COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. — A grand jury in South Carolina on Thursday indicted disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh on charges including two counts of murder in the 2021 deaths of his wife and son, officials said.
Colleton County grand jurors also indicted Murdaugh on two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel announced.
In the indictments, officials alleged that Murdaugh shot and killed his wife, 52-year-old Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, with a rifle and shot and killed his son; 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, with a shotgun in June 2021.
Alex Murdaugh’s brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, told The Post and Courier that state police met Tuesday with family members to let them know that they planned to bring criminal charges related to the deaths of Maggie and Paul against the prominent former attorney.
Alex Murdaugh called 911 on the night of June 7, 2021, after finding his wife and his son shot several times at the family’s home in Islandton. Officials said their bodies were found near a dog kennel on the property.
No arrests were made in the months following the shooting. Alex Murdaugh has repeatedly denied having any role in the killings.
“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,” Keel said Thursday in a statement. “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.”
In recent months, prosecutors have filed several charges against Alex Murdaugh, although none related to the deaths of his wife and son. In court records, authorities accused Alex Murdaugh of bilking his clients out of millions of dollars over the years. He has also been accused of arranging for another man to shoot him in September 2021 to allow his surviving son to collect a $10 million life insurance policy.
Alex Murdaugh previously held a role as a part-time prosecutor for South Carolina’s five-county 14th Judicial Court, where his family members have long served as elected prosecutors. He also worked as a personal injury attorney for his family’s prominent law firm.
On Tuesday, the South Carolina Supreme Court formally disbarred him, The Associated Press reported.
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