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As Alex Murdaugh was being convicted for the murder of his wife and son, officials were reportedly investigating Buster Murdaugh, the former's only surviving son.
On March 3, 2023, Alex, a disgraced lawyer, was convicted of the murders that took place on June 7, 2021. Alex's wife Maggie and their son, Paul, were gunned down by Alex at their Islandton property in South Carolina.
The disgraced lawyer initially claimed that the murders were committed by a stranger. However, authorities suspected that he killed Maggie and Paul to divert an investigation into a string of financial crimes he had been implicated in.
Alex claimed that he found the bodies after he returned from visiting his ill mother. Meanwhile, Buster claimed that at the time of the shooting, he was with his girlfriend at her house in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Buster Murdaugh claimed that after the shootings, his father called to inform him that their family members had been murdered. This prompted Buster to drive back to their Islandton home.
Was Buster Murdaugh involved in any of Alex Murdaugh's crimes?
Buster Murdaugh testified on his father's behalf, claiming that he was over 200 miles away from the scene of the shootings when he discovered his mother and brother had been killed.
Buster said that when his father called him, he asked his son if he was sitting down, supposedly in order to make sure he was prepared to receive the news.
Buster said:
"He sounded odd, and then he told me that my mom and my brother had been shot."
During the testimony, a tearful Buster said that his father was distraught on the day of the murder. The 26-year-old also said that he does not believe his 54-year-old father could have killed his own family members.
Buster Murdaugh said:
"He was heartbroken. I walked in the door and saw him, gave him a hug."
According to the New York Post, a South Carolina attorney and Murdaugh family friend, Joseph M. McCulloch Jr., described Buster Murdaugh as an innocent victim of the sensational case.
McCulloch said:
“No person with a heart and soul cannot feel sympathy for that young man. It’s just been tragedy on top of tragedy for him. I don’t know how anyone can withstand that. I’m glad he has a girlfriend who seems so supportive.”
Officials have not released any concrete evidence implicating Buster in the murders of his mother and brother. However, the Daily Beast noted that he had been linked to at least two other deaths. Buster was a suspect in the 2015 murder of alleged former lover, Stephen Smith.
In February 2019, the late Paul Murdaugh was suspected of having drunkenly operated a boat. This led to an accident that caused the death of his friend Mallory Beach.
Although Buster wasn't present at the scene of the crime, he was accused of providing the fake that then-underage Paul used to illegally purchase alcohol.
As of March 4, 2023, Buster Murdaugh has not officially been charged in any of the allegations.
