Top 10 Shocking Facts About Alex Murdaugh
#10: He Comes from a Powerful Family of South Carolina Lawyers
One of the many reasons Alex Murdaugh has gained attention in the news from his scandals is because he is part of a family with a legal dynasty in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. From 1920 to 2006, members from three generations of the Murdaugh family served as 14th Circuit Solicitor, a prosecutor role that covers five counties in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Alex himself had worked as a personal injury lawyer at a law firm until he resigned in September 2021, but we’ll get to the reason why later.
#9: His Wife & Son Were Murdered
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In June 2021, Alex’s wife, Margaret, and son, Paul, were shot multiple times near dog kennels on their family estate, and their murders have yet to be solved. Alex claims that during the time of their murders, he was away from home, and when he found their bodies, he called 911 immediately. The murders originally earned Murdaugh the sympathy of the local community, but the mysterious circumstances and other scandals that have been uncovered since have changed public opinion. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, or SLED for short, is currently investigating the murders.
#8: His Son, Paul, Was Awaiting Trial
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At the time of his death, Paul was facing legal trouble for allegedly operating a boat under the influence with a .286 blood alcohol content during a 2019 incident. His alleged negligence resulted in a crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. At the time of the trial, there were suspicions that Alex Murdaugh was using his connections in the legal system to interfere with the investigation of his son. This led to Duffie Stone, the current 14th circuit district solicitor, recusing himself because of his connections to Murdaugh.
#7: He Is Being Sued for the Boating Accident
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That lawsuit is being filed by Connor Cook, a survivor of the 2019 boating incident. Among the things the suit claims is that because of Paul’s history of drinking problems, Alex should not have let him operate a boat with five of his friends on it. Another claim points to a “whisper campaign” organized by Alex Murdaugh to put the blame for the boating accident on Cook. Also, according to Cook, Murdaugh recommended a lawyer to represent him on this issue. However, Murdaugh left out that the lawyer was godfather to his son Paul, which sounds like a huge conflict of interest.
#6: He May Be Connected to the Death of a Teenager
In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith, who was from the same graduating class as Alex Murdaugh’s other son, Buster, was found dead near the Murdaugh estate. Smith’s death is thought to be the result of a hit-and-run. There was renewed interest in the case after the murders of Margaret and Paul Murdaugh, and SLED reopened the investigation into Smith’s death in June 2021. Once again, 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone has recused himself from the case because of his connections with Murdaugh. This is another example of a strange death connected to Alex Murdaugh.
#5: He Was Pushed out of His Own Law Firm
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As previously mentioned, Murdaugh announced his resignation from his law firm, Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick, or PMPED for short, in early September 2021. However, PMPED stated days later that Murdaugh had left the firm because they discovered that he had misappropriated funds from clients worth millions of dollars. In light of this allegation made by PMPED, Murdaugh’s law license has been suspended by the South Carolina Supreme Court, and SLED is currently investigating the matter. In addition, PMPED has announced that they have hired a forensic accounting firm to launch their own investigation.
#4: He Has a Substance Problem
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The same day Murdaugh announced that he was leaving his law firm, he also stated that he was checking himself into rehab. The reason he is seeking treatment is for an oxycodone addiction, which he claimed to have had a long battle with but something which has become worse since his wife and son died. One of Murdaugh’s lawyers later blamed Murdaugh’s insurance fraud scandal on his depression and his substance abuse problems brought about by his personal family tragedy. Another attorney told NBC News that Murdaugh used the “vast majority” of the money he took from his firm to buy drugs.
#3: He Was Shot in the Head
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In September 2021, Murdaugh told authorities that he was shot in the head while he was on the side of a road changing a tire and a pickup truck pulled up right beside him. After experiencing a “superficial gunshot wound” which grazed his head, he was taken to a hospital for treatment in Savannah, Georgia. However, Murdaugh’s lawyers later revealed that Murdaugh arranged to have someone shoot him in the head, and the man who shot him was Curtis Smith, a drug dealer who supplied oxycodone to Murdaugh.
#2: He Is Facing Trial for Fraud
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Smith, Murdaugh’s partner in this scheme, has been charged with assisting Murdaugh in an attempt to end a life, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud among other crimes. For his involvement in setting up his own murder plot, Murdaugh is being charged with three counts including insurance fraud. One possible motive for Murdaugh to put a hit was to collect insurance money to give to his other son Buster. Murdaugh surrendered himself to authorities in September 2021 and is currently facing trial. He is out on a 20,000 dollar bond and still seeking treatment in rehab during the trial.
#1: His Housekeeper Died Under Mysterious Circumstances
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Court records state that Murdaugh’s housekeeper Gloria Satterfield died of a “trip and fall” accident in 2018. However, no autopsy was ever carried out, and Angela Topper, the Hampton County coroner, also noted an inconsistency that her death was listed on the death certificate as “natural,” even though that contradicts the “trip and fall” explanation. Satterfield’s two surviving sons successfully sued Murdaugh but weren’t paid the 505,000 dollars they were owed. Because of this and the other mysterious deaths mentioned earlier, an investigation was opened up into Satterfield’s death.
