Wikipedia

Murdaugh family

(Redirected from Margaret Kennedy Branstetter)
Not to be confused with Murdoch family.

The Murdaugh family (/ˈmɜːrdɒk/ MUR-dok) is an American family from the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. Three generations named Randolph Murdaugh served consecutively as circuit solicitor (the elected prosecuting attorney) for the state's 14th judicial district between 1920 and 2006. The family's prominence led locals to call the five-county district "Murdaugh Country". In addition to the legal positions, Randolph Murdaugh Sr. established the Murdaugh family law firm, now called the Parker Law Group, which specializes in personal injury litigation.

Beaufort Gazette, 1920: Randolph Murdaugh Sr., candidate for solicitor of the 14th judicial district

A fourth-generation son, affluent lawyer Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh, secretly led a life of crime that included acts of fraud, corruption, embezzlement, theft and drug offenses spanning decades and involving dozens of victims, many of whom were disadvantaged. The crimes culminated in 2021 when Alex murdered his wife Maggie and son Paul using multiple guns at close range. Murdaugh's trial ended with his conviction and sentencing to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. The case captured national attention for many years and generated extensive media coverage, films and books.

14th District

edit
 
A map showing the judicial circuit districts of South Carolina

From 1920 to 2006, three members of the Murdaugh family served as the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th circuit solicitors for the five-county area of South Carolina's Lowcountry region within the 14th judicial district;[1][2] the family's influence in the area led to it being colloquially known as "Murdaugh Country."[3]

In South Carolina, the circuit solicitor–analogous to the district attorney in other U.S. jurisdictions–is in charge of prosecuting all criminal cases within their jurisdiction.[4] The 14th judicial district oversees Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, Beaufort and Jasper counties. It is the only judicial circuit in the state to cover five counties.[5] According to columnist Kathleen Parker, the justice system of the 14th district was regarded as rigged and local attorneys would make a motion to settle a case rather than go to trial there.[3]

The Murdaugh family was one of South Carolina's most prominent legal families, and were featured in the cover story for a 1989 issue of Carolina Lawyer magazine.[6][7] Because of the family's decades-long control of the office of solicitor in the 14th district, they wielded enormous judicial and political power for almost a century.[8] Following several criminal incidents involving Murdaugh family members in the late 2010s and early 2020s, their influence on the local judicial system was scrutinized.[9]

Family law firm

edit

The Murdaugh family law firm, formerly known as Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED), specialized in personal injury litigation. PMPED built its success in the early 2000s due to a state law that made it easier for plaintiffs to forum shop. The law permitted South Carolina residents "to file a suit in any county in which an out-of-state company own[ed] property and conduct[ed] business—regardless of where an accident took place."[10]

In Hampton County, trial judges generally avoided transferring cases, and plaintiffs' attorneys had a reputation for abusing subpoena power. This legal climate led to the 14th circuit district being named the third worst "judicial hellhole for defendants" by the American Tort Reform Association.[11] Because of PMPED's success in suing CSX Transportation, the county was known as a "site of pilgrimage" for those with personal injury lawsuits against railroads; PMPED's offices became known locally as "the house that CSX built".[8] Due to the firm's activities, doing business in Hampton County became a legal liability, resulting in the county losing potential employers.[10]

Reforms enacted in 2005 by both the state supreme court and state legislature changed South Carolina's corporate venue law, ending plaintiffs' ability to easily forum shop in Hampton County.[12] PMPED changed its name to The Parker Law Group in 2022 shortly before Alex Murdaugh's murder trial.[13]

Murdaugh hunting estate

edit

The Murdaugh family hunting estate near Islandton, situated on the Salkehatchie River, was formerly called Moselle. After the convictions of Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife and son, which took place on the estate, the 1,770 acre property was rebranded Cross Swamp Farm and listed for sale. It sold for $3.9 million to buyers who wanted the land for hunting and farming. The new owners were not interested in the house and partitioned the buildings and about 21 surrounding acres into a separate property and resold it in 2024 for $1 million, well below market value. The buyer was a locally based home restoration professional who quickly made significant changes to the look and layout of the house.[14][15]

Notable members

edit

Randolph Murdaugh Sr.

edit
Main article: Randolph Murdaugh Sr.

Randolph Murdaugh Sr. was born in Varnville in 1887, the youngest son of Josiah Putnam Murdaugh II, a wealthy Lowcountry businessman, and Annie Marvin Murdaugh (née Davis).[16][17] His maternal grandfather, Joseph W. Davis, was a cousin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.[18] Randolph Sr. attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated from the University of South Carolina (USC) law school in 1910.[7][19] After graduation, he founded a one-man law firm in Hampton, 78 miles (126 kilometers) west of Charleston,[17] and ran a local daily newspaper called The Hampton County Herald.[5] Randolph Sr. married Etta Causey Harvey in 1914 and they had two sons, Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr. and John Glen “Johnny” Murdaugh.[16]

In 1920 Randolph Sr. became solicitor in the 14th judicial circuit. He held the position until 1940, when he was killed in a collision between his car and a Charleston and Western Carolina (C&WC) freight train at a grade crossing outside Varnville.[19]

John Glen “Johnny” Murdaugh

Randolph Sr.'s youngest son, Johnny Murdaugh (1918–1987), joined the United States Army and served as a paratrooper in World War II. He was the highest decorated veteran of that war from Hampton County, receiving a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. After the war he left the Army and returned to Hampton County and became a farmer.[16]

Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh Jr.

edit
Main article: Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh Jr.

Randolph Sr. was succeeded by his son, Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., who served as circuit solicitor from 1940 to 1986.[20] In his forty-six years in office, Buster ran opposed only twice.[5] A few months after the train collision, Buster sued the C&WC, claiming that poor maintenance of the grade crossing had contributed to his father's death. Although there was speculation that the crash wasn't an accident, with some believing that Randolph Sr. intentionally stopped his car on the tracks to commit suicide or that the crash was alcohol-related, the C&WC settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum.[18]

Buster was known for "his love of chewing tobacco, his courtroom prowess and his flair for acting out murders before spellbound juries".[8] According to Professor John Blume of Cornell Law School, Buster was rebuked several times by the state supreme court for improper closing arguments in death penalty cases and for arguing in a rape case that if the defendant was acquitted he would release other accused rapists. In 1956 he was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly warning a bootlegger to move a moonshine still into a neighboring county to avoid revenuers; he was acquitted. Buster retired in 1986 and died in 1998.[8]

Randolph Murdaugh III

edit
Main article: Randolph Murdaugh III

Buster was succeeded as solicitor by his son, Randolph Murdaugh III, who took office in 1986.[21] He ran unopposed in every election and held office until retiring in 2006.[5] Randolph III was married to Elizabeth Alexander[22] and had four children including three sons, Randolph IV (called Randy) and Richard Alexander (called Alex, b. May 27, 1968),[23] both of whom entered the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED) law firm; and John Marvin.[24] In 2019 Randolph III was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian recognition, by Governor Henry McMaster.[8] He retired in 2006 and died of natural causes on June 10, 2021.[25]

Alex Murdaugh

edit
See also: Trial of Alex Murdaugh

Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh was born May 27, 1968.[26] He graduated from University of South Carolina in 1990 and from University of South Carolina's School of Law in 1994.[27] He soon joined the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED) law firm, volunteering part-time in the 14th circuit solicitor's office. Alex married Margaret Kennedy Branstetter (called Maggie)[28] and had two sons, Richard Alexander Jr. (called Buster) and Paul. On March 2, 2023, Alex was convicted of the shooting deaths of Margaret and Paul and is currently serving two life sentences in prison, without the possibility of parole.[29]

Maggie Murdaugh

edit

Margaret “Maggie” Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh (September 15, 1968 – June 7, 2021) was an American socialite from South Carolina.

Buster Murdaugh

edit

Richard Alexander “Buster” Murdaugh, Jr. (b. 1996) is the surviving son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh. He received an undergraduate degree from Wofford College, in 2018, and then went to law school at his father's alma mater the University of South Carolina School of Law. After his first year, he was not readmitted due to a low grade point average. His father reportedly paid a lawyer $60,000 to lobby the dean for Buster to be re-admitted with an upwardly adjusted GPA.[30]

In the Stephen Smith death case, Buster was mentioned dozens of times by both witnesses and investigators as possibly being involved. Buster was also alleged to have had a relationship with Smith, who was openly gay. Buster has denied involvement with Smith: "These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false."[31] Buster offered an alibi, saying he was at the family beach house in Edisto Beach with his mother and brother (now both deceased), when Smith was killed.[32] In June 2024, Buster sued Netflix, Warner Bros. and others for defamation, saying he was falsely accused of murder.[33][34]

In the Mallory Beach death case, Buster was implicated because he had loaned his ID to his younger brother Paul, who was similar in appearance but underaged so that he could illegally buy alcohol. In January 2023 Buster reached a settlement with Beach's family and three other passengers involved in the fatal crash.[35]

According to his testimony in the Maggie and Paul murder case, Buster, who maintains his father's innocence, was over 200 miles away at his girlfriend's house in Rock Hill when the murders took place. After receiving a phone call from Alex telling him that his mother and brother had been shot dead, he immediately drove to Moselle.[36][37]

Paul Murdaugh

edit

At the time of his murder, Paul Terry Murdaugh (April 14, 1999 – June 7, 2021) was under criminal indictment for the wrongful death of Mallory Beach. However, her death was not the motive for Alex's murder of Paul.[38][22][28] He was a student at the University of South Carolina and had a summer job working at his uncle John Marvin Murdaugh's Kubota tractor dealership.[39]

edit

As of December 2024, Alex Murdaugh faced a total of 102 grand jury criminal charges and 19 indictments relating to fraud and drug offenses. There were three charges from the Hampton County grand jury and 99 from the State Grand Jury. Murdaugh is also a defendant in three separate lawsuits. He has been disbarred, has had his assets seized, and is currently serving two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife and son.

edit

Murder of Stephen Smith

edit

On July 8, 2015, Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student at Orangeburg–Calhoun Technical College, was found dead from blunt force trauma on a rural road in Hampton County approximately 15 miles from the Murdaugh family's Moselle estate.[40] The case was initially ruled a hit and run, with no suspects arrested.[41][42][43] Smith was openly gay and a high school classmate of Alex's oldest son, Buster.[44] Witnesses interviewed as part of the original investigation repeatedly implicated Buster as having been involved in a relationship with Smith, but the case went cold.[42][45] According to The Greenville News, "rumors hinting at a cover-up and the possible involvement of one or more members of the Murdaugh family ... began circulating around the Hampton County area" soon after Smith's death.[41] According to the Beaufort County Island Packet, the case "reeked of insider interference".[46]

In June 2021, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) re-opened the investigation into Smith's death, based on evidence found while investigating the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.[47] On March 22, 2023, SLED announced Smith's death was a murder and not a hit and run accident.[48] No charges or indictments have been issued relating to Smith's killing as of December 2024.[49] Buster released a statement to the press denying his involvement in which he said that he was at the family beach house in Edisto Beach with his mother and brother when Smith was killed,[50] and that "these baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false."[51]

Death of Gloria Satterfield

edit

On February 2, 2018, the Murdaughs' longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, suffered a severe head injury when she allegedly was tripped by one of the Murdaugh's dogs and fell down the front steps of the family home on the Moselle estate. She died in a hospital on February 26, 2018, of complications related to the fall, including a stroke. The incident had been reported as a "trip and fall" accident, but no coroner was notified, no autopsy was performed and the death certificate, incongruously, attributed the death to "natural causes." A coroner testified that describing her death on the death certificate as "natural" was improper.[52]

Satterfield's two sons were awarded a $4.3 million insurance policy payout from the Murdaugh's insurer for her accidental and/or natural death, but by 2021 they had not received any money. According to sources, Alex Murdaugh, banker Chad Westendorf, and attorney Cory Fleming conspired to steal the payout by diverting the money to Alex's bank account, then not notifying the Satterfields that the payout had occurred. The Satterfields, represented by malpractice attorney Eric Bland,[53] were ultimately able to recover more than $6.5 million during subsequent lawsuits.[54][55][56]

On September 15, 2021, authorities announced they opened a criminal investigation into Gloria Satterfield's death. In June 2022, authorities received permission to exhume her body to continue investigating her death.[57][58]

In August 2023, Cory Fleming pleaded guilty to 23 charges including breach of trust with fraudulent intent and money laundering and was subsequently sentenced to 13 years, 10 months in prison and disbarred.[59] On November 28, 2023, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to embezzling the insurance money and was sentenced to 27-years in prison for this and other financial crimes. See Murdaugh family#Federal indictment 22 counts. Chad Westendorf was not indicted and was dropped from the subsequent lawsuits, but his bank's CEO was fired.[60]

Death of Mallory Beach

edit
Main article: Death of Mallory Beach

In February 2019, Alex's younger son, Paul Murdaugh, was charged with three felonies following the death of his teenage friend, Mallory Beach, in a boating accident.[2][22][38] Paul's blood alcohol content was .286, over three times the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle (though at the time of the accident, Paul was underage and the legal limit did not apply); yet, despite being the driver of the boat, Paul was not given a field sobriety test, was not taken to jail for booking, nor was he ever handcuffed. This led to the speculation that he had received special treatment owing to his family connections.[2][25][9][61] The judge denied a prosecutorial request that he wear an alcohol monitor.[2][61]

In their wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaughs, Beach's family implicated Alex and Buster in providing alcohol to the then-underage Paul.[62][63] As of September 2021, SLED was investigating allegations that police may have been pressured not to charge Paul.[6] The family of Connor Cook, one of the teens aboard the boat during the accident, filed a lawsuit claiming Alex had encouraged them to retain attorney Cory Fleming in order to orchestrate the protection of Paul.[56]

The Beach case began the unraveling of Alex's criminal enterprise by exposing information that led to an inquiry into his alleged financial wrongdoing. In the days before the killing of Maggie and Paul, a judge had scheduled a hearing to consider a motion to compel Alex to turn over his financial records. Likewise, Maggie had arranged for a forensic accountant to review the family finances.[2][25][64]

Assisted suicide fraud

edit

On September 3, 2021, Alex resigned from his law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED), after the firm confronted him over suspected embezzlement.[25] According to The New York Times, the amount involved was "in the millions."[25] From this point forward, "Alex Murdaugh's house of cards began to collapse", and the case became a national sensation making regular mainstream headlines.[58]

The following day, Alex was grazed by a gunshot to the head while changing a tire on a rural road. He claimed a truck slowed down, shot him, and drove away. The injury was superficial, and he was released from the hospital soon after.[65] On September 6, Alex released a statement saying he was entering a rehabilitation facility in Orlando, Florida, for substance abuse treatment.[2]

On September 14, SLED announced that Alex's former client and distant cousin, Curtis Edward Smith – who had also been Alex's source for an oxycodone addiction – had been arrested for having conspired with Alex to kill him in the roadside shooting. Alex's death would allow his son Buster to receive a $10 million insurance payout. Smith was charged with assisted suicide, aggravated assault and battery, and insurance fraud. Alex, suffering from "massive depression," and wanting to kill himself, admitted to concocting the assisted suicide as a murder scheme. He claimed he was motivated by a mistaken belief that Buster would not receive the insurance money if Alex committed suicide himself.[66] On November 4, the Hampton County grand jury issued three charges against Alex in the assisted suicide scheme.[67][68]

Curtis Edward Smith denied the version of events. He said it had nothing to do with insurance fraud, and that he never shot Alex, only pointed the gun towards the sky and fired to scare "sense" into Alex.[69]

Embezzlement

edit

Attorney Justin Bamberg represents eight people, including the sons of Gloria Satterfield, from whom he says Alex stole money while serving as their lawyer.[70] He later said the total number of embezzlement victims might be between thirty and fifty, and the total amount stolen could be as high as $20 million. According to the Island Packet, it is unclear what became of the money.[71]

Hakeem Pinckney was a deaf African-American man involved in a 2009 traffic accident that required permanent life support. Murdaugh personally represented Pinckney's family in a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the tires on the vehicle; the family was awarded a settlement. In 2011, Pinckney died at a care facility after his ventilator was, according to a Pinckney lawyer, "mysteriously unplugged".[72] PMPED handled a wrongful death lawsuit against the care facility. Murdaugh allegedly introduced Pinckney's family to Russell Laffitte, the CEO of Palmetto State Bank, to manage the Pinckney finances due to the size of the settlements. The Pinckneys received some money, but an estimated $800,000 to $1 million went missing. In January 2022, the board of Palmetto State Bank fired Laffitte after allegations came to light that he conspired with Alex to defraud Pinckney.[73][72][74]

The family of Blondell Gray, who was killed in an ambulance crash in 2012, is currently owed more than $112,000 which was stolen by Alex.[70] The mother of Sandra Taylor, a Beaufort resident killed by a drunk driver in Colleton County in 2019, received only $30,000 of an $180,000 settlement.[70]

Murdaugh pleaded guilty and was sentenced on November 28, 2023 to 27-years in prison for these and other financial crimes. See Murdaugh family#Federal indictment 22 counts.

