An attorney representing jailed South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh confirmed that police immediately investigated Murdaugh following his wife and son’s murders.
Attorney Jim Griffin told WHNS that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated Alex Murdaugh “from the get-go.” On June 7, Alex Murdaugh called 911 claiming he discovered Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, 52 and 22, fatally shot near some dog kennels on their 1,770-acre estate in Colleton County.
Despite saying Alex Murdaugh was considered a person of interest, Griffin suggested that SLED has not uncovered evidence linking his client to the double homicide. The agency has not publicly disclosed what evidence it has recovered in this case.
“You would think that if Alex was the one who did it, that SLED would have been able to establish that pretty easily that night,” Griffin told WHNS.
“You would think they would have searched his house and found blood somewhere. You would think they would have found the murder weapons on the property. You would think they would come up with something to link Alex to the murders, forensically or independent evidence. To my knowledge, they have not done that.”
Paul and Maggie Murdaugh’s murders occurred months before Alex Murdaugh allegedly devised a suicide-for-hire plot that resulted in him being shot in the head.
On September 4, Alex Murdaugh called 911 and said he had been shot in rural Hampton County. A day earlier, he was forced out of his family law firm amid allegations he misappropriated funds. He announced he was entering rehabilitation for drugs two days after the shooting.
Alex Murdaugh was arrested in Hampton County on September 16, after an investigation determined he had an ex-client, Curtis Edward Smith, 61, shoot him so his surviving son would receive a $10 million life insurance payout.
Alex Murdaugh, who was free on a $20,000 bond, was arrested in Florida on Thursday for allegedly misappropriating settlement funds related to the 2018 death of his housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, 57, who reportedly suffered a fatal fall on his property.
In mid-September, Satterfield’s sons reportedly filed a lawsuit accusing Alex Murdaugh, attorney Corey Fleming, and Hampton banker Chad Westendorf, of stealing $4 million from their late mother’s estate, which included payouts from a wrongful death settlement.
In regard to Satterfield’s case, Alex Murdaugh is charged with obtaining property by false pretenses. He is currently awaiting extradition to South Carolina.
No arrests have been made in connection with Paul and Maggie Murdaugh’s murders.
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[Featured image: Buster, Maggie, Paul, Alex Murdaugh/Facebook]
