Ex-lawyer Murdaugh’s murder trial starts
Accused of killing wife, son, many other crimes
The double murder trial of former South Carolina attorney Richard “Alex” Murdaugh, who is at the center of multiple state investigations and a dozen lawsuits, is set to begin Monday.
In July, Murdaugh, a member of a prominent family that ran a prosecutors office in Hampton County for more than 80 years, was indicted on two counts of murder in the fatal shootings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. The now-disbarred attorney has denied killing his family members.
After the shootings in June 2021, police launched investigations into two other deaths connected to Murdaugh and alleged criminal acts dating back more than a decade.
Amid his legal turmoil, Murdaugh survived a shooting that prosecutors allege was part of a botched insurance fraud scheme. He now faces more than 100 criminal charges related to offenses including drug trafficking, tax evasion and stealing more than $8.7 million from clients and other attorneys.
Here’s what to know about the trial and cases connected to Murdaugh.
Murdaugh’s family found dead
Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were shot and killed at their Colleton County estate June 7, 2021. County Coroner Richard Harvey placed the time of death between 9 and 9:30 p.m. Alex Murdaugh reported their deaths to police at 10:07 p.m. and told 911 operators he wasn’t home when they were killed.
In July, a grand jury charged Murdaugh with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
Probe into Stephen Smith’s death
About two weeks after the killings, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced it opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith based on information uncovered during the double murder probe.
Smith, 19, was found with deep gashes in his head on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015. South Carolina Highway Patrol investigators ruled his death a hit-and-run. During a Nov. 25 interview, Smith’s mother told the Hampton County Guardian, part of the USA TODAY Network, she believed his death was the result of foul play.
Conspiracy alleged in crash death
Court documents filed in July 2021 alleged a civil conspiracy possibly connecting law enforcement and members of the Murdaugh family following a boat crash in Beaufort County in 2019 that resulted in the death of Mallory Beach, 19.
Paul Murdaugh allegedly crashed his family’s boat into a bridge at more than 30 mph, killing Beach and injuring two other people onboard. He pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of boating under the influence. He was awaiting trial when he was killed.
A tentative settlement has been reached in the wrongful death lawsuit in that case, The State reported.
Charges in insurance fraud case
On Sept. 4, 2021, Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head in Hampton County, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Less than two weeks later, Curtis Edward Smith was charged for shooting Murdaugh in what state police described as a failed life insurance scheme. Murdaugh wanted Smith to kill him so his surviving son, Buster, would get his $10 million life insurance policy, according to authorities.
Murdaugh was later charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report in the shooting.
Probe into housekeeper’s death
One day before Murdaugh was charged in the botched insurance fraud scheme, the law enforcement division opened another criminal investigation in the 2018 death of Murdaugh’s housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. Her family sued Murdaugh and other attorneys, alleging a civil conspiracy.
Court documents alleged Murdaugh was responsible for moving more than $3.5 million in wrongful death lawsuit settlement funds away from Satterfield’s heirs and into fraudulent accounts he created. Murdaugh was arrested in October 2021.
In December 2021, Murdaugh agreed to sign a $4.3 million confession to judgment in their favor.
Murdaugh faces more charges
Over the course of the next year, more indictments were steadily unsealed and Murdaugh was charged with dozens more financial and drug-related crimes. He is currently facing more than 100 criminal charges and 12 lawsuits in state and federal court.