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The disgraced heir to a South Carolina legal dynasty Alex Murdaugh was convicted of the shocking murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The well-known attorney was convicted of two counts of murder in the June 2021 deaths. And the dramatic six-week “trial of the century” inside the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina captivated a global audience.

Before finding the 54-year-old Alex Murdaugh guilty on March 2 the jurors were taken to the place where it all began.

Loaded into a county bus and warned not to discuss the case the jury was taken to Moselle. The Murdaugh family’s sprawling 1,700-acre estate is in Islandton, South Carolina. And the jurors got to see for themselves the crime scene where Maggie and Paul were murdered.

In many ways, this is the end of a once-powerful dynasty.

In the aftermath of the slayings, South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) opened investigations into the deaths of Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield.

Shocking unsolved murders surrounding the Murdaughs

Smith, 19, was found dead on a road in Hampton County in 2015. His death was ruled a hit-and-run. But there have always been suspicions of foul play in the community. And the Murdaugh name cropped up dozens of times in the initial investigation.

 Similarly, Satterfield was the Murdaugh family’s longtime housekeeper who died after a mystery trip and fall at the Moselle property in 2018.

Alex Murdaugh allegedly stole the insurance money from her family.

The Murdaugh family has been involved in law for over a century in South Carolina. Members of the family have held positions as solicitors, prosecutors, and judges, and their influence in the legal system has been widespread.

Recent events have shaken the community, and the public perception has changed. Along shadow has been cast over the Murdaugh family’s legacy. 

Murdaugh is still facing 100 plus financial crimes charges spanning a decade. Where he allegedly stole funds from his clients at his former law firm.

In the meantime, with Friday’s life sentence, he is now being held at the Kirkland Correctional Facility. And will be transferred to a state prison where he will spend the remainder of his days.