Disgraced South Carolina Attorney Alex Murdaugh is set to be indicted by a grand jury on murder charges this week for the fatal shootings of his wife and son, according to reports and his personal attorney.
Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were shot multiple times outside of their home, where Alex then called 911 saying he had found their bodies.
Murdaugh and his legal team initially claimed that he had an alibi visiting his father in the hospital and checking in on his mother, who has dementia. However, new evidence has emerged from cellphone footage that Murdaugh was near his house shortly before their deaths, NBC News reported.
“Officials with both state police and the attorney general’s office would not comment on whether authorities were pursuing the indictments, which were first reported by news and opinion website FITSNews,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Jim Griffin, Murdaugh’s attorney, explained that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division notified the Murdaugh family that they will pursue murder indictments from a grand jury this week in a statement to CNN on Tuesday.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has not publicly declared its intentions, stating the investigation “is still active and ongoing.”
Since the death of his son and wife, Murdaugh, a former personal injury lawyer, has been indicted on dozens of charges alleging that he has defrauded millions of dollars from clients who hired him.
Murdaugh also faces charges for lying to authorities by saying that he survived a shooting attempt by a stranger on the side of the road in September. After further investigation, authorities believe Murdaugh pre-orchestrated to be shot by a friend so that his remaining son, Buster, could collect a $10 million life insurance policy, the AP reported.
The investigations into Murdaugh’s botched orchestrated shooting attempt led investigators to look into his financial schemes, NBC News noted.
The disgraced lawyer was recently disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court and said in a statement that the order “in no way” will affect ongoing investigations, the AP noted.
Murdaugh came from a family legal dynasty in the Palmetto State, where his father, grandfather, and great grandfather were all elected as top solicitors in South Carolina’s 14th Circuit, which covers the Lowcountry region.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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