Murdaugh Case Files
Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh
1920-2005 For three generations, members of the Murdaugh family served as the South Carolina 14th circuit solicitor, the top prosecutor representing Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Allendale and Colleton counties
“The function of a solicitor in South Carolina is the same of a people’s attorney or a prosecuting attorney or a district attorney in other states and that is to prosecute criminal cases,”.
Murdaugh Murders
Day of the Murder
June 7, 2021
7:56 PM: Paul Murdaugh receives a Snapchat video from his friend, which is later used as evidence of his whereabouts.
8:44 PM Paul sends a Snapchat video from the kennels on the family estate to a friend. This video, captured just minutes before his death, features his mother, Maggie, and the sound of Alex Murdaugh’s voice in the background, despite his later claims that he wasn’t present at the kennels.
Between 8:50 PM and 9:06 PM: Paul and Maggie Murdaugh are shot and killed at the family’s hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina. Paul is shot twice with a shotgun, and Maggie is shot multiple times with a rifle.
9:06 PM: Paul’s phone is locked and never used again.
9:06 PM: Maggie’s phone records its last activity. She receives a text from Alex Murdaugh, which she doesn’t respond to.
Timeline
Night of the Murder
June 7, 2021
10:06 PM Alex Murdaugh discovers the bodies of his son Paul and wife Maggie at their 1,770-acre hunting lodge on Moselle Road in Islandton, Colleton County.
10:07 p.m. Alex Murdaugh calls 911, claiming he found Maggie and Paul’s bodies at the kennels. He tells the dispatcher that he just arrived home and found them shot. He expresses grief and shock during the call.
911 Call Transcript
“I need the police and ambulance immediately,” My wife and child have been shot badly!
The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office responds and secures the scene. Detectives were unable to find Maggie’s phone.
Paul was shot twice with a shotgun, once in the chest and once in the head, his phone was located next to his body.
Maggie was shot 5 times with 300 Blackout ammo from an AR-style rifle. Two of those shots strike her in the head. Investigators were unable to locate her phone that night.
Paul Murdaugh was facing trial for charges of boating under the influence resulting in death, stemming from a February 2019 crash that claimed the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. Her body was recovered seven days after the incident. The accident raised questions about whether his family’s connections within the local legal system influenced the investigation.
South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division was contacted at 10:28 p.m. to assist.
SLED agents arrive at 11:47 p.m. The
Colleton County deputies handed the investigation over to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which only confirmed that the deaths were being investigated as a double homicide and that no arrests had been made.
Alex Murdauh
Alex Murdaugh Interview
June 7, 2021
10:06 PM Alex Murdaugh discovers the bodies of his son Paul and wife Maggie at their hunting lodge on Moselle Road in Islandton, Colleton County.
10:07 p.m. Alex Murdaugh calls 911, claiming he found Maggie and Paul’s bodies at the kennels. He tells the dispatcher that he just arrived home and found them shot. He expresses grief and shock during the call.
“I need the police and ambulance immediately,” My wife and child have been shot badly!
Crime Scene (Graphic)
The body of an adult male was observed face down in the open doorway to a feed room that was positioned at the end of a long run of dog kennels.
- White male lying face down at an angle away from the building, had on a t-shirt, shorts and shoes, his feet were in the doorway to a storage room attached at the end of the dog kennels, and his body was outside the room laying across the outside concrete pad.
- His arms/hands were underneath his body. body.
- Wadding to a shot gun shell was observed behind the decedent’s feet, inside the shed. A rear window to the shed had several holes in the glass. Large amounts of blood spatter and brain/skull matter were on the door to the shed and on items within the storage building. Detectives observed a pool of blood all around his head, and he had a large opening where the top of his head was, exposing the entire inner cranial cavity, his brain was next to his body near his legs on the left side.
- There was no weapon by the body
- there was high-velocity blood splatter on the upper half of the open door and ceiling area just inside the doorway.
- 4 to 5 holes were also visible in the window and the opposite end of the feed room that appeared to be new damage.
- An Apple iPhone was lying on top of Paul’s body. The phone did not appear to have any blood on it and the screen was blank.
