What’s happened since the Murdaugh double murder in SC? A timeline of recent months
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Murdaugh murders in Colleton County
Two members of a powerhouse legal family were shot and killed June 7 in Colleton County, SC. Read more of our coverage.
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This story, originally published June 12, 2021, was most recently updated Sept. 7.
Alex Murdaugh’s shooting Saturday — a superficial wound to the head, authorities said — led to more news of the prominent Hampton family and the family’s law firm over the long holiday weekend. The developments refocused national attention on the whodunnit murders of three months ago, when Alex Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and son Paul were found fatally shot on their property in Islandton.
In the past two days, Alex Murdaugh has announced his resignation from the family’s storied law firm, and the firm released a statement accusing him of misappropriation of money.
Three weeks earlier, the region’s top prosecutor recused his office from the the June 7 shooting deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone stepped away from the case on Aug. 11, saying he was prompted by the events of that day in the investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division. He declined to specify the events, and his recusal has sparked questions and speculation about the murder investigation as well as the state’s grand jury investigation into obstruction of justice in the 2019 fatal boat crash that implicated Paul Murdaugh.
As of Tuesday morning, SLED has not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in the double homicide case or in the Alex Murdaugh shooting.
Here’s a timeline of what’s happened since the double homicide:
Monday, June 7
Between 9 and 9:30 p.m.: Paul Murdaugh and his mother Maggie die from gunshot wounds on their property, the “Moselle” hunting lodge, in Colleton County, according to the county coroner.
Soon after 10 p.m.: The S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) responded to the scene to lead the double homicide investigation per request of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.
During the initial investigation: Legal sources say Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband, discovered the bodies. He told authorities he was not home at the time of the shootings, the sources said.
Tuesday, June 8
Between 6:45 a.m. and 8 a.m.: Multiple news outlets report S.C. Law Enforcement Division and the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a double homicide at “Moselle,” a well-known hunting lodge in Colleton County owned by the Murdaugh family. Early on, sources confirmed the deceased were related to the Murdaugh family but would not provided exact identities.
9:20 a.m.: SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby says based on the evidence, they do not believe there is a danger to the public.
Throughout the morning: News continues to spread of the murders as the Hampton community quietly grapples with what happened.
11:31 a.m.: The Murdaugh’s law firm, PMPED, releases a statement about the deaths on its Facebook page. This is the first on-record confirmation identifying the victims as Paul and Maggie.
1:17 p.m.: At the time of his death, Paul Murdaugh’s felony charges were being prosecuted by the S.C. Attorney General’s office. A spokesperson with the office says: “We obviously cannot proceed with the prosecution, so once we have a death certificate or other acceptable proof, we’ll officially dismiss the charges.”
3:45 p.m.: The family of Mallory Beach, who died in the 2019 boat crash, releases a statement through their lawyer, Mark Tinsley.
It reads: “The Beach family extends its deepest and warmest sympathies to the Murdaugh family during this terrible time. Having suffered the devastating loss of their own daughter, the family prays that the Murdaughs can find some level of peace from this tragic loss. They would like the family and the community to know that their thoughts and continued prayers are with the Murdaughs. It is their most sincere hope that someone will come forward and cooperate with authorities so that the perpetrator of these senseless crimes can be brought to justice.”
Wednesday, June 9
10 a.m.: Colleton County Sheriff’s Office releases the initial police report from the double homicide. It’s one sentence long and refers to a supplemental report that the department has declined to provide. Under South Carolina law, initial police reports must be made publicly available within 14 days of the incident, and they must include details such as the nature and substance of the incident. The Sheriff’s Office has also declined to release 911 recordings from the night of the shooting.
2:50 p.m.: The state’s top law enforcement officer, SLED Chief Mark Keel, tells The Island Packet: “We are pursuing all leads and the investigation is continuing.”
Thursday, June 10
During the day: Autopsies performed on Paul and Maggie at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Full autopsy reports typically take six to eight weeks to complete.
3:10 p.m.: Despite the three felony charges against Paul Murdaugh being dismissed because of his death, the criminal investigation into the 2019 Beaufort County boat crash will remain active, S.C. Attorney General Office spokesperson Robert Kittle told The Island Packet.
4:40 p.m.: Sources familiar with the investigation confirm that one avenue investigators are pursuing is the likelihood that Paul Murdaugh was targeted, while his mother was killed because she was there by happenstance. Paul was shot in the head and upper body with a shotgun, while Maggie Murdaugh was killed with what appears to be an assault rifle, the sources say.
6 p.m.: Hampton County coroner confirms Randolph Murdaugh III, the former state solicitor and patriarch of the prominent Murdaugh family, dies days after the double homicide. Sources say he was ill at the time of his death.
