State to remain in control of Murdaugh’s assets, judge rules

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A judge has handed down the ruling regarding who will be in charge of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh’s assets.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel gave official word Tuesday that the state of South Carolina will remain in control of Murdaugh’s assets.

The assets were placed in receivership on Nov. 4, 2021, to prevent “hiding, concealing, misappropriating, selling, encumbering, transferring, impairing the value of and otherwise disposing of any” assets.

The order assigned John T. Lay and Peter M. McCoy as co-receivers of Murdaugh’s assets.

Murdaugh’s attorneys have argued that the receivers took control of $2.1 million of his assets and have paid out $400,000 to Lay and McCoy with another $253,294 requested.

Murdaugh pled guilty to 22 federal charges of financial crimes on Sept. 21. The charges included conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud to bank fraud and money laundering.

SPECIAL SECTION: The Murdaugh

Earlier this year, he was found guilty in the 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie; and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting property in rural Colleton County. Judge Clifton Newman sentenced him to two life sentences for those crimes, for which he has maintained his innocence.

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