6 things to know about the ongoing Murdaugh family saga
The Murdaugh name is now known far beyond the rural community where the family has lived for generations in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Ever since Maggie Murdaugh and her son Paul were shot to death near the dog kennels on their Colleton County estate, the stories of alleged misdeeds of Maggie’s husband Alex have spun out, detailed in newspapers, television documentaries and podcasts.
Here’s a look back at what has happened since the bodies of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were found.
A DOUBLE HOMICIDE IN COLLETON COUNTY
“My wife and child were just shot badly.” On June 7, 2021 Alex Murdaugh called 911 to report that his son, Paul, and wife Maggie had been shot to death at the family’s estate in Colleton County.
Autopsies later showed Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were both shot multiple times. Sources have said Paul was shot with a shotgun and Maggie with an assault-style rifle.
INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDAUGH MURDERS
As an investigation into the homicide unfolded, investigators began pursuing the possibility that Paul Murdaugh, 22, was targeted and his mother was an innocent bystander. In an interview with Good Morning America, Alex Murdaugh’s brothers said strangers had threatened Paul , but the family didn’t believe the threats were valid.
In July 2021, previously redacted police reports emerged, including details that police seized firearms from the Murdaugh house, and police may have been investigating “forced entry” onto the property.
FELONY CHARGES DROPPED, NEW INVESTIGATIONS BEGIN
Legal issues for Alex Murdaugh arose.
While felony charges were dropped against Paul related to the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach, the S.C. Attorney General opened an investigation into how police handled the accident investigation.
SLED, meanwhile, reopened the investigation into the 2015 death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith based on information gathered during the double homicide investigation. Some have raised the possibility of the family’s connection to Smith’s death for years, but SLED has not revealed why the probe was reopened.
ALEX MURDAUGH ATTEMPTS SUICIDE
On Sept. 5, 2021, Alex Murdaugh called 911 to report he had been shot in the head on a rural road in Hampton County. Investigators said Murdaugh arranged for a hit man to shoot him so his son, Buster, could collect on a life insurance policy. His alleged accomplice in the assisted suicide attempt was arrested.
RESIGNATION, REHAB AND “MISAPPROPRIATED FUNDS”
Alex Murdaugh later released a statement announcing he had resigned from his family’s law firm, Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth and Detrick, and was going to rehab.
The PMPED law firm confirmed that Murdaugh resigned after the firm discovered he had “misappropriated funds.” Here’s how his law partners may have missed the theft of millions of dollars over 10 years.
PMPED later stripped the Murdaugh family from its firm name.
ALEX MURDAUGH ARRESTED AND CHARGED
Alex Murdaugh turned himself in to law enforcement after being charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud in relation to the alleged suicide plot. He was arrested on Sept. 16, 2021. As additional charges mounted, Murdaugh has since been held in jail on one of the highest-ever bonds in the state, $7 million, and faces dozens of criminal charges relating to various financial crimes and at least 10 lawsuits alleging he stole $8.4 million from clients.
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 12:30 PM.