Crime Where Is Alex Murdaugh's Dog, Bubba, Who Helped Place the Disgraced Attorney at Murder Scene? Alex Murdaugh was handed down two life sentences after he was convicted of murder and weapons charges for the 2021 slayings of his wife and son By Tristan Balagtas Tristan Balagtas Digital News Writer, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 3, 2023 04:48 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Alex Murdaugh and Bubba. Photo: Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty, Maggie Murdaugh/facebook A beloved family dog proved to play a surprising key role in convincing a jury that Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife and son. In a shocking twist of events during Murdaugh's high-profile, nearly six-week trial, prosecutors presented the court with a Snapchat video captured by Paul Murdaugh the night he was shot and killed by his father. In the damning video, Murdaugh, 54, who prosecutors say killed his wife and son amid personal and financial struggles, is heard retrieving a chicken from family pet Bubba, a yellow Labrador said to be his wife Maggie Murdaugh's favorite dog. Prosecutor Says Alex Murdaugh's Decision to Take Stand Was 'Fatal' Mistake: That's 'What Sealed It for Him' "Come here, Bubba!" Murdaugh was heard saying. "Come here, Bubba!" Alex Murdaugh (center). Chris Carlson/AP/Shutterstock Although Murdaugh firmly maintained his innocence throughout the trial, prosecutors insisted the shocking audio placed him at the scene of the crime — near the dog kennels at the family's sprawling 1,770-acre South Carolina hunting estate — minutes before Paul, 22, and Maggie, 52, were both shot to death. When Murdaugh took the stand earlier this week, he admitted he lied to police regarding his whereabouts the night of the murders. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "Thank God for Bubba," prosecutors said in court, alluding to the Snapchat video. On Friday, Judge Clifton Newman handed down two life sentences to Murdaugh after he was convicted of two counts of murder and two weapons charges for the June 7, 2021 slayings of his wife and son. According to the BBC and WLOS-TV, Bubba now lives with the Murdaugh family's former housekeeper, Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson.