Murdaugh Murders: SLED Leading Public Corruption Investigation Tied To Disgraced Attorney

State law enforcement agents in South Carolina – with assistance from their federal partners – are leading a wide-ranging investigation into alleged public corruption tied to the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ true crime saga, multiple sources familiar with the status of the inquiry told me this week.

Details of the investigation are not immediately clear, however sources have said it focuses on allegations of judicial misconduct as well as alleged misconduct by various law enforcement and prosecutorial entities in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where the Murdaugh family has held sway over cops, prosecutors and judges for decades.

Three generations of Murdaughs served as solicitor (or district attorney) for Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties between 1920-2006, and prior to his arrest earlier this year attorney Alex Murdaugh – the man at the heart of this labyrinthine saga – worked part-time for the office of solicitor Duffie Stone, the family’s hand-picked successor to former solicitor Randolph Murdaugh III, Alex’s late father.

Allegations of potential police, prosecutorial and judicial malfeasance in connection with this case come as no surprise to our readers. Back in September, I reported extensively on the subject – as well as the nervousness of the Palmetto State’s legal community in response to the unraveling drama.

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According to my sources, agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are reportedly leading the public corruption investigation, with assistance from regional assets of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Readers will recall the feds have been supporting the state in the investigation, although there has been some friction between the two governments on the prosecutorial front.

This would mark the eighth distinct state investigation tied in some form or fashion to the 53-year-old attorney – who has found himself at the center of a still-unspooling Southern gothic drama which has captivated the attention of the entire nation.

SLED is also investigating 1) the murders of Murdaugh’s wife and younger son, 2) obstruction of justice allegations tied to a 2019 boat crash involving the family, 3) financial crimes tied to multiple allegations of theft related to Murdaugh’s law practice, 4) the death of the family’s longtime housekeeper in 2018, 5) the death of a friend of Murdaugh’s elder son in 2015, 6) rumored connections between Murdaugh and a local gang and of course 7) the investigation into a bizarre roadside shooting incident that took place on September 4, 2021.

Murdaugh is currently staring down 51 separate charges in connection with these ongoing inquiries … with more charges coming, according to sources familiar with the case.

Regular readers of this news outlet have become intimately familiar with the details of this story – a web of alleged criminality tied to this disgraced lawyer, his powerful family and the influential law firm it found in Hampton, S.C. a century ago.

One of the deepest, most layered, most intricate cases I have ever covered, the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ saga is also unresolved … although it has become increasingly clear Murdaugh and many of his intimates are mixed up in some seriously sinister shadiness.

FITSNews has broken nearly all of the major developments in this case – and has driven coverage of its myriad twists and turns since then.

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SLED spokesman Ryan Alphin declined to comment on the specifics of the ongoing investigations. However, he did reiterate the commitment made by the leader of the agency – chief Mark Keel – to seeing justice done “no matter where the facts lead us.”

“SLED agents are working tirelessly to bring justice to anyone involved with any criminal act associated with these ongoing investigations,” Alphin said. “SLED is committed to following the facts wherever they may lead us and we will not stop until justice is served.”

FBI spokesman Kevin Wheeler also declined to comment on the specifics of any ongoing investigations – saying he “could not add anything” to Alphin’s statement at this point.

This is a developing story … please check back for updates.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

(Via: FITSNews)

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that New York Knights’ lid from ‘The Natural’ pictured above).

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