Charges for narcotics distribution

edit

In June 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted on two counts by the State Grand Jury related to conspiring with accomplice Curtis Edward Smith (a distant cousin) to purchase and distribute narcotics using a money-laundering scheme involving $2.4 million in stolen money. The indictment alleges that Murdaugh and Smith used hundreds of illegal transactions "to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of illegally obtained narcotics" in several counties throughout South Carolina over eight years starting in 2013.[75][76]

Lindsey Edwards allegations

edit

In August 2022, a South Carolina-based former sex worker named Lindsey Edwards was interviewed on FITSNews. She claimed she first "serviced" Alex Murdaugh at a private party with other locally powerful unnamed men where drugs were being consumed. She said the encounter turned into rape when he began choking her as she clawed at his arms to escape while being "violently penetrated". Edwards said normally such an encounter would be handled by her madam's bouncer, but the madam chose not to intervene because the madam had an exchange of services agreement with Murdaugh. Edwards alleged at least three more similar violent "sessions" with Murdaugh in which she was beaten and where she was forced to service Murdaugh against her will by the madam and her armed bouncer. The accusations are being investigated by SLED.[77]

Forge Consulting lawsuit

edit

On September 12, 2022, Forge Consulting announced it would file a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh and Bank of America because Forge "suffered serious harm to its business reputation and credibility because of Murdaugh and BoA". Forge alleges Murdaugh "set up a fake bank account using the Forge brand to take millions of dollars from his clients and colleagues" and further blames BoA for not doing basic due diligence to detect the fraud.[78]

Santis-Cristiani lawsuit

edit

On October 7, 2022, a lawsuit named Murdaugh, Crosby, Barnes, the PMPED firm, Laffitte, and Palmetto State Bank as part of a conspiracy to defraud plaintiff Manuel Santis-Cristiani of Chiapas, Mexico, of accident settlement money he was awarded but never received.[79]

Criminal tax evasion

edit

On December 16, 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted by the State Grand Jury on nine charges of evading nearly $487,000 in state income taxes. The indictment reflects that he stole nearly $7 million meant for his law firm's bank accounts and failed to pay taxes on the ill-gotten gains.[80][81]

Convictions, civil judgments, settlements, and sanctions

edit

Asset custody

edit

In September 2021, Murdaugh gave broad powers of attorney to his son Buster, including the power to sell and dispose of his assets, which Buster proceeded to do. The Moselle property that was the scene of the murders of Maggie and Paul was rebranded as "Cross Swamp Farm" and listed for sale with an asking price of $3.9 million, and the Edisto beach house was placed on the market for $920,000.00[82] On November 1, a judge ordered the Murdaugh assets to be frozen. Buster and Alex sought to overturn it, saying they had no money to pay for food, medical insurance and utilities.[83][84][85]

Murdaugh's assets were placed into a receivership, created because evidence suggested the Murdaugh family was moving and hiding money from potential creditors, including multiple plaintiffs. The Murdaugh family and attorneys have been trying to unwind the receivership in civil court.[86]

Physical custody

edit

On October 14, 2021, concurrent with his release from the drug rehabilitation facility in Orlando, Murdaugh was taken into custody by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) on two felony counts of Obtaining Property by False Pretenses, related to the Satterfield case.[87][88] Body cam footage of the arrest suggested he had "significant diarrhea issues" related to opioid withdrawal.[89][90]

Murdaugh was offered bail on the fraud charges, set at $7 million, which he could not pay and remained in jail. After the murder charges of his wife and son, Murdaugh was denied bail entirely.[91]

Murdaugh was held in custody at Alvin Glenn Detention Center in Richland County from October 14, 2021.[92] While there waiting for his murder trial to begin, Murdaugh was involved in a fight with another inmate, Robert Drayton. "Both of them got real banged up". Drayton had been convicted of raping Murdaugh's niece in May 2021, and was antagonizing Murdaugh when they were out together in an open area.[93]

On March 3, 2023, when he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and son, Murdaugh was taken to the Kirkland Correctional Institution, in northwestern Columbia, South Carolina, where he was to be evaluated for about 45 days to determine which maximum-security prison he would be sent to.[94]

Disbarment

edit

On July 12, 2022, the South Carolina Supreme Court issued an official order disbarring Murdaugh from the practice of law in South Carolina. It was based on Murdaugh's "admitted reprehensible misconduct." Murdaugh was allowed to contest the disbarment but did not.[95]

Murders of Maggie and Paul

edit
Main article: Trial of Alex Murdaugh

On June 7, 2021, Alex called police from his cell phone at 10:06 p.m., saying he had discovered the bodies of 22-year-old son Paul and 52-year-old wife Maggie near the dog kennels at the family's hunting lodge located on a 1,772-acre estate in Islandton, South Carolina.[2] Both had been shot multiple times and with different weapons.[96] Alex initially claimed that at the time of the killings he had been with his mother, who has dementia.[97] It has been revealed that Maggie was considering ending her marriage to Alex and had consulted a divorce lawyer in Charleston, South Carolina several weeks prior to the murders.[98]

In October 2021, it was revealed that South Carolina Law Enforcement Division had regarded Alex as a person of interest in the homicides since the start of the investigation.[97] In July 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul.[99] Prosecutors suggested a motive where Murdaugh sought a distraction from his financial crimes, which were beginning to go public, and to garner sympathy.[100] Alex pleaded not guilty.[101] On March 2, 2023, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of both murders. The following day, he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.[102]

Murdaugh is appealing the conviction claiming the jury was tampered with by one of the court clerks. As of August 2024 it is under review by the state Supreme Court and it remains an open question if there will be a new trial.[103]

Fraud and money laundering charges

edit
State indictments
edit

On November 19, 2021, the State Grand Jury issued five indictments against Alex Murdaugh on 27 charges of embezzlement and other crimes, including breach of trust, fraudulent intent, money laundering, computer crimes, and forgery. The victims were Thomas L. Moore (patrol officer), Deon J. Martin, Gloria Satterfield (Murdaugh housekeeper), and Manuel Santis-Cristiani. Altogether the fraud amount was close to $4.8 million resulting in 88 criminal charges.[104][105] On December 9, an additional 21 criminal charges were filed connected to an alleged scheme that sought to defraud victims of more than $6 million.[106][107]

