Mark Keel, chief of South Carolina’s Law Enforcement Division, said that “in the end Paul was a little detective,” likely alluding to Paul Murdaugh’s cellphone video that placed his dad, Alex Murdaugh, at the crime scene minutes before Paul and his mother were murdered.

“SLED agents have worked tirelessly for the past nearly 21 months to ensure justice was served for Maggie and Paul,” Kent said in a statement Friday. “It was all done under constant pressure and scrutiny. I want my folks to know how incredibly proud I am to be their Chief.”

He added, “Today is not the end, it’s the next step in the long road to justice for every person who has been victimized by Alex Murdaugh.”

“This case serves as notice to anyone who aided or assisted Alex Murdaugh in committing any crime that justice will be sought,” Kent said.

Alex Murdaugh faces about 100 other charges for allegations ranging from money laundering to staging his own death so his surviving son could cash in on his $10 million life insurance policy. Alex Murdaugh has admitted to stealing money from clients.

Defense attorney Jim Griffin said Alex Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster, speaking on his father’s behalf at Friday's sentencing hearing would not have made a difference in the sentence, and only would have put Buster through more trauma.

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian stood by putting Alex Murdaugh on the stand during the trial.

"There was no choice, because he had been made out to be a monster ... he had to try to push back on that," Harpootlian said. "Without taking the stand, he was toast."

"He had to take the stand to explain the video," he said, referring to the cellphone video placing Alex Murdaugh at the scene minutes before the murders.

Harpootlian said he wouldn't change anything about how the defense presented its case.

Harpootlian said the prosecution focused on Alex Murdaugh's character, casting him as a thief and a liar.

"This jury had to think he was a despicable human being and not to be believed. So it was about character, wasn't about motive," he said.

Harpootlian said the defense will file an appeal in 10 days.

Before imposing the sentence of life in prison, Judge Clifton Newman said, “This has been perhaps one of the most troubling cases, not just for me as a judge, for the state, for the defense team, but for all of the citizens in this community, all citizens in this state.”

“A person from a respected family who has controlled justice in this community for over a century. A person whose grandfather's portrait hanging at the back of the courthouse that I had to have ordered removed in order to ensure that a fair trial was held by both the state and the defense," he said.

To the convicted attorney, Newman said, “As a member of the legal community and a well-known member of the legal community, you've practiced law before me, and we've seen each other at various occasions throughout the years. And that was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go in the media from being a grieving father who lost a wife and a son to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them.”

“I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the night when you are attempting to go to sleep,” the judge said. “I'm sure they come and visit you.”

"This case qualifies under our death penalty statute," the judge said. "I don't question at all the decision of the state not to pursue the death penalty. But as I sit here in this courtroom and look around the many portraits of judges and other court officials, and reflect on the fact that over the past century, your family, including you, have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct. … The question is, when will it end? When will it end? And it's ended already for the jury, because they've concluded that you continue to lie and lied throughout your testimony."

Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Friday to life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and their youngest son.

The life sentences for each murder will run consecutively.

Before the judge imposed the sentence, Murdaugh said, “I’ll tell you again. I respect this court. But I am innocent, and I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son, Paul."

Judge Clifton Newman responded, "It might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. Maybe you become another person. I've seen that before."

The judge said, "The person standing before me was not the person who committed the crime, though it's the same individual."