A mother and son of a prominent South Carolina legal family were found shot and killed on their family’s land, and authorities said no arrests have been made in the double homicide case.
Mother and son of prominent lawyer family found shot to death
Graveside services for Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, were held Friday at Hampton Cemetery.
The mother and son were found shot near the kennels at the family’s Colleton County home Monday night.
Sources familiar with the investigation described the event as a “brutal” shooting and said both victims were shot multiple times.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the case and has released few details, including what type of weapons were used to kill them, whether they have possible suspects or who found their bodies and called 911.
Colleton County deputies turned the case over to the state.
Police and their police report said almost nothing more than two people were shot.
South Carolina law requires police agencies to release any crime report they create within 14 days, and must include details such as the nature and background of the incident.
Autopsies were completed by the Colleton County coroner’s office Thursday morning, but the results have not been released.
A third death in the Murdaugh family occurred the day before the graveside services. The announcement of Randolph Murdaugh III’s death came from his law firm Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick on Thursday.
The 81-year-old South Carolina prosecutor was Paul’s grandfather and Maggie’s father-in-law.
The Murdaughs are one of South Carolina’s most prominent legal families.
Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on a charge of boating under the influence causing death in a February 2019 crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
The woman’s body was found seven days after the accident.
