A Colleton County, South Carolina, grand jury has indicted Alex Murdaugh for the 2021 murders of his wife and son.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel announced indictments for two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime against the once prominent, now disbarred, attorney Thursday morning.
Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and their youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found shot to death on the family’s Moselle property the night of June 7, 2021. Alex Murdaugh placed the 911 call reporting the shooting, saying he had just returned home and discovered their bodies.
Jim Griffin, one of Murdaugh’s attorneys, told CNN they would not have further comment on the matter until their client was actually charged. CNN is reaching out to SLED, Murdaugh’s other attorneys and the state Attorney General’s office for comment.
[Original story, published at 7:40 a.m. ET]
Murdaugh, a pillar of the South Carolina legal community, denied involvement in their deaths, saying he had been visiting his mother at the time.
The blood spatter found could place Murdaugh in close contact with at least one of the victims when they were killed, the source said. High velocity spatter is associated with the use of a particular weapon, such as a rifle, and it creates a specific blood pattern, especially when used at close range.
In addition, a phone belonging to Paul Murdaugh was recovered on his body containing video and audio of Alex Murdaugh talking with his wife close to the time she and Paul were killed, the source said.
Alex Murdaugh is not seen on the video but is heard speaking with her, and that recording has a time stamp, the source said, which may prove key to the investigation.
Murdaugh’s attorneys, Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, confirmed to CNN that Murdaugh has been made aware of the murder charges that may be filed against him, adding that they “don’t know the existence or quality of any evidence since he hasn’t been charged.”
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division spokesperson Renée Wunderlich issued a statement declining to provide further details about their investigation.
“SLED’s investigation into the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh is still active and ongoing,” Wunderlich said. “Agents are committed to the integrity of the investigation, thus no additional information from SLED will be provided at this time.”
A spokesperson from the South Carolina Attorney General’s office told CNN it had no comment about possible charges against Murdaugh.
CNN’s Eric Levenson, Dianne Gallagher and Travis Caldwell contributed to this report.