On January 21, 2022, the State Grand Jury issued a further 23 criminal charges, which included 19 breaches of trust with fraudulent intent, and four counts of computer crimes. The indictments allege that he stole more than $2.6 million from clients Natarsha Thomas, Arthur Badger, Deon Martin, and the family of Hakeem Pinckney.[108][109][110] On March 16, 2022, the State Grand Jury issued a superseding indictment against Murdaugh and Cory Howerton Fleming that includes four new charges against Murdaugh related to an alleged scheme to defraud multiple insurance companies in the course of surreptitiously delivering to Murdaugh a share of the proceeds.[111]

A further round of superseding indictments against Murdaugh were issued in April 2022 involving four charges of conspiring with former banker Russell Lucius Laffitte, and former attorney Cory Howerton Fleming.[112] On August 19, 2022, the State Grand Jury issued a new round of indictments against Murdaugh, Spencer Anwan Roberts, and Jerry K. Rivers. Murdaugh was indicted on nine charges related to the theft of $295,000 from his brother and his old law firm.[113][114]

The indictments indicate he may have stolen nearly $8.8 million from more than a dozen people.[113] The indictments allege crimes back to at least 2011. Murdaugh would secretly negotiate a settlement for his clients, then pay them only enough so they would be content and thankful; he would then steal the rest. His clients were usually minorities who were not well off. They included an injured state trooper, a deaf quadriplegic, a widower, an immigrant, several minors and even dead people. Murdaugh allegedly used money orders given to an unnamed family member to help launder the cash.[115] Although some of the amounts to Fleming and Laffitte overlap as to the alleged amounts for Murdaugh, the State Grand Jury indicted Fleming on 23 charges for schemes to defraud victims of over $3.7 million. Laffitte had 21 charges against him for schemes to defraud victims of over $1.8 million.[112] On September 14, 2023, Cory Fleming was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in stealing the insurance policy settlement.[116] In August, Russell Laffitte was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in stealing money from insurance settlements.[116]

Under a plea deal, the indictments were reduced from 101 to 22, and were to be tried in state court. On November 17, 2023, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to all 22 of the charges in the state indictment.[117] On November 29, 2023, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the state financial crimes.[118]

Federal indictment 22 counts
edit

On May 24, 2023, the US Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment of 22 counts for money laundering, wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud for a total of $12,425,254.32.[119][120][121] As part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors, they chose 22 charges that were most representative of the victims.[119][122]

As part of the plea deal, he was to face up to 30 years in federal prison to be served concurrently with his state conviction on the same charges. The plea deal required he "be truthful" with prosecutors. Days before his sentencing, DOJ prosecutors posted a new court filing saying that Alex had failed a polygraph test (lied), and an additional $1.3m in stolen money and a further 11 victims were discovered since the plea deal was made. Nevertheless, the plea deal was retained, but with the new victims the prison sentence was increased.[122]

On April 1, 2024, Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his financial fraud crimes, to run concurrently with the previous sentences - two life sentence for double murder, and 27 years for state financial crimes - and to pay reparations of $8.7 million to the known 25 victims.[122]

Media portrayals

edit

The family and the criminal case against Alex Murdaugh has been the subject of several documentaries, docuseries, and podcasts.[123] Some notable examples include:

Family tree

edit

The family tree is as follows:

