Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Pleads Guilty to 22 Counts of Financial Fraud and Money Laundering

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 counts of financial fraud and money laundering in federal court on Thursday.

Murdaugh, 55, is serving life without parole in a South Carolina prison for shooting his wife, Maggie, and younger son Paul in June 2021. He has denied any role in the killings since their deaths and insisted he was innocent in two days of testimony earlier this year before he was convicted of two counts of murder.

During the trial, Murdaugh repeatedly broke down in tears on the stand as he denied the killings. He also admitted to lying to investigators and acknowledged that evidence presented by the prosecution put him at the scene of the crime.

Murdaugh, a now-disbarred South Carolina attorney, had not pleaded guilty to a crime since his arrest nearly two years ago. He was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for the financial fraud and money laundering charges.

The prosecution argued that Murdaugh had used his position of power and privilege to commit the crimes. He is currently being held in a federal prison in South Carolina and is not eligible for parole.