Paul Murdaugh was a 22-year-old man who was found dead alongside his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, on June 7th, 2021.
Both had been shot, and their bodies were found by family patriarch, Randolph Murdaugh III.
Paul was out on bail at the time of his death after being charged with drunkenly crashing a boat in a 2019 accident that killed a 19-year-old local girl named Mallory Beach.
Paul was driving the boat, but his friend Connor Cook had sometimes taken over while Paul stepped away to argue with his girlfriend, eventually hitting her.
The Murdaughs hired Dick Harpootlian, a powerful state senator and a member of the Senate Judiciary, to defend Paul, who pleaded not guilty.
Paul’s father, Alex Murdaugh, was initially suspected of being involved in the murders of his wife and son, but it was Paul who provided key proof after his death that exposed his father’s web of lies and ultimately led to his conviction in the double homicide.
Alex was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders of his wife and son.
The Murdaugh family is a prominent legal family in South Carolina, with three generations of Murdaughs having presided as solicitors over the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, while also amassing a small fortune from private litigation through the family firm.
Paul Murdaugh autopsy
The autopsy of Murdaugh revealed that he was shot in the head at point-blank range, and he would have had no face left after the shot.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Jonathan Eisenstat testified that Paul would have had his arms by his side when the first shot was fired and showed no defensive wounds.
The autopsy report also confirmed that Paul’s head wound was an exit wound, which was inconsistent with the defense’s account of his death:
A forensic analysis of Paul’s injuries was shown during the trial, which contained graphic content.
The testimony of Dr. Ellen Reimer, another forensic pathologist, was also presented during the trial, where she discussed her autopsy findings.
Paul Murdaugh autopsy photos
Paul and his mother’s autopsy graphic photos went viral on social media following its leak.
Following the sentencing of Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences for the heinous murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in 2021, Judge Clifton Newman turned his attention to the disturbing photographs presented as evidence in the trial.
The issue concerns sharing or posting autopsy photographs obtained from within the courtroom.
It seems that the direction or purpose of these photographs is causing some concern or complaint.
The graphic photo depicts the lifeless body of Maggie, clearly showing a fatal entry wound just below her left ear.
Likewise, the photo was displayed on one of the prosecution’s screens during the state’s closing statements.
Where is Alex Murdaugh now?
Alex is currently in prison, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murders of his wife and son that took place on June 7, 2021.
He was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two related weapons charges, though he pleaded not guilty.
The disgraced former attorney was sentenced to life in prison on March 3, 2023, which marked the end of his trial.
He is being held in one of six maximum-security facilities in South Carolina that offer protective custody.
Alex’s downfall and the murders of his wife and son are the subject of a Netflix docuseries titled “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal”.