The plot thickened one day later, on Sept. There's no place in our firm for such behavior.'Īlex Murdaugh Speaks Out & Arrests Are Made: 'Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. 'This is disappointing news for all of us,' the law firm said in a statement. Hours later, his law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick, accused him of misappropriating funds. Three days later, Alex claimed he quit his job and was going to enter rehab, telling NBC News that he 'made a lot of decisions that I truly regret.' A Murdaugh family lawyer told NBC News that Alex had pulled over to fix a flat tire when someone pulled up beside his truck and shot him in the head, though the wound was superficial. The mystery took another shocking turn when Alex was shot on Sept. Shooting of Alex Murdaugh in September 2021 & Fraud Claims: Stone went on to recuse himself from the investigations on Aug. In June, 14th circuit solicitor said in a press release 'there is no clear suspect in this case at this time.' So much so that SLED issued a statement assuring the community they are 'committed to a thorough, fair, and impartial investigation.'Īlex has denied any involvement in his wife and son's deaths. The double murder sent shockwaves through the community and prompted even more speculation about the Murdaugh family. The press release stated the mother and son died of multiple gunshot wounds. Alex drove up to the Murdaugh's Islandton home in the late hours of June 7, 2021. According to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Alex found his wife Maggie and son Paul dead near the dog kennels. That was just the beginning of the Murdaughs' problems. Following his death, the charges were dropped.ĭeaths of Paul & Maggie Murdaugh in June 2021: According to the indictment obtained by E! News, Paul pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a personal recognizance bond of $50,000. These claims were pure gossip, but it certainly didn't help that the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said in multiple court documents that Paul was 'uncooperative' throughout the investigation and that officers did not perform alcohol breath tests on him.Įventually, Paul was indicted on three charges in April 2020: Boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury.

E! News reached out to the Murdaugh family spokesperson and lawyer for comment, but did not hear back.īut while the Beach family moved quickly to seek justice for their daughter, authorities were slow to make an arrest, fueling speculation that the family's status may have been protecting Paul. In the midst of their mourning, the Beach family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a chain of convenience stores, Alex and 25-year-old Richard Alexander 'Buster' Murdaugh Jr., alleging that the defendants supplied the underage group with alcohol. An autopsy report stated that the cause of death was drowning and blunt force trauma. While five of the six passengers surfaced moments later, 19-year-old Mallory Beach was nowhere to be found.Ī week later, the Beach family's worst fears came true when her remains were found nearly five miles away from the crash site. According to a police report obtained by E! News, authorities believe Paul, then 19, was driving his father's 17-foot boat on Archer's Creek, when it crashed into a bridge, launching six individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 into the water.

Buster murdaugh