Live Updates: Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 27 years in prison for financial crimes

Convicted double murderer and disbarred Hampton County attorney Alex Murdaugh was sentenced Tuesday to 27 years in prison for more than a decade of financial crimes.

The fourth-generation lawyer in a dynastic family that once dominated the legal and political establishment of the Lowcountry has admitted stealing millions of dollars from his own clients, close friends, his brother and the law firm that his family founded over a century ago.

Tuesday’s sentencing hearing before state Judge Clifton Newman comes a little more than a week after Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 of 101 pending charges as part of a last minute, negotiated plea deal, which averted a trial set to begin in Beaufort today.

Under a package plea agreement negotiated by the defense and prosecution, Murdaugh, 55, pled guilty on Nov. 17 with the expectation of being sentenced to 27 years in prison. On Tuesday, five victims and four attorneys testified about the impact of Murdaugh’s crimes. This was followed by an almost hour-long statement by Murdaugh, who apologized to his victims, his family and his former law firm.

3:20 p.m. — Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 27 years in prison

Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to 27 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections for his financial crimes.

Following a brief statement, Judge Clifton Newman sentenced Murdaugh to 20 concurrent years in prison. Murdaugh was also sentenced to an additional seven years on a money laundering charge to be served consecutively.

In a contemplative statement, Newman reflected that he remembered Murdaugh professionally as a happy and fun-loving person who he’d never seen be sad. The last time he saw Murdaugh when he was free was a few months after the deaths of Maggie and Paul, when Murdaugh appeared to be enjoying himself poolside at a conference. Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were murdered in June 2021.

“You’re an enigmatic person; I don’t know if you understand yourself,” Newman said. The closest comparison he could think of, Newman said, was a young man who he once sentenced to death for killing a police officer and then setting his body on fire.

Though personally opposed to capital punishment, Newman said, “I concluded that he was heartless. He was just empty. When I see you and I listen to you and I reflect on all that I’ve seen since being assigned to these cases, you come closest to that young man — being empty.”

While conceding that the law made distinctions between violent and non-violent crimes, Newman said that he rejected the idea of “white-collar crimes.”

“I’ve looked at criminal offenses as criminal offenses,” Newman said, reflecting that 27 years was a stern sentence that was favored by all of the victims.

Having been assigned to the case in September 2021, Newman will retire in 34 days after two years on the Murduagh case and decades on the bench.

“After imposing this sentence, your life will continue. I will turn the page and leave you behind,” Newman said.

Asked Newman if he had any additional comment, Murdaugh simply smiled and said no but turned to face his victims and said he “reiterated” what he said earlier. He was then escorted from the courtroom.

2:12 p.m. — Murdaugh thanks supporters, attacks haters and apologizes for humiliating his family

Much of Alex Murdaugh’s almost hour-long statement was a mea culpa to his family, law firm and law partners. Rocking back and forth on his feet, Murdaugh apologized for the pain, humiliation and suspicion that he heaped on those closest to him.

“I am so sorry that I let each of you down and I am so sorry that I humiliated you. I am so sorry that I destroyed our family’s reputation with the terrible things that I have done,” Murdaugh said.

No members of the Murdaugh family were present in court.

Apologizing to his surviving son Buster, Murdaugh said that he was proud of his son and urged him to ignore the “haters.” Murdaugh attacked what he described as baseless claims about Buster, an apparent reference to the death of Stephen Smith in 2015. Smith, 19, was found dead on a rural Hampton County road.

In March, Buster Murdaugh issued a statement in which he denied the rumors and any involvement in Smith’s death.

Over 51 minutes on Tuesday, Alex Murdaugh apologized to individual members of his and Maggie’s family, including his brother, Randy, and his father-in-law. He expressed profound remorse and anger that his actions had slandered the legacy of his father and grandfather.

He described them as “fully and wholly committed to justice. Two men who were most honest and most decent… two men who would be devastated by what I have done.”

Murdaugh also delved into his history with opioid addiction. He thanked the detox facility he went to shortly before his arrest and urged anyone with addiction to get professional help. “Don’t let pride get in the way like I did.”

“I’m sorry I went to such great lengths to hide my addiction and to hide my criminal acts from each of you. I know you would have helped me before things got so out of control,” Murdaugh said.

“I now apologize to every single person that cares about Maggie and about Paul,” Murdaugh said at the conclusion of his lengthy apology. His crimes meant that SLED and the state Attorney General’s Office focused on him, instead of the real killers of Maggie and Paul, Murdaugh said.

Reflecting on his sentence, which he said was “harsher” than he would have wanted, Murdaugh told the court and his victims that he still believed in redemption.

“I am fully committed to trying to be a better person,” Murdaugh said. “I am going to try to do as much good as possible and help as many people as I can while incarcerated. I remain fully and wholeheartedly committed to finding a way to somehow make those who love me proud again, in some small way.”

1:37 p.m. — ‘I am so sorry,’ Murdaugh apologizes to his victims

In his longest address since he testified in his own defense in February, Alex Murdaugh delivered a lengthy and tear-filled apology to the many people he had hurt. But as much as it was an apology, it was a plea to be believed.

