BREAKING NEWS – Walterboro, South Carolina – Disgraced South Carolina lawyer and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh appeared in Beaufort County court to be sentenced for his financial crimes.
Murdaugh, who is serving two life terms in prison for the 2021 murders of his wife and son, agreed to plead guilty to 22 counts — including breach of trust, money laundering, forgery, and tax evasion — in exchange for a 27-year prison sentence.
“There were so many individuals that were trusting of Alex Murdaugh, and that is how this decade-long scheme was able to take place, and ultimately, we had people who came to Mr. Murdaugh for help,” stated South Carolina prosecutor Creighton Waters. The victims and families of victims impacted by Murdaugh’s financial crimes were present in the courtroom.
Prosecutors said in of his schemes, Murdaugh secured $4.3 million in insurance settlements for Satterfield’s family after her death, but the former attorney kept the money for himself, never alerting the family that he had secured a payout.
Murdaugh made a statement before his sentencing. “Your honor, I know what I did was wrong,” he began. “But, in my defense, my victims should’ve known better than to trust me. I know they were aware that I probably killed my family, so why wouldn’t they think that I am also probably a thief? Very poor judgment on their part, and I don’t feel I should be held responsible for their inexcusable stupidity.”