Alex Murdaugh to face charges in deaths of wife, son: lawyer

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) — The latest twist in the Murdaugh murder saga may be coming by the end of this week.

Several sources told Nexstar's WSAV that Alex Murdaugh, the former high-profile Hampton County attorney, is expected to be indicted for the murders of his wife and son by a grand jury. Lawyer Jim Griffin, who represents Murdaugh, confirmed investigators have indicated they intend to pursue murder charges.

WSAV is told the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has talked to the Murdaugh family and informed them of charges coming against the patriarch.

Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were found shot and killed on the family's Moselle hunting property in Colleton County, about 70 miles outside Charleston, on June 7, 2021. SLED has been investigating the case since that date but offered very few details on what may have happened.

"SLED's investigation into the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh is still active and ongoing," Renée Wunderlich, SLED director of public information, said. "Agents are committed to the integrity of the investigation, thus no additional information from SLED will be provided at this time."

Meanwhile, Griffin said his team has not been advised of any forthcoming charges.

"I am aware that SLED advised the family that they intend to seek murder indictments from a grand jury later this week," Griffin added. "We won't have any comment until charges are actually brought against Alex."

Murdaugh's law license was officially taken away by the South Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court said the decision was based on his "admitted reprehensible misconduct."

His license was suspended last September.

The gates near Alex Murdaugh's home in Islandton, S.C., are seen in this Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 photo. State police have six separate investigations into Murdaugh and his family after his wife and son were shot to death outside the home in June. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Since the death of his wife and son, a series of revelations have come out about Murdaugh's alleged drug habit and a series of financial schemes where he, along with fellow attorney Corey Fleming and former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte, would take insurance settlement money meant for Murdaugh's clients and funneled it into their own accounts instead.

All three have been indicted on a series of charges, including fraud, money laundering and criminal conspiracy.

Murdaugh is currently facing a total of 83 charges; he remains in Richland County Jail on a $7 million bond.

While SLED has not commented on the investigation throughout, they did confirm that Murdaugh was a "person of interest" in the case, in part, because he was the one who found the bodies of Paul and Maggie.

At the time, authorities reported that Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies and called 911. His family told "Good Morning America" that Murdaugh had been visiting his father in the hospital and checking on his mother when the killings happened.

The South Carolina Attorney General's Office, which is prosecuting all of Alex Murdaugh's cases, would not comment on reports of a grand jury meeting this week.

The AG's spokesperson, Robert Kittle, said their meetings and deliberations are secret and cases or times they meet are not public knowledge. However, several sources say a grand jury will meet later this week to potentially indict Alex Murdaugh.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.