Delayed: A hearing set for the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Renee Beach on behalf of her daughter Mallory Beach, who died in the 2019 boat crash in which Paul Murdaugh was charged, was delayed because of the double homicide. Members of the Murdaugh family, not including Paul and Maggie, and Parkers 55 are defendants in the civil case. The lawsuit was first filed in Hampton County in March 2019 and is likely to go to trial.
Thursday, June 10
Autopsies are performed on Paul and Maggie’s bodies at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey confirmed that the time of death for both Murdaughs was between 9 and 9:30 p.m. and that they both suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He declined to comment any further.
Friday, June 11
Hundreds of people attend a celebration of life for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh at the Hampton Cemetery on Holly Street. One family member described the two as “well lived and well loved” before a rainstorm swiftly ended the service.
Sunday, June 13
About 200 people gather for the funeral services for Randolph Murdaugh III at the Hampton Cemetery. Many recalled him being not only a great lawyer, but also a loyal friend. “A man who can count his friends with all five fingers is a very lucky man,” said Donnie Myers, former 11th judicial circuit prosecutor. “Randolph counts for three of mine.”
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Tuesday, June 15
3:36 p.m.: SLED releases its first detailed public statement since the murders. It confirms Alex Murdaugh was the person who discovered Paul and Maggie’s bodies and called 911.
“SLED is committed to conducting a professional and thorough criminal investigation to bring justice in the deaths of Paul and Maggie,” it said, adding that it’s also committed to transparency. “However, we cannot and will not do anything that could jeopardize the integrity of this investigation or that would violate the due process afforded to all in our constitutional system of justice.”
Little other information is released, with the agency saying more details will come “at the appropriate time.”
3:38 p.m.: The Island Packet publishes a story about Paul Murdaugh’s two previously unreported brushes with the law while out on bond. Murdaugh received a traffic ticket in May 2020 for driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit, and was fined for a minor boating violation earlier this year. Both incidents happened in Charleston County.
Thursday, June 17
7 a.m.: Alex Murdaugh’s brothers, John Marvin Murdaugh and Randolph “Randy” Murdaugh IV, appear in a pre-recorded interview on Good Morning America. They said strangers had threatened their nephew Paul Murdaugh before he and his mother were shot to death, but the family didn’t believe the threats were valid.
“Do you feel like some of the perception of your family has been wrong?,” the reporter asked.
“Yes,” Randy Murdaugh IV says. “I’ve seen words like ‘dynasty’ used, and ‘power.” I don’t know exactly how people use those words, but we’re just regular people, and we’re hurting just like they would be hurting if this had happened to them.”
Later that day: The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston files lawsuit against SLED and the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office, the lead police agencies investigating the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. The lawsuit alleges they violated the Freedom of Information Act by refusing to release police reports and 911 calls.
More than a month later, Circuit Judge Bentley Price rules that SLED did not violate the public information law. Price wrote that the agency blacked out much of the reports released to the public “in good faith,” to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Friday, June 18
10:05 a.m.: The Island Packet reports the S.C. Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation earlier this year into how police handled the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach.
11:38 a.m.: The State first reports that Paul Murdaugh’s apartment in Columbia was searched by police on June 8, a day after the killings. A property manager at the complex noticed the door to the unit was opened and notified the Columbia police department. Police said there were no signs of forced entry or anyone in the apartment.
A top SLED official declined comment Friday on what investigators were looking for or may have found.
“They carried off at least one computer and likely took fingerprints and DNA samples,” said one person familiar with the search.
Monday, June 21
SLED releases almost a dozen heavily redacted supplemental reports from the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office, who was the first police agency to respond to the murder scene. Police found shell casings and were searching for nearby video surveillance cameras after the murders, according to 18 pages of documents.
SLED, in a news release about the police reports, said it is evaluating records and will release more information “when possible.”
Tuesday, June 22
SLED reopens the investigation into the 2015 death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith based on information gathered during the Murdaugh double homicide investigation. In the wake of the Murdaughs’ murders, rumors have swirled about the possibility of the family’s connection to Smith’s death.
Police documents in the new investigation show that investigators were at odds over how Smith was actually killed. His body was found on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road, near Hampton. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident.
Additional documents were released in the following weeks giving even more insight into Smith’s death investigation and how often the Murdaugh name came up during the case.
Wednesday, June 23
The Island Packet reports the a cell phone belonging to Maggie was found on the road outside the Murdaugh home the day after the murders. Paul’s phone had been founded near his body, but a family member had to “ping” Maggie’s before investigators were able to locate it.
Thursday, June 24
The Island Packet reports that a black Chevrolet Suburban was towed from the Murdaugh property the day after the murders.
It was unclear who owned the vehicle, why it was towed and how it’s connected to the double homicide. The towing company owner told a reporter he did not know who owned it and that the driver didn’t notice any blood or bullet holes on the vehicle.
Friday, June 25
Alex Murdaugh and his son, Buster, officially announce a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who killed Paul and Maggie.
