In a surprising turn of events, the disgraced South Carolina attorney, Alex Murdaugh, who is already serving two life sentences for the murder of his wife and son, has entered a guilty plea to nearly two dozen state financial charges against him. These charges include money laundering, breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, and tax evasion. The plea deal was the result of negotiations between Murdaugh’s defense team and prosecutors.
The revelation of this plea deal came after an hourslong delay in a pretrial hearing meant to discuss various issues related to Murdaugh’s upcoming state financial trials in Beaufort County, including a “change of venue” motion. Murdaugh was facing a plethora of state charges related to alleged schemes to defraud victims of millions, including embezzlement, computer crime, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters emphasized that the deal would bring “finality to the matter” and ensure that Murdaugh would “stay in state prison for a very long time.” If approved, this agreement would see Murdaugh spending a total of 27 years in a South Carolina state prison.
During the court proceedings, Waters meticulously went through the details behind the numerous charges in several South Carolina counties to which Murdaugh is pleading guilty, explaining each scheme and its impact on the victims. When asked by Judge Clifton Newman if he agreed with the way Waters had described the crimes, Murdaugh admitted his guilt but expressed disagreement with some aspects of the narrative. He stated, “I agree that I wrongly took all of that money and did all of those crimes. I disagree with some of the narrative. I am guilty, and I believe I would be found guilty.”
Judge Newman will need to approve the deal and set the official sentence, with a November 28 sentencing hearing scheduled.
“Alex Murdaugh’s guilty plea will finally allow his financial victims to begin the process of healing,” remarked Eric “EB” Bland and Ronnie Richter, attorneys representing some of the victims. They added, “Justice is rarely pretty or perfect, but there should be no confusion that justice was served in this case.”
It’s worth noting that, in addition to his convictions for the murder of his wife and son, Murdaugh is already serving two life sentences in prison. However, he remains embroiled in several other state and federal cases, facing more than 100 other charges.
When asked by Judge Newman if he wanted to withdraw his previous not guilty pleas on the charges, Murdaugh, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, replied, “Yes, sir.”
The plea deal comes with certain conditions, including Murdaugh waiving his right to appeal. Importantly, it only covers the state financial charges and does not address any of the remaining county charges that Murdaugh faces.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson hailed the guilty plea as “a win for the victims and for justice in South Carolina.” He emphasized, “It doesn’t matter your last name, your position, or your connections; no one is above the law in South Carolina.”
This marks the second plea deal for Alex Murdaugh, who previously pleaded guilty in September to nearly two dozen federal charges, including wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, alleging he stole millions of dollars from clients. These federal charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 to 30 years in federal prison, with sentencing to be determined at a later date.
In March 2023, a Colleton County jury convicted Alex Murdaugh of shooting and killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in June 2021. Judge Newman had sentenced Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences in a South Carolina state prison, where he is currently incarcerated.
While Murdaugh’s appeal of the murder convictions is on hold, his defense team is pursuing a motion for a new trial based on allegations that the Colleton County Clerk tampered with the jury. Clerk Becky Hill denied these allegations in a signed affidavit submitted to the court this month. No decision has been made regarding whether Murdaugh will receive a new trial.
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