“It is important to me that you know how sorry I am for the things that I did to each of you,” Murdaugh told the assembled victims in the courtroom. “I hope the time will come where you will be able to look back and know that I care about each of you because I did.”

Throughout his statement, he returned to this theme. Speaking slowly he begged his victims repeatedly to believe him when he said he was sorry.

Murdaugh said that after “hours, days, weeks, months of self reflection,” he continued to steal because he was “attempting to hide from the things I did to all of you.”

Speaking to the Satterfields, Murdaugh reflected on the closeness of their families. He made up the story about the dogs tripping Gloria “with good intentions, with the intention of helping you. But those intentions quickly became selfish,” Murdaugh said.

In May, Murdaugh’s attorneys filed legal documents that said Murdaugh lied about details of Gloria Satterfield’s death in 2018. Murdaugh had claimed that Satterfield had tripped over his dogs, which meant Murdaugh’s insurer would have to pay a settlement to the Satterfield family. But Murdaugh stole the money.

1:06 p.m. — Forgiveness and anger as victims speak

Victims and attorneys made their final remarks to Alex Murdaugh Tuesday afternoon.

In a tearful testimony, Jordan Jinks, a longtime friend of Murdaugh’s, expressed the confusion that many have felt throughout the day.

“I didn’t want to come up here and bash you, but I gotta ask you what kind of animal are you?” Jinks asked. Expressing his support for the sentence, he said that he forgave Murdaugh but he appeared wracked with confusion and pain.

“The money you stole from me, you could have asked me for it and I would have given it to you, that’s how I felt about you, man.”

Attorney and state Rep. Justin Bamberg, who represents a number of victims, compared Murdaugh to a fairy tale dragon, and urged Judge Newman to slay that dragon in court today by accepting the sentence.

The sole voice of dissent came from attorney Mark Tinsley, who represents the family of Mallory Beach, whose 2019 death in a boat crash led to the unraveling of the Murdaugh family. Tinsley pushed back on the idea that white collar crime was somehow less of a crime, saying the money came from “blood, sweat and tears.

“I don’t want to be the odd man out so I’m going to keep it to myself and think it,” said Tinsley.

Making his final argument, Waters said, “this is a strong result. It is one that ensures finality. It is one that ensures that the system has also been abused… that the system can start to heal as well.”

12:37 p.m. — ‘Do you not have a soul?’ Satterfield family members, attorneys address the court

In a blistering statement, attorney Eric Bland, who represents several of Murdaugh’s victims, said he supported the 27-year sentence and laid into Murdaugh and his attorneys.

“I feel good that he will never breathe a fresh breath of air again,” Bland told the court.

A colorful orator, Bland described Murdaugh alternately as a “unicorn” criminal who stole from those close to him, a “wolf among sheep,” and a criminal who belonged on the “Mount Rushmore of crime.”

Murdaugh took advantage of vulnerable adults and friends who did not know how to navigate the legal system, Bland said.

His victims were like “prey” to him, said Bland’s partner, Ronnie Richter. Murdaugh’s crimes are even more unexplainable given his privilege, Richter said.

“I don’t get it. I don’t understand it. And I don’t want to understand it,” said Gloria Satterfield’s sister, Ginger Harriott Hadwin, addressing Murdaugh directly. “Do you not have a soul?”

“My heart is with you, my prayers are with you. I just wish the best for you,” said Tony Satterfield, Gloria’s son, in a simple statement before the court.

11:56 a.m. — Waters defends a 27-year sentence for Murdaugh

While some on social media have criticized the state’s decision to negotiate a plea deal with Alex Murdaugh, on Tuesday prosecutor Creighton Waters appeared more intent on selling Judge Clifton Newman on the “unique and unprecedented” 27-year sentence.

“It represents a singular accountability for white collar criminals,” Waters told the court as he concluded a 90-minute presentation.

The sentence would be the highest for any white collar crime in South Carolina or around the country, Waters told the court. It would exceed the sentences handed down for other high profile frauds, including Enron, World Com and Carolina Investors.

As part of the plea, Murdaugh agreed to waive his appellate rights. That means “whatever happens with any other litigation, we ensure, with what happens here today, Mr. Murdaugh will stay in state prison for what is most likely the remainder of his life.”

Murdaugh, 55, is currently appealing the guilty verdict for double murder.

The stiff sentence would also go towards repairing “the wreckage” and “distrust” Murdaugh sowed in the state’s legal system and would spare many smaller counties the expense of a costly trial. The charges Murdaugh faced accused him committing crimes in multiple Lowcountry counties.

The sentencing will resume with victim testimony after a 10-minute break.

11:39 a.m. — Waters describes Murdaugh’s many schemes

Speaking now for over an hour, Creighton Waters has outlined a dizzying array of thefts. Over more than a decade, Murdaugh used an evolving array of schemes to steal money ranging from tens of thousands to over a million dollars.

In total, he stole $12,4525,254.32, according to Waters.

While many cases, for instance the theft of $4.3 million from the children of Gloria Satterfield, have become well known, Waters’ presentation delved into more than a dozen victims of Murdaugh’s schemes.

