Update March 2, 2023: After deliberations lasting three hours on Thursday evening, the jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty for murdering his wife Maggie and younger son Paul on June 7, 2021.
Murdaugh continues to face quite a few serious allegations, including money laundering, insurance fraud and alleged misuse of funds from a settlement related to the death of his landlady, Gloria Satterfield. He faces conviction for the murder of his wife and son on March 3, 2023.
The story of the Murdaugh murders may be traced back to a 100-year-old Hampton, South Carolina family law dynasty that was placed within the hands of fourth-generation lawyer Alex Murdaugh.
But what took a century to construct collapsed in June 2021 when Alex called the authorities after finding his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, shot to death at their 1,770-acre hunting lodge at 4147 Moselle Road in Islandton, South Carolina.
These crimes led to a series of revelations in regards to the family that HBO Max expanded on in a latest true crime documentary, Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynastywhich aired on November 3. It was followed by one other crime series based on a once-prestigious family The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal which debuts on Netflix on February 22.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Maggie Murdaugh via Facebook.
Now Alex is in the identical courthouse where generations of Murdaughs made the law stand trial for murderand jury selection will begin on January 23.
Keep scrolling to seek out out all in regards to the Murdaugh case and family.
Who is the Murdaugh family?
The Murdaugh family began in South Carolina on the turn of the century and continues today outstanding lawyers within the state many years. Starting with Alex Murdaugh’s great-grandfather Randolph Murdaugh Sr. who began Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick by 1910, generations of his family continued with the corporate, including his son Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh II, grandson Randolph Murdaugh III, and his great-grandchildren Randolph “Randy” Murdaugh IV and Alex Murdaugh.
The company has been successful in personal injury cases using South Carolina law, which allows people to sue in any county, not where the incident can have occurred – which might often result in favoritism, and ended up in Hampton County 2004 list of “judicial hellsHowever, this made Murdaugh’s group the “best” lawyers within the county.
Randolph Sr. also became the primary elected Solicitor (or District Attorney) of the 14th Judicial District (District) in 1920. Randolph Sr. served in that capability for 20 years until his death. His son, Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh II, was elected to the subsequent position. He worked from 1940 to 1986 until his son Randolph Murdaugh III took over, working from 1986 to 2006. Alex volunteered and worked part-time at a law firm after graduating from USC Law School from 1994 to 2021.
The Murdaugh family were lawyers in South Carolina for 86 straight years; conducting criminal prosecutions in his district and playing a key role in deciding which cases will likely be brought (and when) between 1920 and 2006.
What happened to Paul and Maggie Murdaugh?
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot on June 7, 2021. Alex Murdaugh called 911 around 10 p.m., claiming to have discovered the bodies. However, the coroner stated that each died between 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., per NPRand were shot with different weapons – Maggie with an assault rifle and Paul with a shotgun.
In October 2021, Alex was named as an individual of interest within the case, although his lawyer denied the allegations and said he had no motive for the crime, in response to People.
According to NBC Newssources near the investigation said authorities found video evidence from a mobile phone that places Alex on the crime scene.
On July 14, 2022, he was indicted by a grand jury in reference to the murders of Paul and Maggie. He was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon while committing a violent crime.
Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers maintain his innocence.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Maggie Murdaugh via Facebook.
What other crimes were uncovered after the murders of the Murdaugh family?
As investigators looked into the deaths of the mother and son, other unsolved crimes related to the Murdaugh family were uncovered.
Two years earlier his death, in February 2019, the youngest son Paweł, 22 years old, he was involved in a boating accident that left his friend, Mallory Beach, dead after being thrown from the boat. Although various witnesses claimed that Paul was driving the boat drunk, in response to the previous NBC documentary about Peacockkey evidence within the case is missing.
Paul was charged with one count of drunken boating and two counts of causing bodily harm, although people suggested he received special treatment due to his family’s heritage. He was released on bail and a trial date was never set, on People.
In addition, two weeks after the double murders that occurred in June 2021, the state reopened its investigation right into a man, Stephen Smith, found dead on the side of the road in 2015.
While the South Carolina State Department of Law Enforcement (SLED) didn’t disclose what evidence prompted them to reopen the case, per NPRMurdaugh’s name kept coming up in reference to the case. Sources speculated that Buster Murdaugh, the eldest son of Alex Murdaugh, who also worked on the family law firm, had a relationship with Smith. Daily mail.
