Sordid Murdaugh crime saga far from over

After a year-long investigation and a highly publicized, six-week trial, disgraced and disbarred South Carolina lawyer Richard "Alex" Murdaugh has been convicted and sentenced in the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul. But this tragic and sordid crime saga is far from over for Murdaugh, his family, and his other alleged victims.

The S.C. Attorney General's Office earned a conviction on both counts of murder during a marathon trial in Walterboro. Judge Clifton Newman then sentenced Murdaugh, who continued to deny his guilt, saying that he would "never hurt" his family, to two consecutive life sentences in the state Department of Corrections.

As the double murder trial comes to a conclusion, pending appeals, Murdaugh is still facing 99 other criminal charges from state and local grand jury indictments, as well as a dozen civil lawsuits. Here's what is likely ahead for the convicted murderer.

Alex Murdaugh will spend rest of life behind bars, but where?

Murdaugh was admitted into the state prison system on March 3, the same day he was sentenced, and is now S.C. Department of Corrections inmate number 00390394.

Murdaugh is currently being housed in the Kirkland Correctional Institution Reception and Evaluation Center at 4344 Broad River Road, Columbia. He is being housed in the XDL dorm in room number 0043, bunk A.

Murdaugh will be held there for processing, assessment and medical evaluation for roughly 45 days before being assigned to a permanent prison location, said Chrysti Shain, S.C. Department of Corrections Communications Director. During that time, he will undergo an evaluation and classification process to determine his physical, mental, medical, and societal needs, and then be assigned to a permanent location.

Murdaugh is being held in a single cell, but not in solitary confinement, Shain said.

Kirkland, which opened in 1975, receives, assesses, classifies and assigns all male offenders age 17 and above sentenced to 91 days or more and processes approximately 8,000 offenders each year, according to the state DOC website. Kirkland is overseen by Warden Terrie Wallace. The current capacity of Kirkland Correctional is 1,706 inmates.

Shain said it possible that Murdaugh will remain in Kirkland, but it is more likely he will be transferred to one of five other maximum security facilities, which include Broad River in Columbia, Lee in Bishopville, McCormick in McCormick, Lieber in Ridgeville, or Perry in Pelzer, S.C. Inmates with major medical needs are often housed at Kirkland, and inmates with mental health needs are often housed at Broad River.

"A lot of things will come into play when we try to determine where an inmate will spend his time," said Shain. "He is in a very secure place while we determine where he will best fit."

Once Murdaugh is assigned a permanent home, he will have the same freedoms and privileges as other inmates, but will remain in maximum security. After seven years of good behavior and other conditions, he may be eligible to earn a medium security level, added Shain.

Will Alex Murdaugh appeal his murder convictions?

Murdaugh's criminal attorneys, Jim Griffin and Richard Harpootlian, stated after the conviction that they planned to file an appeal.

On Thursday, March 9, Harpootlian's office filed a formal Notice of Appeal with the S.C. Court of Appeals. No details or legal arguments were included in this court filing.

According to the S.C. Attorney General's Office website, convicted defendants have up to one year to file an appeal.

Four charges down, 99 criminal charges to go for Alex Murdaugh

With Murdaugh convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of using a firearm while committing a violent felony, he still faces 99 other criminal charges - charges that range from local indictments in the September 2021 roadside shooting insurance scheme to drug-related and financial crimes.

On the drug charges, Murdaugh is accused of being involved in a "multi-county" opioid drug scheme, along with co-defendant Curtis Edward Smith and other accomplices.

The financial crimes, which stem from a decade-long, multi-county crime spree in which Murdaugh is charged with stealing from law clients, partners, and other lawyers, range from fraud and tax evasion to computer crimes.

Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the S.C. Attorney General's Office, said Wednesday that nothing has been scheduled on the court dockets yet for these crimes, and it is unclear if they will all be handled together, or tried in some separate fashion. Kittle also had no information about any additional charges, or additional suspects, at that time.

Judge Newman stated during Murdaugh's sentencing that he would be trying the financial cases as well, and indicated that he wished to get those cases disposed of quickly.

When contacted Wednesday about whether Murdaugh intended to plead guilty to the financial crimes — he has signed a confession of judgement in one case, and has confessed to state police and on the witness stand multiple times to stealing money — Murdaugh's attorneys and spokesperson did not respond with comment.

Wrongful death, other civil suits also plague Alex Murdaugh

In the wake of his financial crime spree and other events surrounding his family, Murdaugh is also facing a dozen state and federal lawsuits, with other possible suits pending.

Murdaugh has signed a confession of judgment on a suit from the Gloria Satterfield Estate, in which he admitting stealing $4.3 million from insurance companies and his late housekeeper's family, but he must still defend himself on the other suits.

While dates have not been set for those civil cases, a wrongful death case involving the Estate of Mallory Beach, who was killed in a February 2019 boating accident involving his son, Paul, allegedly driving his boat, has been scheduled for Aug. 14 in Hampton County.