Alex Murdaugh, the South Carolina attorney who survived a roadside shooting months after his wife and son were killed, is being investigated on allegations that he mishandled funds from his former law practice.
South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division announced Monday that it was looking into accusations that Murdaugh “misappropriated” money from the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, & Detrick law firm. Murdaugh, 53, said in a statement last week that he had resigned to enter rehab and that he "made a lot of decisions that I truly regret."
The family-founded firm disclosed the allegations against Murdaugh earlier this month and said that a forensic accountant would lead an internal investigation. Murdaugh’s license was suspended indefinitely within two days of the announcement.
It remains unclear how much Murdaugh is accused of taking from the firm and how it was used.
S.C. Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel called for patience as the investigation unfolds.
“Investigative decisions we make throughout this case and any potentially related case must ultimately withstand the scrutiny of the criminal justice process,” Keel said Monday. “As with all cases, SLED is committed to conducting a professional, thorough, and impartial criminal investigation, no matter where the facts lead us.”
Murdaugh became the subject of intrigue in June following the murder of his wife, Margaret, and son, Paul. He discovered their bodies lying on the ground near the family's dog kennels, according to his 911 call. They had been shot multiple times.
The double homicide has not been solved and is being investigated by the State Law Enforcement Division.
Law officials have given no indication that the shootings of Margaret, 52, and Paul, 22, are directly connected to that of Alex Murdaugh,
Paul Murdaugh had been slated to go to trial on three felony charges related to the 2019 death of Mallory Beach, 19, in a boating accident. Authorities allege he was intoxicated while driving a boat when he crashed, sending Beach overboard. Her body was found a week later.
On Sept. 4, Murdaugh reported that he was the subject of a roadside shooting. He told 911 that he’d been shot while changing a flat tire in rural Hampton County. Murdaugh was taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, for treatment of a “superficial” head wound.