Murdaugh Family
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In the 2020s the Murdaugh family ofSouth Carolina became nationally known afterAlex Murdaugh, a notable attorney, was arrested and later convicted of murdering his wife and son. His crimes—which included financial wrongdoing—brought scrutiny to a legaldynasty that had long wielded considerable power and influence in the state’s Lowcountry. The Murdaughs’ rise to prominence began in 1920, when Randolph Murdaugh, Sr., was elected solicitor (prosecutor) for the 14th Judicial Circuit. Over the next nine decades, Murdaughs in successive generations held the office and built one of the state’s most prominent personal injury law firms. Also during this time, the Murdaughs became embroiled in several controversies. Learn about key members and their roles in the family’s turbulent history.
Notable family members
Randolph Murdaugh, Sr. (1881–1940)
Randolph Murdaugh, Sr., founded the family’s legal dynasty. In 1910 he established what became one of the state’s most prominent personal injury law firms. Ten years later he was elected solicitor for the 14th Judicial Circuit. He held the post until his death in 1940, when his car was struck by a freight train. Murdaugh, who had been ill for several months, stopped on the tracks and apparently waved at the train. The death was officially ruled accidental, although some speculated that Murdaugh had taken his own life.
Randolph (“Buster”) Murdaugh, Jr. (1915–98)
Succeeding his father, Buster Murdaugh served as solicitor from 1940 to 1986. Known for beingbellicose, he maintained the family’s influence for nearly half a century—though he faced his own legal problems. In 1956 he was indicted in a federal liquorconspiracy for alerting bootleggers of an impending raid. He was acquitted, although the judge said that he should resign as solicitor. Murdaugh ignored this advice and remained in office for decades thereafter.
Randolph Murdaugh III (1939–2021)
The third Murdaugh to serve as solicitor of the 14th Judicial Circuit, Randolph Murdaugh III held office from 1986 to 2005. After retiring from that post, he returned to the family firm. He died in June 2021, days after the murders of his daughter-in-law Maggie Murdaugh and grandson Paul Murdaugh.
Richard Alexander (Alex) Murdaugh (1968– )
Alex Murdaugh, one of four children born to Randolph Murdaugh III, endured a dramatic downfall. In the early 2000s he developed an addiction tooxycodone and began stealing money from his firm and clients to pay for drugs. In 2023 he was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son Paul Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison. Furthermore, he pleaded guilty to financial crimes, including embezzlement and fraud.
Margaret (Maggie) Kennedy Branstetter (1968–2021)
Maggie Branstetter met Alex Murdaugh while both were students at theUniversity of South Carolina. They married in 1993, and the couple later had two sons, Buster and Paul Murdaugh. On June 7, 2021, she and Paul were fatally shot at the family’s secluded estate in Islandton, South Carolina. Alex Murdaugh was convicted of both murders in 2023.
Richard Alexander (“Buster”) Murdaugh, Jr. (1996?– )
The surviving son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh, Buster Murdaugh studied law at the University of South Carolina but left school following aplagiarism incident. After the 2021 murders of his mother and brother, he supported his father and testified on his behalf. Alex Murdaugh was ultimately found guilty. Buster Murdaugh married his longtime girlfriend in 2025.
Paul Terry Murdaugh (1999–2021)
Paul Murdaugh was the younger son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh. In 2019 he was at the wheel of a boat that crashed, causing the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. Months later he was charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence of alcohol. He and his mother were murdered in 2021, and two years later his father was convicted of the crimes.