Alex Murdaugh Double Murderer, Financial Fraudster & Former Lawyer

Alex Murdaugh (born Richard Alexander Murdaugh on June 17, 1968, in Hampton County, South Carolina) was a prominent lawyer from a powerful legal family in South Carolina. He was the fourth generation of the Murdaugh family to practice law in the region.

● In June 2021 his life took a dramatic turn when he was accused of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh. The trial revealed a web of corruption, opioid abuse, and financial misdeeds, leading to his conviction and a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Alex Murdaugh's ethnic background is primarily Anglo-Saxon and European. The Murdaugh family has deep roots in the American South, particularly in South Carolina. Their heritage is characteristic of many Caucasian families in that region.

The Murdaugh family originally hails from Ayrshire, Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times. The family's surname, Murdaugh, was first found in Ayrshire, which is now part of the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire in Scotland.

The Murdaugh family has a long history of legal influence in South Carolina. The family's involvement in law dates back to Randolph Murdaugh Sr., who founded the Murdaugh family law firm and later became the District Attorney for the 14th judicial district. His legacy continued with his descendants, including Randolph Murdaugh Jr. and Randolph Murdaugh III, who both served as solicitors consecutively for over 80 years.

Alex Murdaugh, the fourth generation, was part of this powerful legal dynasty. Despite not holding a District Attorney position, he worked at the family law firm, which specialized in personal injury litigation. The family's prominence in the legal field led locals to refer to the five-county district as "Murdaugh Country".

The Murdaugh dynasty in southeast South Carolina started when the people elected Randolph Murdaugh as chief prosecutor over a century ago. For the next eight decades, someone named Murdaugh prosecuted crimes across five countries.

The family also operated on the other side of the law, running a successful law firm in Hampton, South Carolina.

Due to their societal position, the Murdaughs held immense political, social, and economic sway. Some commentators believe that Murdaugh might have leveraged his family name to cover up his numerous crimes.

Alex Murdaugh grew up in a privileged environment, deeply rooted in the legal traditions of his family. He was raised in Hampton County, South Carolina, where his family's law firm had a significant sway.

● From a young age, Alex was surrounded by the legal profession, with his father, Randolph Murdaugh III, serving as the solicitor for the 14th judicial circuit.

Alex Murdaugh's educational journey began at Wade Hampton High School in South Carolina. He then pursued higher education at the University of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Following his undergraduate studies, he attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.

Alex Murdaugh's career was deeply intertwined with his family's legal legacy. He began his legal career at the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, and Detrick (PMPED) law firm, which was founded by his grandfather. This firm is one of the most well-respected in South Carolina.

In addition to his work at the family firm, Murdaugh also served as a part-time prosecutor in the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

His career was marked by a focus on personal injury litigation, and he was known for his ability to secure large settlements for his clients

However, his career took a dramatic turn in June 2021 when he was accused of murdering his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul.

The subsequent investigation would revealed a web of corruption, opioid abuse, and financial misdeeds.

Alex Murdaugh was married to Maggie Murdaugh, whom he met while they were both students at the University of South Carolina. The couple had two sons, Buster and Paul.

Alex Murdaugh and his family resided at the Moselle estate in Colleton County, South Carolina. The Moselle property is a sprawling 1,700-acre rural estate that includes their home, dog kennels, a cabin, and extensive lands, fields, and forests.

Their marriage, however, faced significant challenges. Maggie reportedly suspected Alex of having an extramarital affair and confronted him about financial issues and his opioid use. These marital problems would be highlighted during his high-profile trial.

● And this property became infamous as the site where Alex Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, would be murdered in June 2021.

Murdaugh's financial crimes were extensive and spanned over a decade. He admitted to stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and clients, using the money to fund his opioid addiction and maintain his lavish lifestyle. His crimes included embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering.

Murdaugh's financial misdeeds involved diverting settlement funds meant for clients into his own accounts. He created fraudulent bank accounts to facilitate these thefts and manipulated legal fees to cover up his actions. His financial crimes were uncovered during the investigation into the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul.

In total, Murdaugh faced over 700 years in prison for his financial crimes alone. He was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for these crimes, in addition to the life sentences he received for the murders of his wife and son.

In September 2021, Alex Murdaugh attempted to arrange his own murder in a botched plot to secure a $10 million life insurance pay-out for his surviving son. He hired a former client, Curtis Edward Smith, to shoot him, but the plan failed, Murdaugh was injured, but survived. This plan is an example of insurance fraud.

