Alex Murdaugh admitted to jurors that he has been using opioid drugs for more than twenty years.

At times, he said, he was spending as much as $50,000 a week on drugs. Murdaugh said his addiction began with a college football injury which lead to multiple surgeries and prescription pain medication.

Murdaugh said that he soon became dependent. The accused killer also told the jurors that he had tried to get help several times but relapsed each time. Murdaugh said it was his addiction that led him to steal from the law firm, clients, and his own family.

Murdaugh also said it was his addiction and paranoia that impelled him to lie about his whereabouts on the night of the murder.

Nancy Grace talks with addiction expert Dr. William Morrone, Author of “American Narcan,”  about how the opiates could have affected Murdaugh’s actions.

“Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” on Fox Nation is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.

[Feature Photo: Alex Murdaugh reacts to testimony during his double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. 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, S.C., home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. (Jeff Blake/The State via AP, Pool)]