The deceased female was approximately 20-30 feet (estimate) from the male’s body, located at the end of a carport section of a large workshop type building. She too had a traumatic head injury, along with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the upper right back, lower left back and right leg.
- The female was face down also with her arms and hands underneath her body. She had an obvious gunshot wound to her head. There was a large hole in the back of her head and wounds to her back and legs. There was a large pool of blood underneath her head.
- She was wearing a blue patterned romper and shoes.
- There were no weapons near her body.
- Near the body of Maggie Murdaugh were a few clumps of her hair and a broken earring was located near a UTV tire, at the corner of the building she was lying next to.
- Next to Maggie’s body and strewn along the gravel driveway between the Maggie and Paul were multiple large caliber rifle casings.
Report
Crime Scene Processing
Immediate Aftermath
June 7, 2021 – 11:57 PM
Authorities questioned Alex Murdaugh and Nolen Tutone on the night of the murders.
Alex Murdaugh:
- Alex Murdaugh who was with his personal attorney, Danny Henderson, and his brother Randy Murdaugh. Agent Owen requested we speak with him and he agreed. Due to the rain Detectives interviewed Alex Murdaugh inside Agent Owen’s department issued unmarked vehicle. Agent Owen utilized his body worn camera to record our conversation.
- Alex Murdaugh provided an initial statement claiming he was visiting his mother, who has Alzheimer’s, at the time of the murders.
- Investigators Collected Alex Murdaugh Clothing Items
Nolen Tuten – Paul’s Friend
- Nolen stated he has been friends with Paul his whole life, they’re like a second family. He stated he last saw Paul in person on Tuesday or Wednesday of last week in Dove Field. (Murdaugh Property) He stated he last spoke to Paul on the phone tonight at 6:34 pm. He stated Paul was telling him about a new employee who sprayed the wrong chemical and killed a whole Dove Field. He stated Paul sounded like he was in a good mood and had just gotten off work and was halfway home.
- When asked if Paul had any recent negative encounters Nolen stated it never stops. He began to talk about the boat accident that killed Mallory Beach. He stated due to the constant issues he would stay home or go hang out with friends
in Columbia, SC. He stated most of the threats Paul received were in passing and he could not think of any direct threats.
Report
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- murdaugh white shirt
Maggies Phone
June 8, 2021
June 8, 2021 Morning: Authorities confirmed the identities of the deceased, referring to the incident as a double homicide and there was no threat to the public. Statement
The white T-shirt Alex was wearing is tested for gunshot primer residue (GSR). Only three particles of GSR are found, which SLED analysts believe is consistent with transfer from recently holding a firearm and not necessarily indicative of having recently fired a firearm.
Maggie’s phone was recovered on the side of Moselle Road, near the property by using Find my Phone app on her surviving son Buster’s phone.
June 9, 2021
SLED Crime Scene Unit
Car Forensics
SLED Crime Scene Unit responded to the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office to begin the Forensic Processing of the black Chevy Suburban that Alex Murdaugh was driving the night of the incident. Once they completed that vehicle they also processed the White F-250 King Ranch Pickup truck that was recovered from the side of the road by officers the previous day. (This truck was later confirmed to have been driven by John Marvin Murdaugh the night of the incident and broke down on his way to 4147 Moselle Road.)
June 2021
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh Funeral
Funeral and Coroner Report
June 10, 2021, 2:00 PM: SLED agents met with the Murdaugh Family around 2:00 pm at one of their private residences and conducted the interviews. Randy consented to and provided agents with his cell phone for a Forensic Analysis as
well as a buccal DNA swab. Alex Murdaugh had an hour-long interview with investigators.
June 11, 2021: A graveside service is held at Hampton Cemetery for both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
Paul Murdaugh Death Certificate
Saturday June 12, 2021: SLED removed the internal computer/black box of the 2021 Chevy Suburban. SLED and their Computer Crimes Tech Agent to process the vehicle.
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh Coroner Report
June 14, 2021: Dr. Ellen Riemer, The Colleton County Coroner confirms both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh died from multiple gunshot wounds. The estimated time of death is somewhere between 9 and 9:30 p.m. Maggie Murdaugh was shot four or
five times with a 300 Blackout Rifle.
