A prominent former attorney from a powerful South Carolina legal dynasty is now serving two consecutive life sentences without parole for the murders of his wife and son. The 2021 killings, which occurred at the family’s hunting estate, have returned to public attention following the release of a recent streaming series dramatizing the family’s saga.
The victims, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and her son Paul, were found deceased on the evening of June 7, 2021, near dog kennels on the property. Investigators determined both had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Paul Murdaugh was fatally shot at close range with a shotgun, while Maggie Murdaugh was shot several times with a rifle.
The defendant reported discovering the bodies and placed a call to emergency services. However, his account of events would later unravel. A critical piece of evidence presented at trial was a cellphone video recorded by Paul Murdaugh on the night of the murders, which placed the defendant at the crime scene minutes before the killings occurred. Prosecutors argued this directly contradicted his initial alibi.
The murders were not the defendant’s only legal troubles. In the months following the killings, he faced a series of financial crime charges, including allegations of misappropriating funds from his former law firm and from a settlement related to the 2018 death of the family’s housekeeper. He also reported being shot in the head in a separate roadside incident in September 2021, which authorities later determined was part of an insurance fraud scheme.
After a six-week trial that captivated the nation, a jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of murder in March 2023. He was formally sentenced to life in prison for each count, with the sentences to run consecutively. He is also serving a separate 40-year federal sentence for financial crimes.
During a subsequent court appearance related to the financial charges, the defendant expressed remorse, stating he was “filled with sorrow” and guilt for his actions, while acknowledging public skepticism about the sincerity of his apology.
His legal team has filed an appeal of the murder convictions. For now, the once-influential figure is incarcerated in a maximum-security state prison, where he is expected to spend the remainder of his life.
