The wreck led to some questioning whether his family's ties to the legal system in the area affected the investigation, local newspaper The Island Packet reported at the time. Mr. Murdaugh, who has since been disbarred, has been held in jail since October 2021, when he was charged with stealing money from the family of his former While I will support him in his recovery, I do not support, condone, or excuse his conduct in stealing by manipulating his most trusted relationships. The South Carolina Supreme Court also issued an order suspending Alex Murdaugh's license to practice law in the state. In response, one of his attorneys called it a "very sad development. "So there's no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Theres no direct evidence. The firm said that it contacted law enforcement and the South Carolina Bar. They were able to open the phone on site, he said. A former federal prosecutor, he now works as a state and federal criminal defense attorney based in Columbia, South Carolina. Smith was charged with assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high-aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Zapata said it was possible the DNA could have been transferred if the victims were checked for signs of life. "These charges stem from a SLED investigation into misappropriated settlement funds in the death of Gloria Satterfield," SLED said in a statement. "Alex intends to fully cooperate with this investigation, as he has with the investigation into the murder of his wife and son," his lawyers said in a statement. Alex was standing at a distance from the crime scene, looking on "in disbelief, crying and sobbing, and unable to talk," Randy said. Murdaugh also took the stand on Thursday and Friday, revealing that he lied to law enforcement about his whereabouts the night of the murder and admitting to stealing from clients and his law firm for years. The evidence has not yet been released, but the state disclosed they will be calling an additional witness in connection with the data. He also admitted to his two-decade opioid addiction, noting he regularly took more than 60 pills a dayincluding oxycontin and oxycodone. "Fortunately, Alex was not killed by the gunshot wound. Paul and Maggie have been hurt,'" John told ABC News in an exclusive interview airing Thursday on "Good Morning America. He has a long-term Oxycontin opiate addiction that put him in a position where he did those stupid and illegal things.. ", Oct. 15: Lawyer said Murdaugh had drugs in his system day he was shot. "I can assure you that SLED agents will continue working to bring justice to anyone involved with any criminal act associated with these ongoing investigations," said SLED Chief Mark Keel. SLED said in a statement at the time that he was shot on Old Salkehatchie Road near Varnville,South Carolina. "And so we said our goodbyes and tried to be in a celebratory way to my dad, but we're all hurting because of Maggie and Paul.". The next morning, John Marvin told jurors while several people were at the propertys main house, he felt the need to go down to the crime scene to see for himself what had gone on and just kind of take it in.. John Marvin was the last witness to testify before the defense rested on Monday. "So there's no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you. Randy and John said they don't know who could have committed the gruesome crime. I didn't know if something was still happening. On Dec. 9, Colleton County Probate Judge Ashley Amundson appointed John Marvin Murdaugh, Alexs brother, as the personal representative for Maggie Murdaughs estate, records show. In 2006, he rejoined the Hampton-based law firm that his father had started more than 100 years ago. Barber had Zapata count 74 cuttings taken from Alex Murdaughs shirt, all of which tested negative for human blood. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sept. 15: Lawyers say Murdaugh set up his own shooting, police open criminal investigation into 2018 death of Gloria Satterfield. Riemer said the barrel of the gun was closer to Maggie Murdaugh when the shot to her thigh was fired. Alex Murdaugh cried when the autopsy photos, which have been sealed, were shown in court. Asked about the photos this month, John Marvin Murdaugh said they show him and the investigators trying to find Maggie Murdaughs cell phone using an app on Maggies remaining son Buster Murdaughs phone. But like a lot of things that are complicated, we start to put them all together, piecing together like a puzzle all the sudden, a picture emerges.. He is accused of killing his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul in June 2021, Slate reports. Randy and John said their father, whom they described as "a wonderful person," had been "sick" for a while and that they would have liked his death to be more a celebration of life, but their tight-knit family was reeling from the unsolved murders. A vehicle sits in the driveway of a home, June 8, 2021, in rural Colleton County, near Islandton, S.C. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Press J to jump to the feed. Data includes speeds and other information about the vehicles movements on the night of the double homicide. He married his wife, Elizabeth Arnett in 2008 and they have three children. John and his family reside in Okatie, South Carolina. John Marvin is the brother-in-law and uncle of 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh who were murdered on June 7, 2021 near the dog kennels on the familys hunting property, known locally as Moselle. Alex Murdaugh is in jail on a slew of charges, most of them financial counts. The truth is he did graduate from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice in the early 1990s, but he ultimately chose to evolve into an entrepreneur decently self-employed. "I don't know of anybody that would truly be an enemy or truly want to hurt them," Randy noted. The Murdaughs are a prominent legal family in the Palmetto State, with three generations serving as the elected solicitor in the 14th Judicial Circuit for 87 He was charged with a list of crimes relating to his work, including nine counts of tax evasion, stealing lawsuit settlement money from badly injured clients, a drug He is the 14th defense witness called overall during the six-week trial. Of course, none of this is disclosed to me as far as, it wasnt like I was sitting there peeking over their shoulder while theyre doing this.. Murdaugh submitted his resignation