Authorities late Friday issued a new criminal charge against Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer on trial for allegedly murdering his wife and son, WCSC-TV reports.
Details about the new charge were not immediately available, but Crime Online has confirmed through public records that the charge is a misdemeanor and was sought by local law enforcement in Colleton County, where the trial is being held.
Online jail records from the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office reveal the following: “Warrant: Misdemeanor Arrest warrant 2023a1510100048 issued by Colleton, SC; Arrest Date 02/24/2023; Additional Hold for South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; Arrest Date 02/24/2023.”
Citing unnamed sources, the Post & Courier reports that the charge involves contraband related to a book.
Murdaugh may have received some sort of contraband material from a loved one this week in the course of the trial, according to FITSNews. The news outlet also noted that Murdaugh’s lawyers met with their client on Thursday in a lunch meeting.
Earlier this month, Judge Clifton Newman instructed some members of Murdaugh’s family to move away from the front row of seats after reportedly communicating with Murdaugh. One family member may have attempted to pass along an unknown item to Murdaugh through his legal counsel, according to FITSNews.
The new charge comes after Murdaugh, 54, began testifying in his own defense this week in the murder trial.
It is not clear whether anyone else may be charged related to the alleged contraband. The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to inquiries from news organizations seeking additional information about the misdemeanor charge.
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[Featured image: Alex Murdaugh listens to testimony about his car’s movements on the night of his wife and son’s murder during his double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. The 54-year-old attorney is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their Colleton County home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool)]
