Alex Murdaugh: Who is the disgraced attorney and why is he on trial?
Alex Murdaugh’s chilling final text to his wife moments after he allegedly killed her and their son was revealed in court during his murder trial on Tuesday.
Mr Murdaugh, the powerful heir to a prominent South Carolina legal dynasty, is accused of shooting dead Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, at the family’s estate in Islandton on 7 June 2021. He has pleaded not guilty.
Jurors were shown data from the cellphones of Maggie, Paul and Mr Murdaugh on the night of the murders.
Prosecutors say that Mr Murdaugh shot Paul first at 8.50pm and Maggie after.
Almost immediately after, cellphone data shows Mr Murdaugh made several calls to Maggie and other family members. His last text message to his wife came at 9.47pm, writing: “Call me babe.”
Minutes later, he called 911 claiming to have found their bodies.
Mr Murdaugh’s cousin also took the stand, testifying that the 54-year-old had purchased a number of guns from him in the years before the murders – guns that matched the one used to kill Maggie.
The trial is only one of Mr Murdaugh’s troubles in a saga spanning a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes, and unexplained deaths.
