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Murdaugh Murder Mystery Deepens, Patriarch Shot in Head
Unearthed secrets raise more questions as tragedy continues to plague the Murdaugh family
The murders and scandal surrounding the Murdaugh family of Hampton County, South Carolina, read like the plot of a John Grisham novel. The Murdaughs have stood atop the Lowcountry legal community for over a century. With old wealth and prominent public family members, the clan has deep local roots.
The Murdaughs give back to the local community. Maggie Murdaugh, especially, was well-known for her contributions to community-building organizations. Her smiling face was ever-present at charity events as an attendee or a host. But, some unnamed sources have stated the Murdaughs are not a family to cross.
Old money, rumors, and legal woes surround various family members. And, on June 7, 2021, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh and his 52-year-old mother, Maggie, were gunned down. Randolph Murdaugh III’s son, Alex — father to Paul and husband to Maggie — found his loved ones dead on the driveway of their Islandton hunting estate. The murders immediately hit national news.
As SLED (South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division) dug into the murder investigation, previous cases with Murdaugh connections took over the spotlight, and speculation ran rampant. Paul faced felony death charges in a drunken boating accident that left a beautiful nineteen-year-old, Mallory Beach, dead.
Alex‘s oldest son, “Buster,” had his name connected with a mysterious Hampton County roadside murder. In 2015, Stephen Smith — an openly gay young nursing student rumored to have romantic entanglements with Buster — was found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. His case remains unsolved but was reopened shortly after the Murdaugh murders.
No arrests or publicly named persons of interest have arisen in the murders of Paul and Maggie. And, on Saturday, September 4, 2021, Alex Murdaugh found himself the victim of a gun crime too. Let’s dive into the Murdaugh legacy, the murky details of older cases, and the recent events surrounding Alex Murdaugh.
