Alex Murdaugh was the only survivor. He told him in a newly released prisonhouse telephone call that he understood that his disgraced South Carolina legal father had “done illicitly”.
The call was placed on Dec. 22, 2021, three days before Christmas, by 53-year-old Murdaugh from the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, where he has been jailed since October on a slew of financial fraud charges first unearthed amid allegations that he embezzled $4.3 million in insurance payout money intended for the sons of his dead housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.
The recording was among more than 100 that The State, a Columbia newspaper in South Carolina, obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests.
Buster Murdaugh, in his 20s, expresses concern over the improper service of a search warrant against his father. He was already in prison and he was not present in person.
Bust Murdaugh says to his father, “Well it does matter man…” Bust Murdaugh tells his father, “Well, it does matter man… “I know you have done something illegal, —.,” Bust Murdaugh can be heard telling his father. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore the laws in the United States.
“Allegedly done illegal stuff,” Alex Murdaugh responds, laughing softly. “I’m kidding… anyway…so… It is what it is, you know? It is what it is.”
Buster Murdaugh claims his father was taken by law enforcement. He also took his cellphone and tablet. Alex Murdaugh replied that it didn’t matter because it has nothing.
This call will include news coverage of Alex Murdaugh’s bond hearings.
Alex Murdaugh said, “I’m past worrying about people’s opinions,” but “they don’t have any clue.”
Buster Murdaugh described the harassment that he suffered in public. Buster Murdaugh said that “some redneck guy had cussed him out” while he was at a gas station recently. His father responded by calling the man “a–hole”.
Buster began the conversation by talking about his return from law school and family vacation.
This was after Cameron McGowan Currie, a U.S. District Judge, issued an order on June 1, denying Murdaugh’s lawyers, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin’s attempts at preventing Murdaugh from releasing incoming calls Murdaugh made while in prison to different news agencies.
Murdaugh admitted that he was aware that phone calls would be recorded and monitored. However, he never consented to the tapes being released for law enforcement purposes. FITSNews was an independent investigative outlet that was able to obtain some tapes from jail several months ago. They were also the ones who led the legal effort to release more recordings.
Murdaugh remains in prison on a $7 million bond and all his financial assets have been frozen.
Murdaugh was indicted by a South Carolina grand jury on 15 counts containing 79 charges.
An announcement by state investigators earlier this month stated that they had been granted permission by Satterfield’s family to exhume Satterfield’s body four years ago. This was after a mysterious fall at Murdaugh’s house in 2018. A death certificate stated that Satterfield died of natural causes. Her death was not reported to her coroner and an autopsy was not done.
June 7th marked the anniversary of the double murders of Alex Murdaugh’s wife Maggie Murdaugh, and their son Paul Murdaugh (22), who took place on the sprawling Moselle estate, which spans 1,700 acres in rural Colleton County. The area is called the Lowcountry. Alex Murdaugh may be a curiosity. However, no official suspects have been named in the homicides.
Alex Murdaugh is accused of plotting a suicide-for-hire plot three months after discovering that his son and wife had died on the family estate. He had hoped Buster Murdaugh would give him $10 million to cover his life insurance policy.
Murdaugh was shot briefly and was then airlifted to the hospital. This occurred just one day after Murdaugh was confronted by his great-grandfather’s partners at the prominent personal injury law firm. They were concerned about alleged thefts amounting to millions of dollars.
Murdaugh’s relatives were also the chief of the local prosecutor’s office for generations. Murdaugh was released initially from custody to receive treatment for an alleged opioid addiction that had been brewing for decades at out-of-state rehab centers.
He was later arrested in Orlando for new charges of defrauding Satterfield’s children.
