Alex Murdaugh called 911 on 7 June 2021 to report that his wife, Margaret ‘Maggie’ Murdaugh, and one of their sons, Paul Murdaugh had been killed at the family’s Islandton hunting Lodge. Alex Murdaugh was indicted on 14 July 2022 for their murders and sentenced to two consecutive prison terms on 3 March.
This case is notable because of the prominence of the Murdaugh family in South Carolina’s legal system. Alex Murdaugh’s great-grandfather, father and grandfather were all top prosecutors in the south. The case is also notable for its many twists and turns, which have enthralled those who have been following it. This has led to Alex facing no less than 80 criminal charges.
Paul, now 20, was arrested in January of that year. He was currently awaiting trial for his involvement in a 2019 boating accident that left a 19-year old dead. Alex was scrutinized for trying to stop any possible prosecution of his son after the incident. He also brought up the deaths of his client, the Murdaugh family’s housekeeper, as well as a student at a gay college who was possibly involved with Buster Murdaugh.
Along with the allegagations of a variety of financial crimes, including hiring a man who would shoot Buster to death in order to receive his $10 million life insurance payment, the unraveling of Alex’s criminal endeavors, culminating into the possibly opioid-fueled killing of his son and wife, raises new questions about the legal protection the Murdaughs seem to have enjoyed for many years. Alex Murdaugh will be serving two life sentences at Columbia’s maximum security Kirkland Correctional Institution.