Alex Murdaugh charged in double homicide of wife, son
Written by Lucky Wilson | KGTO Writer on July 16, 2022
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division jointly announced criminal indictments Thursday against disbarred South Carolina attorney Richard “Alex” Murdaugh in connection with the 2021 double homicide of his wife and younger son.
The Colleton County Grand Jury has charged Alex Murdaugh with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul.
While the S.C. Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case, the indictments were “true billed” in the county where the homicides occurred. The felony charges were signed and unsealed Thursday.
More:What we know, and don’t know, about the Alex Murdaugh crime saga
The indictments allege that Murdaugh shot and killed his wife, Maggie, with a rifle, and shot and killed his younger son, Paul, with a shotgun. No other details were included in the indictments.
Murdaugh’s attorneys Jim Griffin and Richard Harpootlian denied the allegations from the onset with a statement issued just minutes after the charges were announced by the state.
“Alex wants his family, friends and everyone to know that he did not have anything to do with the murders of Maggie and Paul. He loved them more than anything in the world,” the statement from attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin reads. “It was very clear from day one that law enforcement and the Attorney General prematurely concluded that Alex was responsible for the murder of his wife and son. But we know that Alex did not have any motive whatsoever to murder them.”
The attorneys plan to immediately file a motion for a speedy trial, that the Attorney General’s Office turn over all evidence within 30 days and that a trial be held within 60 days of receiving that evidence, according to the statement.
Because this is an active investigation and is now a pending court case, Attorney General Alan Wilson said he cannot comment on specifics.
However, he did state in a release, “All the efforts of our office and the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation have been focused on seeking justice for the victims’ families. We want to thank the State Law Enforcement Division, the attorneys and staff in our office, and everyone who worked on this case for their tireless efforts to gather evidence and follow where it led. We also want to thank the Colleton County Grand Jury for listening to that evidence and for their service to the people of the state.”
“Over the last 13 months, SLED agents and our partners have worked day in and day out to build a case against the person responsible for the murders of Maggie and Paul and to exclude those who were not. At no point did agents lose focus on this investigation. From the beginning I have been clear, the priority was to ensure justice was served. Today is one more step in a long process for justice for Maggie and Paul,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel.
A bond hearing will be held Wednesday, July 20, at 10 a. at the Colleton County Courthouse before Judge Clifton Newman.
Officials announced the pending charges the day before, and on Wednesday Murdaugh’s former family law firm, now called Parker Law Group, posted the following statement on its website:
“Today’s news (7/12/22) is sad and upsetting. Our thoughts turn to Maggie and to Paul whom we loved and who we miss. Every day we grieve for them. Justice must be served. If the charges reported today are true and just, we ask for our judicial system to act swiftly and to bring a conclusion to this heinous situation.”
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Murdaugh’s wife, Margaret, 52, and his son, Paul, 22, were shot and killed at their Colleton County estate, Moselle, on the night of June 7, 2021. Murdaugh called 911 at 10:07 p.m. and reported that he had found the pair unresponsive and lying on the ground near the family’s dog kennels. At the time of his death, Paul Murdaugh was facing three felony boating under the influence charges related to the February 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach, 19, of Hampton.
Related:Alex Murdaugh receives $7 million bond on 48 state grand jury charges
The Murdaugh killings from ground zero:The world watches as Hampton County grieves
Since the killings, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have uncovered a web of financial and drug crimes allegedly involving Murdaugh that span more than a decade in several S.C. Lowcountry counties.
Prior to today’s charges, Murdaugh was already facing a total of 84 criminal charges and 11 civil suits and is being detained in Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $7 million bond he has been unable to meet.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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