Where is Alex Murdaugh now? Murdaugh Murders case explained

With season 2 set to stream on Netflix, here's everything you need to know about Alex Murdaugh - including the latest details on him since his sentencing.

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

Alex Murdaugh is a former lawyer, and was once a powerful figure in Hampton County, South Carolina.

The Murdaugh family had a reputation for being powerful and influential, with three generations of the family - Murdaugh's father, grandfather and great-grandfather - all serving as the solicitor in the 14th Judicial Circuit solicitor's office.

Murdaugh was a successful lawyer, and worked as an attorney in the local prosecutor's office and at his family law firm.

He and his wife Maggie, whom he met at university, had two sons Buster and Paul. In July 2022, he was charged with the murders of Paul and Maggie, who had been found dead in June 2021 at the kennels of their family's hunting lodge.

Murdaugh claimed he had discovered their bodies, calling 911 in tears. He told the operator he had returned home from visiting his elderly mother and father to find his wife and son shot dead.

In the audio heard in the documentary, Murdaugh is heard telling the operator "it's bad" and "my wife and child have been shot badly".

No arrests were initially made in their murders, no suspects were identified and no charges were brought over their killings for 13 months. This was until Alex Murdaugh was charged in July 2022.

It wasn't the only allegation Murdaugh faced. He was also accused of conspiring to pay a former client to shoot him dead so that his other son, Buster, would be able to claim life insurance money – something he later admitted to police.

Where is Alex Murdaugh now?

In February 2023, Alex Murdaugh was standing trial for the deaths of his wife and son. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.

In an opening statement, state prosecutors told the court Murdaugh killed his wife and son at close range with a shotgun and an AR-style rifle, as per NBC News. The defence insisted there were numerous holes in the prosecution's case, claiming it was built on "theories" and "conjectures".

During the fifth week of the trial, Murdaugh took to the stand in his own defence. He testified: "I didn't shoot my wife or son," and broke down multiple times as his lawyer asked him to describe the murder scene.

On March 2nd 2023, the jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder in the deaths of his wife, Margaret, and son, Paul. The jury also convicted him of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The following day, Murdaugh was handed the maximum two consecutive life sentences for the killings.

Murdaugh continued to proclaim his innocence and has since filed an appeal against his conviction.

At the end of March, the former lawyer was moved into protective custody in a maximum security prison. His unit is in an undisclosed location and is separated from the general population for safety reasons.

In the latest update since his trial, Murdaugh's lawyers filed a motion seeking a new trial earlier this month, alleging they had uncovered evidence of jury tampering.

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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