“I want to thank everyone for the incredible love and support that we have received over the last few weeks. Now is the time to bring justice for Maggie and Paul. Buster and I, along with Maggie’s mother, father and our entire family, ask that anyone with helpful information immediately call the SLED tip line or Crime Stoppers.”
Thursday, July 1
A “concerned citizen” creates a GoFundMe page seeking $65,000 in donations to hire private investigators. After The Island Packet reports on the efforts, GoFundMe suspends the campaign.
Before the suspension, the fundraiser wrote: “There have certainly been rumors and even slivers of proof that shine a light on the shady dealings regarding these cases by law enforcement as well as other government officials go so this GoFundMe would provide the ability to fund and obtain a completely private investigation into this matter as a whole.”
Wednesday, July 14
New details emerge in a log filed by the state defending its heavy redactions of police reports from the crime scene, including that police seized firearms from the scene where the Murdaughs were killed, and police may be investigating “forced entry” onto the property.
Thursday, July 22
SLED releases the 911 audio from when Alex Murdaugh discovered Paul and Maggie’s bodies.
“I need the police and an ambulance immediately,” Murdaugh tells the 911 dispatcher hysterically. “My wife and child were just shot badly.”
He made the call at 10:07 p.m. and police first arrived at 10:25 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 6
The S.C. Attorney General’s Office officially drops the three felony boating under the influence against Paul related to the boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach in 2019 after obtaining a copy of Murdaugh’s death certificate from the Colleton County Coroner’s Office.
An agency spokesperson said the investigation into the crash is ongoing. Although he declined to say why, sources have told The Island Packet that a state grand jury is investigating whether there was obstruction of justice in the 2019 boat crash investigation.
Wednesday, Aug. 11
14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone sends a letter to state Attorney General Alan Wilson recusing himself from the Murdaugh double homicide investigation. Stone had drawn criticism for the length of time it took him to step away from this case. He recused himself almost immediately in the 2019 fatal boat crash in which Paul Murdaugh was charged.
“Considering the events of today in SLED’s investigation ... I am asking that you assume all prosecutorial functions in this matter effective immediately,” the letter said. “By copy of this letter I am informing [SLED] Chief Mark Keel of my decision to recuse myself from prosecuting these cases.”
Of note, Alex Murdaugh was “authorized as a volunteer” for the 14th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, according to a letter obtained by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette in June. The Solicitor’s Office later outlined what exactly his work consisted of.
In a June 21 statement, Stone also called comparisons between his recusal from the 2019 boat crash investigation and his office’s involvement in the ongoing murder investigation “not apt.” He said his office was available to SLED for legal advice and “investigative support,” but did not clarify what role his office has played in the investigation besides maintaining contact with S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson and SLED Chief Mark Keel.
Thursday, Aug. 12
SLED continues to debunk rumors that gain traction on social media, including that three vehicles were found buried at the Murdaugh home and had been unearthed. The account who posted the rumor claimed one vehicle was connected to Stephen Smith’s death, the second related to a 1970s cold case, and the third was unknown.
“The rumor referencing vehicles being unearthed on property owned by the Murdaughs is unfounded. SLED has inquired with local Lowcountry law enforcement and has found no credibility to the rumors currently circulating online,” an agency spokesperson said in a email later that day.
Saturday, Sept. 4
Alex Murdaugh, Maggie’s husband and Paul’s father, was shot in the head on a rural road in Hampton around 1:30 p.m. The 53-year-old was on his way to Charleston when he had car trouble and stopped, a family member told lawyer Jim Griffin. He was taken to a Savannah hospital.
The family released a statement saying: “The Murdaugh family has suffered through more than any one family could ever imagine. We expect Alex to recover and ask for your privacy while he recovers.”
Sunday, Sept. 5
SLED released a statement saying Alex Murdaugh called 911 himself after receiving “a superficial gunshot wound to the head.” The Hampton County Sheriff’s Office was the first law enforcement agency on the scene and requested assistance from SLED soon after. Alex Murdaugh’s vehicle was towed from the scene.
Monday, Sept. 6
Alex Murdaugh released a statement Monday afternoon announcing he was resigning from his family’s law firm, Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth Detrick, and entering a rehab facility.
“The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life,” the statement said. “I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders. I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.”
Hours later, news broke that members of the PMPED law firm confronted Alex Murdaugh Friday over missing money and he told them he was intending to resign.
In a statement to The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette, the law firm confirmed Murdaugh resigned Friday after it was discovered he had “misappropriated funds” and that he’s no longer associated with the firm “in any manner.”
“This is disappointing news for all of us,” the statement said. “Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There’s no place in our firm for such behavior.”
The firm said it notified law enforcement and the S.C. Bar Association about the missing funds, which legal sources believe is more than $1 million.
This story was originally published June 12, 2021 at 12:52 PM with the headline "What’s happened since the Murdaugh double murder in SC? A timeline of recent months."