  • Lazurus Brown Murdaugh (1774–1830)[128]
    • Josiah Putnam Murdaugh (1793–1882) m. Mary Ursula Varn
      • Josiah Putnam Murdaugh II (1830–1912) m. Annie Marvin Davis[16]
        • Randolph Murdaugh Sr. (1887–1940) m. Etta Harvey in 1914[16]
          • John Glen “Johnny” Murdaugh (1918–1987) m. Maryland Russell[16]
          • Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh Jr. (1915–1998) m. Gladys Marvin[16]
            • Randolph Murdaugh III (1939–2021) m. Elizabeth "Libby" Alexander in 1961[129]
              • Lynn Murdaugh (b. 1963) m. Allen Goettee[16]
              • Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV (b. 1966)[16] m. Christy Michele Miley[130]
              • Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh (b. 1968) m. Margaret Kennedy "Maggie" Branstetter[16]
                • Richard Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh Jr. (b. 1996)[16]
                • Paul Terry Murdaugh (1999–2021)[22]
              • John Marvin Murdaugh (b. 1970)[16] m. Elizabeth Anne "Liz" Arnett in 2008[131]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "14th Circuit Solicitor's Office History". scsolicitor14.org. 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Baker, KC (September 7, 2021). "'Big Family, Old Money, New Drama': Inside the Powerful S.C. Family at Center of Murder Mystery". People. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Parker, Kathleen (September 8, 2021). "Opinion: The shocking saga of South Carolina's Murdaugh family". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  4. ^ "What is a Circuit Solicitor?". South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d DeWitt, Michael M. (June 24, 2021). "Throwback Thursday: The Randolph Murdaughs of Hampton County". Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Attorney Whose Wife And Son Were Killed Was Stealing From His Law Firm, Company Says". NPR.org. September 7, 2021. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  7. ^ a b De Witt, Michael M. Jr. "Law firm celebrates 100 years". The Hampton County Guardian. Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e Monk, John; Delaney, Cody (April 5, 2019). "Powerful SC family faces scrutiny following boat crash that killed 19-year-old woman". The State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Lauderdale, David (July 30, 2021). "A note to SC judicial system and Murdaughs: You've lost the public's trust". The Island Packet. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Freedman, Michael (June 10, 2002). "Home Court Advantage: How a small-town South Carolina lawyer named Johnny Parker instills fear in corporations everywhere". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "Judicial Hellholes 2004" (PDF). American Tort Reform Association. 2004. pp. 21–23. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  12. ^ McFarland, Steven (April 1, 2006). "A One-Two Punch to Forum Shopping: Recent Judicial and Legislative Amendments to South Carolina's Corporate Venue Jurisprudence". South Carolina Law Review. 57 (3): 465–66. ISSN 0038-3104. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  13. ^ WTOC Staff (January 5, 2022). "Name change for Alex Murdaugh's old law firm". WTOC/11. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  14. ^ Griffin, Allie (October 24, 2024). "Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's notorious $1M family home undergoing major renovations by new owner: 'Completely different'". New York Post. Retrieved October 24, 2024 – via Yahoo! News.
  15. ^ Yen, Amanda (February 16, 2024). "Alex Murdaugh's Family Murder Site Sold for $1 Million". Daily Beast – via Yahoo! News.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mehrotra, Kriti (February 23, 2023). "Murdaugh Family Tree, Fully Explained". TheCinemaholic. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  17. ^ a b DeWitt, Michael M. Jr. (February 18, 2023). "Trouble with Trains: The crash – and lawsuit – that helped launch the Murdaugh dynasty". Greenville News. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Brockell, Gillian (March 3, 2023). "A Murdaugh family death in 1940 was also suspicious — and eerily similar". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Vet Solicitor Dies in Crash". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. July 20, 1940. p. 9. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  20. ^ "H*4981". South Carolina General Assembly. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  21. ^ "State's highest honor bestowed on former solicitor". 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c d "Paul Terry Murdaugh". Legacy.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  23. ^ "Alex Murdaugh Cross-Examined In His Murder Trial". transcripts.cnn.com. February 24, 2023. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  24. ^ Bayless, Kacen (July 2, 2021). "Members of Murdaugh family donated over $110K in political contributions, data shows". The Island Packet. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  25. ^ a b c d e Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (September 6, 2021). "Lawyer Shot After Wife and Son Were Killed Had Been Pushed Out of Law Firm". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  26. ^ "Inside Politics: Alex Murdaugh Cross-Examined Murdaugh His Murder Trial" (Transcript). CNN. February 24, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  27. ^ "Richard Alexander Murdaugh". Martindale-Hubbell. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Maggie Murdaugh". www.peeplesrhodenfuneralhome.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  29. ^ "Murdaugh's fall from grace ends in life sentence for murder". AP News. March 3, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  30. ^ "Murdaugh jailhouse calls show SC legal system has no smell test, or is that also for sale?". Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  31. ^ Elassar, Christina Maxouris, Alaa (March 26, 2023). "What we know about Stephen Smith, whose death more than 7 years ago is now being investigated as a homicide". CNN. Retrieved January 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ Mendez, Gayane Keshishyan (November 26, 2023). "Could cellphone evidence be the key to solving Stephen Smith's cold case? - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  33. ^ Burke, Minyvonne (June 18, 2024). "Buster Murdaugh sues Netflix, Warner Bros., saying he was falsely accused of murder in death of high school classmate". NBC News. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Yahoo! News.
  34. ^ Melendez, Pilar (June 22, 2024). "How Buster Murdaugh's Lawsuit May Be the Key to Solving a Murder Mystery". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Yahoo! News.
  35. ^ Team, A. B. C. (January 12, 2023). "Boating accident victim's family reaches settlement with Buster Murdaugh, estate of Maggie Murdaugh". ABC Columbia. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  36. ^ Houck, Taggart (February 21, 2023). "Alex Murdaugh trial: Buster Murdaugh takes stand in father's defense". WYFF. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  37. ^ "What to know about Buster Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh's only surviving son". TODAY.com. March 8, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  38. ^ a b Lasdun, James (January 16, 2023). "The Corrupt World Behind the Murdaugh Murders". The New Yorker. Vol. 98, no. 46. pp. 16–22. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  39. ^ "Alex Murdaugh's brother testifies that he 'cleaned up' what was left of nephew Paul". The Independent. February 28, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  40. ^ "After renewed interest from the Murdaugh trial, the body of South Carolina teen Stephen Smith is exhumed". NBC News. April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  41. ^ a b DeWitt, Michael M. (June 23, 2021). "SLED opens its own investigation into death of Stephen Smith; possible Murdaugh connection". Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  42. ^ a b Benson, Riley (September 7, 2021). "Full Timeline: Murdaugh Family Investigations 2015 – 2021". WCBD-TV. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  43. ^ Staff report (September 8, 2021). "Murders, mystery, money: Here's a timeline of the Murdaugh family killings". The Greenville News. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  44. ^ Ortiz, Erik (September 10, 2021). "Unsolved Murdaugh shootings yield misconduct claim, conflicting accounts — and more questions". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  45. ^ Tripp, Drew (October 27, 2021). "Focus on Murdaughs in Stephen Smith death 'may be unfounded,' attorney says". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  46. ^ Lauderdale, David (September 10, 2021). "Is SC Murdaugh family losing power after shootings, murder?". Island Packet. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  47. ^ Baker, KC (June 28, 2021). "Following Killings of S.C. Mom and Son, Authorities Open Investigation into Teen's 2015 Death". People. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  48. ^ DeWitt, Michael M. Jr. (March 22, 2023). "SLED declares Stephen Smith's 2015 death a murder. Mother Sandy Smith 'in shock, elated'". Greenville News.
