The Murdaugh family name has been entrenched in scandal and mystery since Paul was indicted on three charges related to the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach in a boating accident in April 2020. The charges were later dropped following his death in June 2021.
On June 7, Murdaugh allegedly discovered the bodies of his wife and youngest son at the family’s Islandton residence. The mother and son had died of multiple gunshot wounds, per a SLED press release at the time.
Less than three months later, Murdaugh made headlines once again when he was shot in September 2021. At the time, his lawyers told NBC News that he had pulled over to change a flat tire when he was shot in the head, but that it was only a superficial wound.
However, on Sept. 14, Murdaugh’s lawyer Dick Harpootlian told Today that his client, who had been battling opioid addiction, had orchestrated the assassination attempt so his eldest son, Richard “Buster” Alexander Jr., would receive his $10 million life insurance policy.
Since then, the Murdaugh family has been linked to the re-opening of multiple cases throughout the state, including the death 19-year-old Stephen Smith and of the family’s housekeeper Gloria Satterfield.
After checking into a rehab facility in Florida, Murdaugh was later arrested in October 2021 and charged with two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. He was extradited back to South Carolina, where he has remained in jail since.