Maggie, 52, was found face down after being shot five times with a rifle, three of the blasts were while she was standing.
At least one appeared to be fired while she was “holding herself up on her knees and … her right hand with her shoulders and head down.”
- Gunshot to anatomical left side of torso. Grazing wound to the abdomen with projectile traveling upward through the left breast. Bullet continued Into the lower left Jaw, face, and ear. Bullet proceeded Into the brain with no apparent exit located. Terminal/Immediate death
- Gunshot to left wrist. Entrance on dorsal side with an exit on ventral side (non-fatal).
- Gunshot to left thigh. Entrance of wound Is medial font to back, downward at a left to right angle. Exit wound Is apparent on the back of thigh. This wound contains stippling (2 In.), no soot (non-fatal).
- Gunshot to back of scalp/head. Anatomical right, terminal/immediate severe brain Injury. Exits head and travels Into upper shoulder back area at a downward trajectory.
- Gunshot to upper abdomen. Entrance on anatomical right side of abdomen (rt. To left, front to back). Potentially fatal but not Immediate. Severe organ damage. Exit wound on lower left side of the back.
Paul Murdaugh Autopsy
Paul Murdaugh was shot first in the chest, then a second shot entered through his shoulder and exited through his head. It was the second shot that would prove fatal.
Paul was first hit in the chest “from several feet away,” leaving him standing and heading for a door — before the second round in the neck and shoulder blew out his brain and immediately killed him.
the fatal shot to Paul’s shoulder, face, and head would likely produce enough back spatter, and would be within range to contaminate the shooter
- Shotgun wound to shoulder and head (small game # shot). Entrance on top of left shoulder traveling in anatomical left to right direction. Enters left side of neck and proceeds into head. Brain was severed and exited through the anatomical right side of head. Upward trajectory, slightly front to back. Brain was completely detached from head. No soot/stippling. Terminal immediate death.
Shotgun wound to chest (buckshot). Entrance on anatomical left side of chest near mid-line. Stippling is present on anatomical left side of entrance wound. Left to right trajectory exiting left side of chest and underarm. Pink plastic wad is present in exit chest wound. Shot spreads and continued through left upper arm.
Moselle Search
Evidence Blue Coat
Alex Murdaugh Shirt
Alex Murdaugh
June 14, 2021 Maggie Murdaugh Mercede’s towed for processing. Maid, Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson was interviewed. The investigation into the murders reveals inconsistencies in Alex Murdaugh’s statements. Evidence begins to mount, such as cell phone records and video evidence, placing him at the scene during the time of the murders.
June 16, 2021: SLED dive team with a search of the Moselle Property-focusing on the water ways (ponds and Salkehatchie River access points) for any potential evidence from the crime. Utilizing ATV’s we canvassed the 1700 acre property.
June 21, 2021: SLED released a handful of heavily-redacted documents shedding light on what deputies discovered the night of the murders.
June 23, 2021: Based on information gathered in the Murdaugh investigation, SLED says it is looking into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith in Hampton County. SLED did not elaborate on what information it obtained.
June 25, 2021: Members of the Murdaugh family formally announce a $100,000 reward for information that leads to arrest in the double homicide.
July 7, 2021: Attorneys representing Connor Cook a survivor of the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach filed a petition alleging law enforcement tried to shift the blame from Paul Murdaugh to their client, Connor Cook.
July 14, 2021: During a court hearing, Circuit Judge Bentley Price said he would review the redactions made by SLED in publicly-released documents pertaining to the case and if he felt they weren’t legal, order more information released.
July 22, 2021: SLED releases the 911 call placed by Alex Murdaugh the night Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were killed. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office drops all charges against Paul Murdaugh in the death of Mallory Beach due to his own death.
Sept. 2, 2021: The PMPED law firm begins an investigation into Alex Murdaugh after finding a suspicious check on his desk. Their investigation revealed Murdaugh had been taking money from the firm and clients for personal use.
Sept. 3, 2021: Murdaugh is confronted about accusations of taking money from PMPED. He is asked to resign and does so that afternoon.