  49. ^ Whiteside, Stephanie; Lobdell, Paige; McHugh, Rich (January 22, 2023). "Stephen Smith's family wants answers as Murdaugh trial begins". NewsNation. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  50. ^ Mendez, Gayane Keshishyan (November 26, 2023). "Could cellphone evidence be the key to solving Stephen Smith's cold case? - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  51. ^ Gallagher, Dianne (April 3, 2023). "Rumors Fly as Authorities Exhume and Examine Stephen Smith's Body". CNN. Retrieved April 3, 2023 – via Yahoo! News.
  52. ^ Collins, Jeffrey (October 19, 2021). "Judge denies bond for Murdaugh, cites concerns over drug use". WCIV. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  53. ^ Blake, Meredith (February 21, 2023). "Murdaughs, murder and the birth of TV's newest true-crime sensation". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  54. ^ DeWitt, Michael M. Jr. (November 15, 2021). "Murdaugh Latest Developments: Palmetto State Bank, PMPED settle with Satterfields". Greenville News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  55. ^ Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs (September 15, 2021). "Alex Murdaugh to Surrender for Staging His Own Killing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  56. ^ a b Melendez, Pilar (October 8, 2021). "'Best Friend' Accused of Helping Alex Murdaugh Steal Millions Now Suspended From Practicing Law". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  57. ^ DeWitt, Michael M. Jr. (June 3, 2022). "SLED to exhume Satterfield remains as Alex Murdaugh investigations continue". Greenville News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  58. ^ a b Romano, Aja (August 2, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh stands accused of killing his wife and son. That's just scratching the surface". Vox. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  59. ^ "Ex-lawyer Cory Fleming formally disbarred by SC Supreme Court". live5news.com. WCSC-TV. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  60. ^ Bayless, Kacen; Shore, Jake. "Hampton bank CEO fired as investigators examine Alex Murdaugh's financial misconduct". islandpacket.com. The Island Packet. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  61. ^ a b DeWitt, Michael M. Jr. (June 21, 2021). "The Murdaugh killings from ground zero: The world watches as Hampton County grieves". Bluffton Today. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  62. ^ Cawthon, Graham (September 9, 2021). "Murdaugh Murder Mystery Timeline: Alex Murdaugh in rehab as SC Supreme Court suspends law license". WJCL. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  63. ^ "Map in Murdaugh murder case: 4 deaths and a mysterious shooting". The Mercury News. September 8, 2021. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  64. ^ Bauerlein, Valerie (August 13, 2022). "A Convenience-Store Magnate, Teen Drinking and a Fatal Boat Crash: The Legal Case Shaking South Carolina". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  65. ^ Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (September 6, 2021). "Lawyer Shot After Wife and Son Were Killed Had Been Pushed Out of Law Firm". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  66. ^ Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (September 15, 2021). "Alex Murdaugh Told His Former Client to Kill Him Before Shooting, Police Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  67. ^ Shore, Jake; Bayless, Kacen (November 4, 2021). "Murdaugh, alleged gunman indicted in alleged botched murder-for-hire scheme". The State. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022 – via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  68. ^ Grand Jurors of Hampton County (November 4, 2021). "Alex Murdaugh Indictment number 2021GS2500478" (PDF). Clerk of Court Hampton County. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022 – via DocumentCloud.
  69. ^ Kaplan, Anna (September 20, 2023). "Alex Murdaugh's alleged hired hitman reveals his 'roadside confession' in new Netflix doc". Today. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  70. ^ a b c Anne Emerson (January 17, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh repeatedly stole from the dead, indictments claim". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  71. ^ John Monk (January 27, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh faces 23 new counts of financial crimes, adding $2.3M to missing money". The Island Packet. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  72. ^ a b Matney, Mandy (January 7, 2022). "Murdaugh, Fleming And Bank Stole From Quadriplegic Deaf Man In 2011 Scheme, Attorney Says". FITSNews. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  73. ^ Danielle Wallace (January 9, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh: SC bank CEO fired over ex-lawyer's alleged schemes to defraud deaf quadriplegic, others". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  74. ^ Steve Garrison (January 8, 2022). "Palmetto State Bank CEO fired as former Murdaugh clients seek missing money". The Post and Courier. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  75. ^ Melendez, Pilar (June 28, 2022). "Murdaugh Saga Gets Even Weirder With New Drug Trafficking Charges". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  76. ^ "State Grand Jury Indicts Richard Alexander Murdaugh and Curtis Edward Smith for Criminal Conspiracy and Narcotics; Curtis Edward Smith also Indicted for Money Laundering, Forgery, and Trafficking Methamphetamine". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. June 28, 2022. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  77. ^ Will Folks (August 18, 2022). "Lindsey Edwards: SLED Interviews Former Sex Worker in Connection with 'Murdaugh Murders' Investigation". FITSNews. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  78. ^ Phillips, Patrick (September 12, 2022). "Lawsuit accuses Alex Murdaugh, Bank of America of damaging financial firm's reputation". WCSC-TV. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  79. ^ Wilks, Avery G. (October 11, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh, former law partners named as defendants in new lawsuit". The Post and Courier. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  80. ^ Collins, Jeffrey (December 16, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh charged with tax evasion; made $14M in 9 years". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  81. ^ Alan Wilson (December 16, 2022). "Attorney General Alan Wilson announces State Grand Jury issues tax evasion indictments against Richard Alexander Murdaugh". South Carolina Attorney General. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  82. ^ Farrell, Liz (April 22, 2022). "Liens Removed From Murdaugh's Moselle Property, Beach House". FITSNews. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  83. ^ DeWitt, Michael M. Jr. (November 17, 2021). "As Alex Murdaugh remains jailed, attorneys fight to unfreeze his assets, grant bond". The Greenville News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  84. ^ Lanahan, Tom (October 25, 2021). "Motion for temporary injunction filed that names Alex Murdaugh, son Buster, lawsuit shows". Fox Carolina. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  85. ^ Dillan, Matt (November 2, 2021). "Judge OKs freeze of Murdaugh finances, independent representatives to control assets". WCIV. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  86. ^ Folks, Will (May 2, 2022). "'Murdaugh Murders' Civil Case: Battle Over Alex Murdaugh's Assets Rages On". FITSNews. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  87. ^ Lemos, Gregory (October 14, 2021). "Alex Murdaugh taken into custody in Florida". CNN. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  88. ^ "2021-10-14 Alex Murdaugh Charged With Obtaining Property By False Pretenses.pdf". South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  89. ^ "Body cam footage shows Alex Murdaugh's 2021 arrest after leaving a Florida rehab center". ABC News 4. October 14, 2021. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024.