On 7th June 2021, Alex Murdaugh called 911 to report his wife and son’s murders. “I need police and ambulance immediately!” Alex said, sounding distressed. “My wife and child have been shot badly. I’ve got up to it now – it’s bad.”

At the time, authorities didn’t consider Murdaugh a key suspect in the murders. However, he would soon appear in court to answer for different charges: insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report.

Prosecutors alleged that in early September 2021, Murdaugh hired one of his former clients, Curtis E. Smith, to shoot him fatally in the head. The bullet grazed Alex’s head, leaving him with minor injuries. Murdaugh told police that a stranger shot him as he changed a tire on the side of a rural road. Smith denied shooting Alex, alleging the gun went off as he tried to prevent Alex from shooting himself.

“I don’t know if betrayed is even the word for it,” Smith told The New York Times. “I thought of him as a brother, you know, and loved him like a brother. And I would’ve done almost anything for him. Almost.”

Alex’s attorney, Dick Harpootlian, told TODAY that Murdaugh wanted to die via murder so his son, Buster, could receive a $10 million life insurance pay-out. Dick said that Alex wrongly believed the insurer wouldn’t remit the money if he died via suicide.

“He believed that $10 million policy had a suicide exclusion,” Harpootlian said. “Suicide exclusions are only good for two years, and he didn’t realize that. So he arranged to have this guy shoot him. It was an attempt on his part to do something to protect his child.”

Harpootlian also pointed to Alex’s opioid addiction and crippling depression as other reasons why he wanted to end his life. Dick added that Alex spent most of the money he embezzled from his law firm on opioids.

After the fake murder plot emerged, Alex’s lawyers blamed people like Curtis Smith for taking advantage of Murdaugh’s addiction. A statement from the lawyers to NBC News read:

“These individuals took advantage of his addiction and his ability to pay substantial funds for illegal drugs. One of those individuals took advantage of his mental illness and agreed to take Alex’s life, by shooting him in the head.”

Alex Murdaugh expertly maintained the facade of success and happiness: few knew about his struggles with addiction and depression. He took fancy trips, drove expensive cars, performed well at work, and lived on a large estate.

However, unbeknownst to his coworkers, Alex financed his lavish lifestyle through massive embezzlement and fraud.

In September 2021, Alex’s law firm fired him after accusing him of stealing from clients.

The firm didn’t disclose the amounts Alex stole but revealed the theft started in 2011. Alex’s dismissal triggered the filing of a slate of indictments and lawsuits accusing him of numerous financial crimes.

The indictments covered Palmetto State Bank and two of Murdaugh’s accomplices. Since November, prosecutors have filed grand jury indictments containing 79 charges against Alex, claiming he defrauded $8.4 million from clients.

In July 2021, South Carolina’s Supreme Court disbarred Murdaugh for pocketing a $4.3 million settlement meant for the sons of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died in mysterious circumstances on his property in 2018.

The disbarment was nearly inevitable: Alex’s lawyers didn’t protest it during the disbarment hearing in June.

Murdaugh faced 84 criminal charges and 11 civil lawsuits. He was detained in Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center after failing to raise a $7 million bond.

“Where does it stop?” John P. Freeman, a law and ethics professor, told The New York Times. “You can’t talk to anybody in South Carolina who isn’t talking about this case and is not just astonished by what’s going on.”

Alex Murdaugh was arrested in July 2022 in Florida (having being released from a drug rehab facility) after a Colleton County grand jury issued an indictment. These charges stemmed from an investigation into millions of dollars that went missing from a settlement involving the death of his housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield:

Murder: Two counts of murder for the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul.

Possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime: Two counts.

Financial crimes: Multiple state charges including fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement.

Obtaining property by false pretenses: Felony counts related to misappropriating client funds.

The indictment stated that Alex shot his wife with a rifle and his son with a shotgun.

The charges against Alex Murdaugh are likely to increase if a grand jury indicts him for the murders of his wife and son. It could worsen for Alex as authorities investigate him for two other murders.

Alex Murdaugh said he found Maggie and Paul shot near the kennels in their 1770-acre property in Colleton County. Paul was shot with a shotgun at close range, and Maggie was shot while running with an assault rifle; both were shot multiple times.