Sept. 4, 2021: Longtime friend and fellow attorney Chris Wilson confronts Murdaugh after finding out Alex had been stealing from him. Wilson says Alex admits to it, apologizes and says he’s been addicted to opioids for about 20 years.
Murdaugh Shot in The Head
September 4, 2021 Alex Murdaugh is shot in the head while changing a tire in Hampton County, according to a family spokesperson. SLED is investigating. He is hospitalized in Savannah and said to be conscious and speaking. Murdaugh speaks with SLED agents and gives a partial description of the shooter and vehicle. Police Report
Sept. 6, 2021: Alex meets with a SLED sketch artist for several hours to make a composite of the man who shot him on the side of the road. Alex Murdaugh releases a statement that says, in part, he is resigning from his law firm and entering rehab. Later that day, the PMPED law firm announced that Murdaugh was stealing money from them.
“This is disappointing news for all of us. Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There’s no place in our firm for such behavior,” the law firm said in a statement.
Sept. 7, 2021: Based on information gathered at the site of the roadside shooting, a search warrant is executed on the home of Curtis Edward Smith. During the search, a sales ledger is discovered.
Sept. 8, 2021: The South Carolina Supreme Court suspends Alex Murdaugh law license.
Sept. 10, 2021: A spokesperson representing Alex Murdaugh released a statement saying, Murdaugh’s shooting was not self-inflicted, he sustained a skull fracture and the gunman was driving a blue pickup truck.
Sept. 12, 2021: Alex Murdaugh reportedly admits to his son Buster and brothers Randy and John Marvin Murdaugh that he staged the roadside shooting and was trying to kill himself so that Buster could get a $10 million life insurance policy.
Sept. 13, 2021: SLED announces it has opened an investigation into claims Alex Murdaugh was misappropriating funds from his former law firm. While Alex Murdaugh was in rehab, he was interviewed by SLED. During the interview, Alex admitted that he staged the roadside shooting, and told SLED Investigators Curtis Edward Smith was the shooter and that he had been buying pills from Smith for several years, sometimes paying him tens of thousands of dollars a week.
Sept. 14, 2021: Curtis Edward Smith, 61, is arrested in connection to the assisted suicide shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Authorities say Murdaugh admits that the scheme was set up so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. Attorneys representing Alex Murdaugh issued a statement that Murdaugh has battled opioid addiction for 20 years and Smith was one of his drug dealers.
Sept. 15, 2021: Smith appears via video conference in a Colleton County court for the charge of distribution of methamphetamine. Because it was his first offense, he was able to post a $5,000 bond. His next appearance is set for November 8. Smith was transferred to Hampton County court to face charges in connection to the Murdaugh shooting.
Same day, Alex Murdaugh is named the defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the sons of longtime Murdaugh housekeeper and nanny, Gloria Satterfield. SLED announces it is opening a criminal investigation into Satterfield’s 2018 death. Murdaugh attorney says his client will surrender to authorities the following day in connection to the insurance fraud charges.
Sept. 16, 2021: Alex Murdaugh turns himself in to authorities at the Hampton County Detention Center. Murdaugh was out on $20,000 bond for insurance fraud charges stemming from his attempted assisted suicide plot. He is ordered to appear back in court on October 25. Smith was out on a $55,000 bond for his charges with the court date on November 8.
Murdaugh Lawsuits and Arrests
Alex Murdaugh Arrests
Oct. 6, 2021: The PMPED law firm files suit against Alex Murdaugh for damages after claims he took money from them and clients for his own personal use.
Oct. 8, 2021: The South Carolina Supreme Court suspends the law license of Beaufort attorney Cory Fleming, accused of helping Murdaugh funnel money from Satterfield’s wrongful death settlement.
Oct. 14, 2021: Alex Murdaugh is taken into custody upon his release from a drug rehabilitation facility in Orlando, charged with two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses in connection with Gloria Satterfield’s wrongful death settlement. He awaits extradition back to South Carolina.
Oct. 15, 2021: WJCL receives stemming from Alex Murdaugh’s assisted suicide attempt in September which detail the extent of his injuries.
