What did Alex Murdo do? Ex-lawyer’s financial crimes

Alex Murdough‘s name became synonymous with one of the most shocking legal sagas in recent memory – a once-untouchable South Carolina lawyer whose family dynasty collapsed under the weight of two life sentences, dozens of fraud charges and a murder trial that gripped the nation. Now, with his murder conviction overturned, a new trial is imminent, US Weekly A detailed breakdown of what Alex did, what he admitted to, and the legal mess he’s in now.

While the murder case continues to evolve, one thing remains unchanged: Alex publicly admitted to a years-long scheme to steal millions of dollars from his clients and his own law firm. These financial crimes were completely unrelated to the murder charges—which is why he remains behind bars even after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned his murder conviction on May 13, 2026.

Alex Murdaugh’s Financial Crimes Explained

Alex is not only accused of killing his wife; Maggie Murdoughand son Paul MurdaughBut he also got into legal trouble related to financial and drug crimes. Ex-civil litigator suffers shocking blow The grand jury returned 102 criminal charges and 19 indictments Related to fraud and drug offences.

The charges describe a years-long conspiracy involving corruption, wire fraud and money laundering. Alex ultimately pleaded guilty to 22 federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for those crimes alone. On top of that, he was sentenced to 27 years in state prison for separate financial crimes, bringing his total non-murder sentence to an eye-popping 67 years.

As part of the fallout, Alex was disbarred and had his assets seized. The money he stole was diverted away from clients and his former law firm – a betrayal that shocked South Carolina’s legal community and undermined the Murdaugh family’s decades-long influence in the region.

Alex Murdough’s statement on the witness stand

When Alex took the stand in his six-week murder trial in early 2023, he did what most legal experts called a high-stakes gamble: He publicly admitted financial wrongdoing while maintaining his innocence in the killings.

Alex admitted that he stole millions of dollars from his clients and his own law firm. He also admitted that he lied to investigators about his whereabouts the night Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were killed near a kennel on their South Carolina property in June 2021.

The former lawyer later apologized to jurors for the lie, telling them he wasn’t “thinking clearly” at the time and didn’t believe he was “able to reason.” Despite this, he insisted that he “never at any time” shot Maggie or Paul.

his lawyer, Dick Haputliancontinues to draw a clear line between the two groups of crimes. “I think Alex understood that he was doing something bad by stealing so much money,” Haputlian told reporters. daily mail January 2026. “He maintains that he didn’t kill Paul and Maggie. He always has… When we get a fair trial, I think the jury will find he didn’t do it.”

Alex Murdough’s murder conviction and sentencing

The financial admission did not soften the jury, who found Alex guilty of the murders of Maggie and Paul on March 2, 2023. The judge handed down two consecutive life sentences without parole – one for each victim – meaning Alex was expected to die in prison even before his fraud conviction was taken into account.

In total, Alex served two consecutive life sentences and an additional 67 years for economic crimes. Since August 2023, he has been Serve as caretaker assistant Within the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the job reportedly involves helping correctional facilities with day-to-day operations new york post.

When Alex is not working in prison, he devotes himself to his appeal. “You can talk to him, unlike your average client, who doesn’t understand the appeals process or how it all works,” Haputlian said in a January 2026 interview. “He’s interested because he’s a lawyer, so we discuss our situation, what we think the serious issues are with the case and what our weaknesses are.”

Alex Murdough’s murder conviction overturned

On May 13, 2026, the South Carolina Supreme Court issued a blockbuster ruling, passing unanimously Alex’s murder conviction overturned The vote was 5-0 and a new trial ordered. Judge rules original proceedings were influenced by ‘undue outside influence’ from former county clerk Becky Hill.

“While we understand the time, money, and effort involved in this lengthy trial, due to Hill’s undue outside influence on the jury, we have no choice but to overturn the denial of Murdo’s motion for a new trial and demand a new trial,” the justices wrote. CNN.

At the heart of the appeal are allegations that Hill exerted improper influence on jurors, including telling them to “watch his body language” and suggesting Alex was guilty. A handful of jurors corroborated Hill’s remarks in affidavits and testimony, but most said they did not hear them.

January 2024, retired Chief Justice of South Carolina Jean Toart Alex’s request for a new trial was initially denied, arguing that Hill’s comments did not affect the verdict. Tolle did find the comments inappropriate, however, and said she believed Hill was “seduced by the allure of celebrity” because of the high-profile nature of the case.

Hill himself has faced the consequences of his actions. In May 2025, she was charged with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct. world sight distance. After pleading guilty in December 2025, she was sentenced to three years of probation.

Alex Murdaugh’s lawsuit against Becky Hill

Just four days after his murder conviction was overturned, Alex Sue Hill in federal courtclaims she rigged the trial in order to profit from a book about the case.

According to the lawsuit obtained TMZ Alex filed the lawsuit on May 17, 2026, arguing that Hill secretly served as a juror during the 2023 double murder trial and forced them to convict. Hill is accused of telling jurors not to be “fooled,” “confused” or “convinced” by Alex’s defense team.

In the filing, Alex alleges that Hill repeatedly pulled jury leaders aside for private conversations and urged jurors to end their deliberations quickly, allegedly telling them “we shouldn’t take long” and suggesting they might become famous after the verdict. He claims her actions cost him at least $600,000 in legal fees and undermined his right to a fair trial.

Hill and Neil R. Gordon published their books, Behind the Gates of Justice: The Murdough MurdersAugust 2023.

Hill’s lawyer, Will Lewisno immediate response us” requested comment on the lawsuit.

What’s next for Alex Murdough?

Even though the murder charge was dropped, Alex wasn’t off the hook. He remains incarcerated, serving a 27-year state and 40-year federal sentence for the financial crimes – a total of 67 years, entirely separate from the murders. A new murder trial will be scheduled, which will give prosecutors another chance to build their case and give Alex another chance to prove he didn’t kill Maggie or Paul.

This story was compiled with the help of artificial intelligence tools and edited by journalists.