Murdaugh has appeared stone-faced, occasionally donning reading glasses to review a document. But in the half-filled courtroom, his victims appear distressed by the testimony. Jordan Jinks, who lost around $150,000 to one of Murdaugh’s schemes, appeared slumped forward in his seat with his head in his hands as Waters spoke.

Among the schemes described by Waters was “double dipping” from Murdaugh’s firm, when he managed to twice cash a check from his own law firm that was intended for his brother and law partner, Randy; the diversion of hundreds of thousands of dollars into a Bank of America account he controlled that appeared to belong to a legitimate structured settlement company, Forge; lying to his clients about the amount he won in settlements.

Waters took particular time to describe one case where a cash-strapped Murdaugh told a grieving mother that he could only secure a $30,000 settlement following the death of three family members in a car crash. In reality Murdaugh secured a $183,000 settlement. In the end, the mother received “not one thin cent,” Waters said.

11:11 a.m. — Creighton Waters outlines a decade of Murdaugh’s debts and thefts

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters has begun outlining the crushing debts and constantly evolving schemes that drove Alex Murdaugh’s thefts.

But the common thread in these thefts was the privileged position that Murdaugh occupied as an attorney and the member of a prominent family.

“That trust, power and influence, that’s the only way these schemes were able to take place,” Waters told the court.

Working in chronological order, Waters has begun describing how Murdaugh’s thefts began after he ran into financial problems around 2008, during the recession. While Murdaugh would go on to secure a number of large settlements for his clients, this merely gave him the appearance of financial well-being, Waters said.

In reality, Murdaugh was desperately careening from one scheme to another in order to stay ahead of his debts. Many of his loans came from Russell Laffitte, the former CEO of the Palmetto State Bank and longtime Murdaugh family friend.

“Alex Murdaugh had gotten so in hock to Russell Laffitte that Russell Laffitte was in hock to Alex Murdaugh,” Waters said. But Murdaugh was also using the money to pay off loans from his father, other law partners and six-figure credit card bills, Waters said.

If he defaulted on any of these loans, it could invite scrutiny of his finances exposing his thefts. As a result, Murdaugh kept on stealing. It was an “An exhausting hamster wheel,” Waters said.

Among the thefts that Waters outlined was Murdaugh’s pilfering of settlements from car crash victims Hakeem Pinckney, Arthur Badger and Deon Martin. Murdaugh would often structure settlements so that his victims believed that they were receiving sizable amounts of money, while not realizing that Murdaugh was skimming nearly $1 million off their settlements.

Explaining the reasoning behind his lengthy and detailed statement, Waters said it was imperative to put “more meat on the bone” in order to ensure accountability in South Carolina’s judicial community. Waters said he also wanted to demonstrate how power and influence and trust could be used to steal millions of dollars.

10:24 a.m. — Alex Murdaugh arrives in court

Alex Murdaugh has arrived at the Beaufort County Court for his sentencing. Once a prominent attorney in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, which includes Beaufort, Murdaugh is now facing a 27 year sentence for his financial crimes.

That sentence is expected to be the longest prison sentence for a series of white collar crimes in South Carolina’s history. Murdaugh would be eligible for parole after serving 85% of the 27 years.

Murdaugh is currently serving two consecutive life sentences in state prison for the murders of his wife and son.

There was a buzz in the Beaufort County court as Muardaugh arrived, shackled and wearing a bright orange jumpsuit. One reporter said that the atmosphere in the courtroom before he arrived was like a reunion.

In addition to victims, some of whom knew Murdaugh personally, the back benches are filled with SLED agents. Attorneys, many of whom are familiar faces to close watchers of the Murdaugh saga, have been milling around the courtroom. Among them are Eric Bland and Justin Bamberg, who represent victims of Murdaugh’s thefts, and Mark Tinsley, who represented the family of Mallory Beach, whose death in a boat crash in 2019 began the slow unraveling of the Murdaugh family.

Far from being a side show, prosecutors argued that the thefts were central to Murdaugh’s motive on the night in June 2021 when he gunned down his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. Throughout Murdaugh’s trial in Colleton County last winter, Waters argued repeatedly that Murdaugh was driven to commit the murders to stave off a gathering “storm” caused by the looming discovery of his thefts.

In all, Murdaugh was charged with more than $8 million in embezzlements, forgery, tax evasion, money laundering and other frauds. The decade-long series of thefts was driven by “an insatiable need for money,” Waters said during Murdaugh’s guilty plea.

While testifying in his own defense, Murdaugh admitted to committing many of the thefts. On Sept. 21, Murdaugh also pleaded guilty in federal court to a host of financial crimes. Among those were the theft of $4.3 million from the estate of Murdaugh’s late family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, laundering stolen money through the Palmetto State Bank, with the assistance of its former CEO-Russell Laffitte, and the theft of money from his own law firm through a variety of schemes.

As many as 14 victims could testify Tuesday. Among them may be the sons of long-time Murdaugh-family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died following a fall at the Murdaugh family farm, Moselle. Murdaugh stole $4.3 million from her estate as part of a complex scheme where he sued his own insurance carrier.