  90. ^ Coulter, Christina (February 16, 2024). "Alex Murdaugh asks Florida police for prescription meds after arrest outside rehab, body cam video shows". Fox News. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024.
  91. ^ Johnston, Dais (July 20, 2022). "Disbarred S.C. attorney Alex Murdaugh pleads not guilty to murdering his wife and son". USTimeToday. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  92. ^ "SLED: Alex Murdaugh booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County". October 17, 2021. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  93. ^ Baker, KC (May 22, 2024). "Why Did Alex Murdaugh Reportedly Get into a Jailhouse Brawl?". People. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  94. ^ "Alex Murdaugh officially in prison to begin serving a life sentence in Columbia". WLTX. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  95. ^ Michael M. DeWitt, Jr. (July 13, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh officially disbarred by South Carolina Supreme Court". Greenville News. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  96. ^ Baker, KC (June 15, 2021). "Why Were a 'Loving' Mother and Son from a S.C. Family Dynasty Murdered on Their 1,770-Acre Property?". People. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  97. ^ a b Pilar Melendez (October 13, 2021). "Alex Murdaugh's Lawyer Finally Admits He's a Person of Interest in Family Murders". The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  98. ^ "Maggie Murdaugh Saw a Divorce Lawyer 6 Weeks Before She and Her Son Were Murdered: Source". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  99. ^ Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (July 14, 2022). "South Carolina Lawyer Alex Murdaugh Charged With Killing Wife and Son". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  100. ^ Melendez, Pilar (December 8, 2022). "Motive Revealed in Alex Murdaugh's Alleged Murder of Wife and Son". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 8, 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  101. ^ Sharp, Rachel (July 20, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh pleads not guilty to murders of wife and son as prosecutors hint at motive". Independent. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  102. ^ "Murdaugh's fall from grace ends in life sentence for murder". AP NEWS. March 3, 2023.
  103. ^ Betts, Anna (August 14, 2024). "Alex Murdaugh could get retrial as state supreme court agrees to hear appeal". The Guardian. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  104. ^ Goldberg, Barbara (November 19, 2021). Cynthia Osterman (ed.). "New charges against South Carolina lawyer accused of having himself shot". Yahoo! News. Reuters. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  105. ^ "State Grand Jury issues Indictments against Richard Alexander Murdaugh for Breach of Trust, Obtaining Property by False Pretenses, Money Laundering, Computer Crimes, and Forgery". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. November 19, 2021. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  106. ^ Maria Cartaya (December 11, 2021). "Alex Murdaugh faces 21 new charges as prior bond hearing is postponed". CNN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  107. ^ "AG Wilson announces State Grand Jury Issues A New Round of Indictments against Alex Murdaugh". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. December 9, 2021. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  108. ^ Minyvonne Burke (January 21, 2022). "Former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh indicted on 27 new crimes". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  109. ^ "Attorney General Alan Wilson announces State Grand Jury issues a new round of indictments against Richard Alexander Murdaugh for Breach of Trust, Money Laundering, Computer Crimes, and Forgery". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  110. ^ Craig Melvin; Erik Ortiz; Haylee Barber; Carol Gable; Alexandra Lo Re (November 4, 2022). "Alex Murdaugh vowed to help her. She says he defrauded her again and again". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  111. ^ "State Grand Jury indicts Cory Fleming; Richard Alexander Murdaugh indicted for new charges". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  112. ^ a b "State Grand Jury indicts Russell Laffitte, along with Cory Fleming and Alex Murdaugh for new charges in superseding indictments". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. May 4, 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  113. ^ a b "Attorney General Alan Wilson announces State Grand Jury issues new indictments against Richard Alexander Murdaugh". South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. August 19, 2022. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  114. ^ Collins, Jeffrey (August 19, 2022). "Prosecutors: Alex Murdaugh stole from brother; family firm". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  115. ^ Jeffrey Collins (January 21, 2022). "Prosecutor: Alex Murdaugh now faces 71 charges; $8.5M stolen". AP News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  116. ^ a b "Alex Murdaugh's friend gets almost 4 years in prison for helping steal from his dead maid's family". Yahoo! News. AP News. August 15, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  117. ^ "Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to state financial charges". CNN. November 17, 2023.
  118. ^ "Alex Murdaugh sentenced to 27 years in state financial crimes case". NBC News. November 28, 2023.
  119. ^ a b Collins, Jeffrey (November 28, 2023). "Alex Murdaugh, already convicted of murder, will be sentenced for stealing from 18 clients". AP News. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  120. ^ "Alex Murdaugh Indicted on Federal Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Money Laundering Charges". United States Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina. May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  121. ^ Collins, Jeffrey (May 24, 2023). "Convicted murderer and ex-attorney Alex Murdaugh facing federal charges of fraud, theft". Associated Press. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  122. ^ a b c Sharp, Rachel; Hawkinson, Katie (April 1, 2024). "Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 40 years in prison for federal financial crimes". The Independent. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  123. ^ a b Caine, Brooke (January 24, 2023). "The Murdaugh family murders: A list of documentaries and podcasts on the SC cas". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  124. ^ Lawrence, Andrew (December 16, 2021). "The lawyer who tried faking his death, and the writer exposing his crime dynasty". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  125. ^ Bella, Timothy (March 3, 2023). "Netflix, HBO and podcasts made the public case against Alex Murdaugh". The Washington Post. Among those influential media spaces is the "Murdaugh Murders," the popular podcast hosted by reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell that helped introduce audiences to the South Carolina legal dynasty and its alleged crimes for the first time. At nearly 100 episodes, the podcast has 28,000 reviews and ranked first globally in 2021, according to Apple Podcasts
  126. ^ Dominguez, Alessa. "His Family Controlled The Justice System. Then His Wife And Son Were Shot". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  127. ^ Salazar, Savannah (January 31, 2023). "New on Netflix: February 2023". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  128. ^ http://genealogydata.ucan.us/g244.html [bare URL]
  129. ^ "Randolph Murdaugh III". Charleston Post & Courier. June 12, 2021. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  130. ^ "Murdaugh-Miley". The State. April 19, 1998. p. E5. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  131. ^ Staff writer (March 30, 2008). "Arnett-Murdaugh". Herald-Journal. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.

Further reading

edit
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murdaugh_family&oldid=1260756183#Murders_of_Maggie_and_Paul"