Tuesday marks 1 year since Murdaugh killings

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - It has been one year since the wife of a prominent Lowcountry attorney and her youngest son were found dead at the family’s property in rural Colleton County.

Colleton County deputies responded late on the night of June 6, 2021 to a 911 call from attorney Alex Murdaugh. He told deputies he went to the family’s hunting property in the Islandton community after spending time with his ailing father, Randolph Murdaugh III. When he arrived at the property, he discovered his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, suffering from gunshot wounds.

Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey said the two died from those wounds, but he did not say where or how many times each was shot.

Deputies called in the State Law Enforcement Division to help with the investigation.

SPECIAL SECTION: The Murdaugh Cases

But in the 12 months since news broke of the discovery, the ongoing investigation would lead to national attention as investigators also began asking questions about a deadly hit-and-run case from 2015 and a deadly boat crash in which Paul Murdaugh had been charged.

Alex Murdaugh himself would end up coming under fire, eventually resigning his position from the law firm his family founded and winding up being charged in a plot to defraud an insurance company by allegedly hiring someone to fatally shoot him.

In the months since that incident, he and others have been indicted on multiple criminal charges in several cases.

As of Tuesday, a total of 15 state grand jury indictments list 79 charges against Murdaugh, who is accused of defrauding victims of nearly $8.5 million.

To date, no one has been charged in the killings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

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