Furthermore, although Smith’s death was ruled a hit-and-run, he had a gunshot wound above his right eye and his injuries weren’t consistent with those sustained within the vehicle crash, in response to the Daily Mail.
Buster was not named as an individual of interest in Smith’s death.
What happened to Gloria Satterfield?
In addition to Smith’s death, the SLED launched an investigation into one other case involving the Murdaugh family. In 2018, the family’s longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, died after Maggie Murdaugh called 911 claiming Satterfield had fallen down the steps. It was noticed that Paul was present through the conversation.
Satterfield was a longtime family caretaker and was featured in a Discovery+ documentary in response to sources Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynastyshe told several those that Paul kills small animals and sometimes disregards authority.
The reason behind her death stays unclear.
At the funeral, Alex approached the Satterfield sons and said that for the reason that accident happened on his property, he was going to sue himself for wrongful death so the boys could get insurance money, in response to The New York Times.
With all of the legal issues that Alex handled, the sons were told to attend for a settlement.
Alex and his insurers reached a $4.3 million settlement a number of months after Satterfield’s death, however the Satterfield family didn’t see penny.
Satterfield’s sons filed a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh in September 2021, and the SLED decided to exhume the body for autopsy in June 2022, in response to South Carolina WCSC. That same month, Alex agreed to pay the Satterfield family $4.3 million.
Where is Murdaugh’s law firm now?
Alleged misappropriation of funds in a wrongful death lawsuit exposed various other financial crimes, including Alex stealing tens of millions from clients and his family law firm, in response to The New York Times.
He was then pushed out by his partners in September 2021, just three months after the double murders. The firm modified its name to Parker Law Group, LLP in January 2021 South Carolina WOTC.
Alex was also disbarred from being an attorney within the state of South Carolina indefinitely, and his name was faraway from what was once often called “Murdaugh Law Firm”.
What happened to Alex Murdaugh?
The next day, after Alex was forced out of the corporate, he was shot in the pinnacle while changing a tire on the side of the road. The shot caused only minor damage and was capable of summon help.
A number of days after he was shot, he checked into rehab for his opioid addiction. It was there that he confessed to lawyers that he hired Curtis Eddie Smith to kill him so his son Buster could collect $10 million in insurance.
On September 16, 2021, he turned himself in to Hampton County law enforcement in relation to a contract suicide scam, in response to People.
Later on October 14, 2021, Alex was arrested on suspicion of misappropriating tens of millions from the Satterfield estate and obtaining property under false pretenses, for NPRand within the months that followed, dozens of charges were filed against him for varied financial crimes and deaths.
He was charged with murder for the deaths of his wife and son in July 2022.
Image credit: Tracy Glantz/The Island Packet/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Where are the Murdaughs now?
Alex Murdaugh is currently in prison and is because of stand trial for the murders of his son Paul and his wife Maggie in June 2021 in January. If convicted, he could face anywhere from 30 years to life without parole and will be eligible for the death penalty. USA today.
Murdaugh faced a complete of 90 charges, lots of which include financial crimes resembling stealing from a family law firm, laundering money through a drug ring and committing insurance fraud.
As for the remaining of the surviving Murdaugh family, the eldest Buster’s son was recently reported as “not doing well in any respect” since his father was arrested for double murders, sources say People in July 2022
Buster appears to have previously worked on the family law firm no involvement with the renamed Parker Law Group.
Meanwhile, Alex’s brother Randy continues to work as practicing lawyer on the now renamed Parker Law Firm. In the statement, he condemned Alex’s actions and stated that he was not involved in mishandling company funds People in September 2021
Randy is simply too suing Alex over hundreds of unpaid loans.
How much are the Murdaughs price?
It’s unclear how much wealth the Murdaugh family once had, but several accounts and properties were found to be price tens of millions.
While Murdaugh was held on $7 million bail on 51 criminal charges, the court detailed Murdaugh’s estate, which included quite a few properties and even small islands, in response to Greenville news.
In addition, the court found a retirement account price $2.1 million to $2.2 million and an IRA pension fund price $350,000 to $400,000.
He was also to receive a trust fund for an undisclosed amount upon the death of his father Randolph Murdaugh III in June 2021, in addition to an inheritance estate upon the death of his wife in the identical month.
Also, the family hunting lodge where Paul and Maggie died was listed in February 2022 $3.9 million.