at his law firm to enter rehab the day before he is alleged to have tried to fake his own death. Waters said a video on Paul Murdaughs cellphone has the voices of him, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh in it. This photo provided by the Colleton County sheriff's office shows Curtis Edward Smith. John Marvin Murdaugh and his wife Liz Murdaugh, Brooklynn White and Buster Murdaugh, from left, attend the opening day of Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial on Wednesday. Just days later, the family patriarch, Randolph Murdaugh III, died in a hospital at the age of 81. She took the stand to explain graphic photographs from her investigation to the jury and said the gunman was likely within three feet of Paul Murdaugh. The vehicle turned around and "someone in the car shot him," the spokesperson said to ABC News. Alex Murdaugh was taken into custody upon his release from a Florida rehab facility and charged with two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, SLED announced. The saga began when Murdaugh's wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and their son Paul, 22, were found fatally shot in June. A camouflage Benelli 12-gauge shotgun from the Moselle Road property that was swabbed showed DNA contributed by two people: Maggie and Alex Murdaugh. Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. I'm not talking about in the restroom. Alex Murdaugh and his son Buster announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of assailants involved in the murders of Maggie and Paul. ", Oct. 14: Murdaugh arrested, charged in connection to settlement funds from housekeeper's death. A male driver in a blue pickup asked him if he had car troubles, as soon as Alex replied, he was shot. He just couldn't control it. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He said, Come as fast as you can. Also on Sept. 15, the sons of a former Murdaugh housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, filed a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh, Corey Fleming and others for allegedly swindling them out of receiving settlement money. John Marvin Murdaugh and Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV said they "knew something was wrong" when their other brother called them both late in the night on June 7. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. None, defense lawyer Dick Harpootlian said. During that time, these individuals took advantage of his addiction and his ability to pay substantial funds for illegal drugs. via Associated Press. Their bodies were discovered by Alex Murdaugh, police said. Earlier this month, the photographs were used as campaign fodder against Jojo Woodward, an investigator in the photos who is running for Beaufort County Sheriff. In cross-examination, the defense reiterated that Alex Murdaugh said he checked Maggie and Paul both for pulses when he found their bodies. ", June 22: Authorities reopen probe into 2015 death of Stephen Smith. Both victims were located outside of the residence on the sprawling property and had "sustained multiple gunshot wounds," according to a press release from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the double murder along with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. Alex Murdaugh's attorneys said in October that authorities were looking at him as a person of interest in the deaths of his wife and their son. Waters said Murdaugh told investigators he was never at the kennels before finding his wife and sons bodies near them after spending an hour away from the home checking on his mother, who has dementia. Attorneyssaid at the bond hearing that they were nearing a resolution with Alex Murdaugh and that he had agreed to a $4.3 million judgment, subject to the approval of court-appointed receivers who nowcontrol his assets, The Associated Press reported. Earlier on Sept. 16, Curtis Edward Smith appeared in front of a Hampton County Judge for a bond hearing on charges where he agreed to a public defender and had his bond set at $55,000 for the attempted assisted suicide of Alex Murdaugh. The law firm said later that he John Marvin Murdaugh said he does not believe Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son, but acknowledged that police may know more than he does. In February 2019, 19-year-old Mallory Beach was killed when a boat she was riding on that belonged to the Murdaugh family hit a bridge structure at 2 a.m. Theres no fingerprints. The Colleton County sheriff's department said both victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Riemer said besides caffeine, Maggie and Paul did not have any other drugs or alcohol in their systems. ", "I can tell you he was willing and still is willing to do anything that's asked of him," John added. A place to talk about the Murdaugh family murders without censorship. The Murdaughs are a prominent legal family in the Palmetto State, with three generations serving as the elected solicitor in the 14th Judicial Circuit for 87 consecutive years. A daily report co-sponsored by Arizona State University, Criminal Justice Journalists, and the National Criminal Justice Association, NCJA | 700 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-628-8550 | www.ncja.org | Contact Us | 2023. John Marvin was the third member of the Murdaugh family to testify, after his nephew, Buster, and Murdaugh himself. "While we were happy he was no longer suffering, my brother's still suffering and we're suffering. He has been in jail since Oct. 14 and then was arrested on charges of obtaining property by false pretenses, in which he is accused of misappropriating settlement funds from the sons of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs longtime housekeeper and nanny. South Carolina attorney The affidavit said Murdaugh provided a statement to SLED on Sept. 13: "Admitting to the scheme for the purpose of his son collecting a life insurance policy valued at approximately $10 million." Alex Murdaugh's former law firm filed a lawsuit alleging that he funneled stolen money from clients and the law firm into a fake bank account for years. Waters opened the trial with three minutes of graphic description of the scene where the bodies of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul, 22, were found shot with at least one bullet to the head by two different guns, pointing to Paul Murdaughs head and calling it catastrophic damage.. 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