Alex Murdaugh pleads not guilty

Appearing in court Wednesday, the former South Carolina lawyer also sought a speedy trial, his lawyers said, to clear his name so prosecutors could go after “the real killers.” Circuit Judge Clifton Newman denied Murdaugh bond and agreed to submit a written request for a speedy trial and a written gag order for all trial participants. Murdaugh faces 80 other charges, none of which have trial dates set. Those charges include trying to arrange his own death and running a $2 million money laundering and drug ring.

What’s the trial about? Prosecutors have charged Murdaugh on two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent crime. He is accused of killing his wife with a rifle and his son with a shotgun and laying their bodies out by the dog kennels of his hunting estate. Authorities have yet to release any information about how they’ve connected Murdaugh to the killings after 13 months of investigation, although they insist all evidence points to Murdaugh.

Dig deeper: Listen to Lynn Vincent’s new podcast, Lawless, about another husband accused of causing his wife’s death.