cries on cue. What you saw was a real Alex Murdaugh held accountable for what he did great is long overdue. You saw more emotion from Buster and others, his son. this is a guy that lied to his family from day one. It's ironic in the end that it was a victim Paul Murdaugh who solved his own murder."
They certainly weren't the only ones who noticed the lack of emotion. Chicago reporter Danielle Ellis posted the video of him as he remained emotionless.
Watch the CNN segment below or at this link.