Murdaugh’s lawyers said Alex would cooperate with all investigations against him. They said:

“Alex intends to fully cooperate with this investigation, as he has with the investigation into the murder of his wife and son. He deeply regrets that his actions have distracted from the efforts to solve their murders.”

The Murdaugh family has said little except lamenting people’s fascination with the alleged perpetrator. Randy Murdaugh, Paul’s uncle, said on ABC’s Good Morning America that people’s focus on the Murdaugh name had wrongfully shifted attention from the victims and the crime.

“You see words like ‘dynasty’ used and ‘power,’ and I don’t know exactly how people use those words,” Randy said. “But we’re just regular people, and we’re hurting just like they would be hurting if this happened to them.”

Alex may be in further trouble if authorities connect him to two unsolved deaths: Stephen Smith’s death in 2015 and Gloria Satterfield’s death in 2018.

Stephen was found dead on a rural road; he died of blunt force trauma to the head. King was Alex’s older son’s classmate.

Gloria Satterfield had worked for the Murdaugh family for 25 years when she died in February 2018. The family said she tripped over their dogs and fell on the front stairs, causing her death.

Alex instructed Gloria’s family to file a lawsuit against his insurers. Gloria’s family obtained a $4.3 million settlement, which he and a longtime friend stole.

“He [Alex] has fallen from grace,” Harpootlian said during one of the hearings. “If anyone wants to see the face of what opioid addiction does, you’re looking at it.”

The prosecution's case against Alex Murdaugh was built on a combination of forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and financial records:

Murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh: The prosecution argued that Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, on June 7, 2021, to distract from his financial crimes and gain sympathy of the public.

Financial Crimes: Murdaugh was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from his law firm and clients over a decade. He used the stolen money to fund his opioid addiction and maintain his lavish lifestyle.

Forensic Evidence: The prosecution presented forensic evidence linking Murdaugh to the crime scene, including gunshot residue and DNA evidence.

Witness Testimonies: Several witnesses, including family members and colleagues, testified about Murdaugh's financial misdeeds and erratic behavior.

Financial Records: The prosecution used financial records to trace the embezzled funds and demonstrate Murdaugh's pattern of theft.

The combination of these elements led to a guilty verdict on all charges, including two counts of murder and multiple financial crimes.

The defense case for Alex Murdaugh focused on several key arguments:

Lack of Motive: The defense argued that there was no clear motive for Murdaugh to kill his wife and son. They suggested that the murders were not premeditated and that Murdaugh was not involved.

Alternative Suspects: The defense proposed that other individuals could have had a motive to harm the Murdaugh family, pointing to potential suspects who had conflicts with the family.

Forensic Evidence: The defense challenged the forensic evidence presented by the prosecution, questioning the reliability of the gunshot residue and DNA evidence.

Mental Health: The defense highlighted Murdaugh's struggles with opioid addiction and mental health issues, suggesting that these factors could have affected his behavior and decision-making.

Despite these arguments, the jury found Murdaugh guilty on all charges, including the murders of his wife and son, as well as multiple financial crimes.

During his defense, Alex Murdaugh provided several explanations for his actions:

Opioid Addiction: Murdaugh admitted to struggling with opioid addiction, which he claimed affected his judgment and behavior.

Mental Health Issues: He highlighted his mental health struggles, suggesting that these issues contributed to his erratic behavior and poor decision-making.

No Motive for Murder: Murdaugh's defense argued that there was no clear motive for him to kill his wife and son. They suggested that the murders were not premeditated and that he was not involved.

Alternative Suspects: The defense proposed that other individuals could have had a motive to harm the Murdaugh family, pointing to potential suspects who had conflicts with the family.

Challenging Forensic Evidence: The defense questioned the reliability of the forensic evidence presented by the prosecution, including gunshot residue and DNA evidence.

Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, at the March 2, 2023 verdict. The jury had deliberated for less than three hours before reaching the verdict.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the next day, on March 3, 2023.

Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the case, made several poignant comments during the sentencing phase. He condemned Murdaugh's actions, stating that no one, regardless of their status, is above the law.

Judge Newman also expressed that he felt sorry for Murdaugh, believing that if given the chance, Murdaugh would never have committed the crimes.

Alex Murdaugh is ineligible for parole for the life sentences he received for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul.

These sentences mean he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of early release.

Alex Murdaugh is currently serving his sentences at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Butner in North Carolina.

He received a 40-year federal sentence for his financial crimes, which will be served concurrently with his two life sentences for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul.