Oct. 19, 2021: Alex Murdaugh appears in a Richland County, South Carolina courtroom for a bond hearing stemming from the obtaining property by false pretenses charges. Following an hour-long hearing, the [judge rules that Murdaugh will be held in custody pending a psychiatric evaluation
Oct. 22, 2021: SLED released three 911 calls placed the day Alex Murdaugh reported being shot in the head in Hampton County. Two calls are from Murdaugh and the third is from a passerby, who saw Murdaugh bleeding and waving his hands but didn’t stop because she felt it was a set up.
Oct. 29, 2021: Circuit Judge Daniel Hall hears the wrongful death lawsuit by the family of Mallory Beach. Hall said he would make a ruling the following week as to whether control of Murdaugh’s assets should be turned over to independent representatives so Murdaugh does not engage in fraud to hide money.
Nov. 2, 2021: A judge freezed Alex Murdaugh’s assets as part of the ongoing wrongful death cases.
Nov. 4, 2021: Alex Murdaugh and Curtis Edward Smith are indicted on multiple charges by a Hampton County grand jury in connection to the assisted suicide plot.
Nov. 10, 2021: Alex Murdaugh is denied bond following a psychiatric evaluation.
Nov. 11, 2021: The estate of Gloria Satterfield reached a settlement with Palmetto State Bank.
December 9, 2021 South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces the South Carolina State Grand Jury issued seven indictments consisting of 21 New Charges against Alex Murdaugh
Jan. 11, 2022: Beaufort attorney and longtime friend of Alex Murdaugh, Cory Fleming, has his law license suspended by the Georgia Supreme Court following accusations he helped Murdaugh funnel money from Gloria Satterfield’s wrongful death settlement.
Jan. 21, 2022: The South Carolina State Grand Jury indicts Alex Murdaugh on 23 criminal charges, including breach of trust and computer crimes.
June 16, 2022: The South Carolina Supreme Court announces it wants to [revoke the law license of attorney Alex Murdaugh. The justices say there is overwhelming evidence the prominent attorney stole millions of dollars from his clients even though more than 70 criminal charges against the prominent lawyer have not been resolved.
June 28, 2022: Alex Murdaugh and Curtis Edward Smith are indicted on a slew of new charges, ranging from criminal conspiracy to money laundering.
July 12, 2022: SLED informs Murdaugh family members they plan to charge Alex Murdaugh in the deaths of his wife and son. The South Carolina Supreme Court
July 14, 2022: Alex Murdaugh is indicted on 2 counts of murder in the killing of his wife and son.
July 20, 2022: Alex Murdaugh appears in Colleton County district court and pleaded not guilty on the murder charge
October 13, 2022: Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial for the deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh is set to begin Jan. 30, 2023.
October 17, 2022: Murdaugh’s trial was rescheduled for Jan. 23, 2023 to “better fit with judicial schedules,” according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Dec. 16, 2022: Alex Murdaugh is indicted for tax evasion, stemming from income received from illegal acts.
Jan. 23, 2023: Jury selection begins in the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh.
March 2, 2023, after less than three hours of deliberation, the jury found Murdaugh guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
May 24, 2024 A federal grand jury has returned a
22-count indictment against Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh, 54, of Hampton, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering.
September 21, 2023 Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh, 55, of Hampton, has pleaded guilty in federal court to all 22 charges pending against him, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering.
April 1, 2024 Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh, 55, of Hampton, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for 22 federal financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering.
October 1, 2024 The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Alex Murdaugh federal appeal – he was appealing his 40 year sentence for a myriad of financial crimes.
Key Evidence Leading to Conviction
- Cell Phone Data: Cell phone records placed Alex Murdaugh at the scene of the murders when he claimed to be elsewhere.
- Snapchat Video: A video taken by Paul just minutes before the murders captured Alex Murdaugh’s voice in the background.
- Inconsistent Statements: Murdaugh’s statements to investigators were inconsistent and contradicted by evidence.
- Financial Motive: The prosecution argued that Murdaugh killed his wife and son to divert attention from his financial crimes and gain sympathy.