Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh has been moved into the protective custody unit of a South Carolina maximum security prison, but prison officials won’t be disclosing which of the state’s seven “close custody” facilities the former lawyer will serve his two life sentences.

The state Department of Corrections made the announcement Friday afternoon, saying Murdaugh’s evaluation process was complete. After his conviction for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. earlier this month, the department said it could take 45 days for the evaluation process to run its course, as CrimeOnline previously reported. But a four-member panel met on Thursday and made the decision.

The department said the unit where Murdaugh has been transferred currently houses 28 inmates.

“Inmates in this unit have validated protective concerns and are placed in a specialized unit to separate them from the general population,” the department said in its statement. “Their location is not disclosed for safety and security reasons.”

A jury took less than three hours after a lengthy trial to find Murdaugh guilty of gunning down his wife and son on June 7, 2021. His attorneys plan to appeal.

Murdaugh began his prison stay at the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia, which also houses the state’s most secure facility.

The department said Murdaugh will spend his time in a single, 8 by 10 cell with a bed, toilet, and sink.

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[Featured image: Alex Murdaugh/South Carolina Department of Corrections]