Here’s What To Know About The Once-Prominent Lawyer As Jury Selection Begins

Topline

Jury selection began Monday for the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, a prominent South Carolina attorney who was accused of killing his wife and son in 2021, as Murdaugh faces dozens of criminal charges alleging everything from murder and money laundering to fraud and mishandling clients’ funds.

Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial began Monday.

Associated Press

Key Facts

Prosecutors charged Murdaugh last year with two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent crime, alleging he shot his wife Maggie with a rifle before killing his son Paul with a shotgun outside the family’s home in June 2021.

Evidence tying Murdaugh to the crime scene has not been publicly released, though investigators found bloodstains—which tested negative for human blood—on a white T-shirt belonging to Murdaugh, according to The Post and Courier.

Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin released a joint statement denying the murder charges, according to local news affiliate WCSC, adding “Alex looks forward to this opportunity to clear his name.”

Murdaugh claims he was visiting his ailing father and mother at the time of the murders, according to the New York Times.

If convicted on two counts of first-degree murder, Murdaugh faces a minimum of 20 years in prison.

Key Background

Alex Murdaugh is part of a long line of high-profile attorneys: His family members served as district attorney of South Carolina’s 14th circuit district between 1920 and 2006, and as members of the personal injury law firm Peters Murdaugh Parker Ezltzroth & Detrick. But Murdaugh began to face a slew of criminal allegations in the months following the deaths of his wife and son, including 99 charges across 19 indictments. Murdaugh was also accused of defrauding victims—including some of his legal clients—of nearly $9 million and South Carolina of almost $500,000, according to Attorney General Alan Wilson. In a set of four indictments announced in January 2021, Murdaugh is accused of defrauding four clients out of $2.6 million after Murdaugh allegedly spent their compensation and trust checks for his own personal use. Prosecutors also allege Murdaugh stole insurance settlements from the family of his late housekeeper, while other charges accuse Murdaugh and Curtis Smith of a money laundering scheme involving the illegal distribution of oxycodone, according to the Associated Press. A December 2021 civil lawsuit also claims Murdaugh committed insurance fraud after he allegedly paid a man $2 million to kill him, which would have allowed Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster, to collect a $10 million life insurance policy.

Surprising Fact

Eric Bland, a South Carolina attorney representing one of Murdaugh’s accusers, told WCSC that Murdaugh could be sentenced to a maximum of over 900 years in prison if convicted of all charges brought against him.

Tangent

Murdaugh will also stand trial in a wrongful death lawsuit involving 19-year-old Mallory Beach, who died in a 2019 boat crash. The lawsuit, filed by Beach’s mother Renee, accuses Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul of boating under the influence at the time of the crash and of purchasing alcohol at a liquor store beforehand, despite being underage. The civil suit alleges the Murdaugh family and the local Parker’s Kitchen convenience store had “joint and several liability” in Mallory’s death, according to ABC News.

What To Watch For

A trial date has not been set for the other charges Murdaugh faces.