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In a landmark ruling concluding one of South Carolina’s most dramatic legal sagas, disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of the 2021 murders of his wife and son. According to the court, Murdaugh committed the double homicide to conceal a multi-million-dollar web of financial fraud and theft. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole for the horrific crime.
WALTERBORO, SC—A sensational six-week murder trial culminated in a stunning guilty verdict as a jury convicted former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, at their rural estate in 2021. The swift verdict, delivered after less than three hours of deliberation, instantly shuttered a legal dynasty that had wielded immense power in the state's Lowcountry for nearly a century. Murdaugh, once a titan of the legal community, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole, marking a final, crushing blow to his high-profile double life.
Prosecutors successfully argued the shocking homicides were the desperate act of a man facing the imminent exposure of years of elaborate financial crimes and a crippling opioid addiction. The state contended that Murdaugh, 54, murdered his family to generate sympathy, hoping to divert scrutiny from his vast financial empire as it rapidly crumbled. Evidence showed he had stolen over $12 million from his law firm and vulnerable clients, including funds intended for the family of a former housekeeper who died in a suspicious accident.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters encapsulated the state's case during closing arguments, emphasizing the calculated selfishness of the crime: "He had a torrent of his secret life coming out. He knew his days as a wealthy, powerful attorney were over. He killed them to buy time."
The case hinged primarily on circumstantial evidence, most notably a short Snapchat video recorded by Paul Murdaugh just minutes before he and his mother were shot to death near the dog kennels on the Moselle property on June 7, 2021.
For over a year, Alex Murdaugh insisted he was nowhere near the kennels that night, claiming he was napping at the main house. However, friends testified that Murdaugh’s distinctive voice was clearly audible on Paul’s video, placing him at the murder scene at 8:44 p.m.—mere moments before the victims' phones went silent forever.
Confronted with this undeniable evidence on the witness stand, Murdaugh finally cracked his years-long lie. While maintaining his "innocence" in the murders, he blamed the deception on his paranoid addiction to prescription painkillers, an admission that severely damaged his credibility with the jury.
Despite the conviction, the legal battle is far from over. Murdaugh’s defense team immediately signaled their intent to appeal the double-murder conviction, citing, among other issues, that the judge improperly allowed extensive testimony about the financial crimes, unfairly prejudicing the jury.
Furthermore, recent events have revived the sensational drama surrounding the case:
This story of murder, betrayal, and institutional power is far more than a local South Carolina tragedy; it’s a modern American crime saga that continues to unfold in real-time. According to analysis reviewed by Lawyer Monthly, the sheer depth of financial and familial corruption uncovered during the trial ensures this case will remain a critical touchstone in legal history for years to come.
The true legal depth of the Alex Murdaugh saga extends far beyond the criminal conviction; it powerfully reinforces a foundational principle of civil law known as the Slayer Rule. For the average consumer, this rule is a crucial piece of protection that ensures a killer can never financially benefit from their heinous act, shielding the victims' estates and insurance payouts from the perpetrator.
The Slayer Rule is a statute or common law doctrine adopted in every U.S. state that prevents an individual who intentionally and unlawfully kills another person from inheriting money, property, or life insurance proceeds from the victim. It’s rooted in the public policy principle that no one should profit from their own wrongdoing.
In the Murdaugh case, this means that even if Alex Murdaugh was legally named as a beneficiary on his wife Maggie’s life insurance policy or stood to inherit part of their substantial estate, his murder conviction automatically forfeits any right to those assets. This is why the Murdaugh conviction is so critical in the ongoing civil lawsuits: it removes any claim he could have had, clearing the path for the assets to go to the next legal heir—in this case, his surviving son, Buster, or other contingent beneficiaries.
The origin of this protection lies in centuries of legal tradition, often cited through the maxim, "equity will not suffer a wrong to be without a remedy." The practical consequence is a safety net for your estate. When drafting a Will or designating beneficiaries, you should know that if a worst-case scenario occurs, the legal system will prevent a killer from draining the estate.
The Slayer Rule essentially treats the killer as having "predeceased" the victim for inheritance purposes. This is vitally important for consumers because it shifts the focus to the contingent or backup beneficiaries you named in your documents. If you have no Will, or if your primary and contingent beneficiaries are all victims or ineligible (as happened here), the assets flow according to state intestacy laws, often to the next nearest blood relative.
While the Slayer Rule provides a solid baseline of protection, consumers need to take a proactive step to ensure their money goes exactly where they intend.
Your Action Item is to check the contingent beneficiaries on every financial and insurance document you own.
Life insurance, 401(k) plans, IRAs, and even bank accounts often allow you to name contingent beneficiaries—people who receive the funds if the primary beneficiary cannot. If you haven't updated these in years, or if you simply left the section blank, the assets could end up tied up in court or distributed to distant relatives. Making sure you have a clear line of succession beyond the primary beneficiary is the most effective way to protect your financial legacy from unforeseen legal complications, including those stemming from the tragedy of the Slayer Rule.
You can learn more about the evidence that led to the conviction of the former attorney by watching a video detailing the State's Best Evidence in the Murdaugh Trial.
Yes, Alex Murdaugh has filed an appeal of his double murder conviction, which is currently before the South Carolina Supreme Court. His primary arguments center on two points:
The family's property and Alex Murdaugh's known assets have been liquidated, with the proceeds distributed to satisfy his numerous victims and creditors.
Murdaugh was sentenced to two concurrent 40-year federal prison sentences and a concurrent 27-year state sentence for a vast scheme of financial fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. As part of these sentences, he was ordered to pay:
While Murdaugh's liquidated assets (Moselle and others) contributed to these payments, the vast amount of restitution means that many victims will receive only a partial recovery.
The video below covers the sentencing for Alex Murdaugh's financial crimes, which includes the restitution orders.
