A $100,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing two members of a prominent South Carolina family, WYFF-TV reports.
Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, were found shot to death June 7 at their family’s hunting lodge in Colleton County, South Carolina.
Alex Murdaugh – Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband – is said to have discovered the bodies that evening after returning to the property.
The victims, who were located outside the residence, had multiple gunshot wounds.
Members of the Murdaugh family on Friday announced a reward of $100,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the slayings.
“I want to thank everyone for the incredible love and support that we have received over the last few weeks,” Alex Murdaugh said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. “Now is the time to bring justice for Maggie and Paul.”
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has launched a tip line at 803-896-2605. To be eligible for the award, the tip must be submitted on or before September 30.
Police have yet to publicly announce any arrests or explanations for the murders, but the killings have prompted further scrutiny of two other deaths in the community, one of which is at least directly connected.
At the time of his death, Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on charges of boating under the influence after a boat crash in February 2019 killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. Police reports state that six underage people on the boat were “grossly intoxicated.”
Further, authorities this week confirmed to the television station that an investigation has been opened into the 2015 death of 19-year-old Steven Smith based on information obtained after the Murdaugh killings.
A coroner’s report concluded that Smith had most likely been struck in the head by a mirror of a semi-truck while he was walking along a South Carolina road.
But Smith’s mother, Sandy Smith, has said she believes her son was beaten to death. There were no broken pieces of glass or plastic on the road where the body was found, and she is suspicious of how his body was positioned.
“The way his body was lying in the road, with his arm dislocated and bent back behind his body, I just don’t believe that he was struck by the mirror of a vehicle,” Sandy Smith told the Augusta Chronicle in 2015.
Sandy Smith wonders whether her son, who was gay, was the victim of a hate crime. She said his head was crushed and had a hole in it.
“I just want to know what really happened to my son,” Sandy Smith told the newspaper. “I am going to do whatever it takes to get justice for my son.”
It is not known publicly what information led authorities to open an investigation into Steven Smith’s death.
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[Feature Photo: Murdaughs/Facebook]