The media reaction to the Alex Murdaugh case has been intense and widespread.

The case captivated audiences across the United States due to its dramatic elements, including the high-profile nature of the accused, the gruesome nature of the crimes, and the subsequent revelations of financial misdeeds and corruption.

News outlets provided extensive coverage of the trial, with live updates and analysis. The trial was also the subject of a high-profile TV series that aimed to unravel the mystery behind the murders.

The media scrutiny extended to Murdaugh's time in prison, where he lost phone privileges after speaking to the media without permission.

The case has been described as a media circus, with locals and journalists jostling for space along the barricades lining the court during the trial.

News media called it South Carolina's "trial of the century" and "arguably one of the most high-profile and sensational cases in South Carolina legal history".

There have been TV episodes, podcasts, and documentaries about the case. Some notable examples:

Murdaugh Murders Podcast (2021; Liz Farrell and Mandy Matney)

Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty (2022; Campfire Studios / HBO Max)

Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty (2022; Investigation Discovery)

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (2023; Netflix)

Murdaugh Murders: The Movie (2023, Lifetime)

The Murder at Moselle (2024, Storm of Suspicion, season 5, episode 6) - this was the second of a two-part story; the first part, Fatal Fog (s5, e5), told the story of the death of Mallory Beach and Paul Murdaugh's involvement in it.

Gruesome new details have emerged about the brutal murders of disgraced South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh’s wife and son — including how the boy’s brain was blown out of his head.

Murdaugh’s own legal team included graphic crime scene detail in a legal filing trying to get evidence thrown out before the once-powerful lawyer’s double murder trial starts on Monday.

It included images from the dog kennels where Murdaugh said he found his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son Paul after they were blasted to death on June 2, 2021.

Maggie, 52, was found face down after being shot five times with a rifle, according to a report by forensics expert Kenneth Kinsey, who suggested three of the blasts were while she was standing.

But two of the shots would have been instantly fatal, hitting her brain. One of those first went through her left breast, the other was fired into the back of her head.

At least one appeared to be fired while she was “holding herself up on her knees and … her right hand with her shoulders and head down.”

The Murdaughs’ troubled son was also found face down, having been shot twice — with a shotgun, not the rifle used on his mom, Kinsey noted.

He was first hit in the chest “from several feet away,” leaving him standing and heading for a door — before the second round in the neck and shoulder blew out his brain and immediately killed him.

“Brain was severed and exited through the anatomical right side of (his) head. … Brain was completely detached from (his) head,” Kinsey added.

Because both mom and son died immediately, there would be “no heartbeat (pumping blood)” and hence “no expectorated blood,” the forensic report stated.

Still, he reported that “the fatal shot to Paul’s shoulder, face, and head would likely produce enough back spatter, and would be within range to contaminate the shooter,” Kinsey concluded.

The wound to his mom would also “be sufficient to produce back spatter,” though likely not enough to contaminate the shooter, he wrote.

Murdaugh’s lawyers included the graphic evidence in a bid to throw out testimony about apparent spatter found on a T-shirt the high-powered lawyer wore that night.

They accuse the expert of changing his opinion and findings, while also noting that Murdaugh had always admitted to being the one to find his kin in the bloody scene.

The filing, less than a week before Murdaugh’s murder trial is set to start, accuses prosecutors of having “immediately decided Alex was guilty, before anyone collected, investigated, or reviewed any evidence.”

“Unable to build a solid case,” they “instead engaged in a campaign of selective and deceptive leaks” — with “perhaps the most extraordinary” being news reports about the questionable finding of spatter on the shirt.

“The only possible motive for this leak was to convince the public that Murdaugh was guilty of the murders before trial, even before he was formally charged,” the filing stated.

“This leak was an extrajudicial statement made on behalf of the state with the deliberate intention to prejudice the present judicial proceedings.

“It was also a lie,” wrote Murdaugh’s lawyers, state Sen. Richard Harpootlian and veteran Columbia, SC, trial lawyer Jim Griffin.

Prosecutors have said Murdaugh killed his wife and younger son to distract from his damning financial crimes, which allegedly lined his pockets with nearly $9 million.

Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty and repeatedly denied any involvement in the slayings.

He later admitted to a secret, years-long drug addiction as well as stealing from his family law firm. He also admitted trying to arrange his own murder in a scam to get life insurance for his surviving son, Buster.