Who is Alan Wilson? South Carolina Attorney General slammed for gloating over Alex Murdaugh verdict

Wilson was accused of using the trial for his own political gains (image via South Carolina Attorney General)
Wilson was accused of using the trial for his own political gains (image via South Carolina Attorney General)

On March 2, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and son. In the aftermath of the verdict, criticism was leveled at Alan Wilson, with netizens claiming that the South Carolina Attorney General was using the success of the prosecution team to bolster his own image.

In the aftermath of the verdict, Alan Wilson said that the trial was ultimately a testament to how justice would prevail despite how powerful the suspect is considered.

He said:

“Today’s verdict proves your position and power in life do not matter: no one is above the law, and that includes Alex Murdaugh. It’s been a long six weeks, but Maggie and Paul Murdaugh deserved justice, and they certainly did not deserve to brutally die at the hands of someone who was supposed to love and protect them."

Netizens, however, claimed that the credit should primarily go to prosecutor Creighton Waters and his team. Several Twitter users insisted that despite his success, Alan Wilson is ultimately a selfish politician, with many pointing out his controversial political decisions in the past.


Alan Wilson has been a controversial figure for several years

As per the South Carolina Attorney's Website, Alan Wilson was born in West Columbia, South Carolina. He is a popular politician and attorney.

After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2002, he embarked on a military career in tandem with his aspirations within the legal sphere, joining the South Carolina National Guard.

He currently also serves as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps, having been distinguished with a Combat Action Badge for his service in Iraq.

Over the years, however, Alan Wilson's political career has been marred by several controversies, many of which have resurfaced since his success in the recent Alex Murdaugh case.

In 2014, he attempted to block gay marriage in South Carolina, while in 2021 he gained further backlash among left-wing supporters for defending the state law that bans abortions.

CNN reported that in November 2021, Wilson was also accused of maintaining a bias after he was seen eating with Kyle Rittenhouse, the then-teenage suspect in the 2020 Kenosha shootings.

Many claimed that Wilson was giving Rittenhouse preferential treatment as he is a Republican, while Rittenhouse was a right-wing supporter implicated in the killings of two left-wing activists who had reportedly assaulted him.

Furthermore, netizens claimed that Wilson's brother, Julian Wilson, owns one of the weapon-manufacturing companies that produced at least one of the firearms that Murdaugh used in the murders. Though this remains unconfirmed, it is one of the many sleights against the Attorney General.


Wilson thanks the prosecution team

In the aftermath of the verdict, Wilson thanked Creighton Waters as well as the rest of the prosecution team for their role in the trial. He added that the team worked under intense pressure due to the media coverage surrounding the trial.

He said:

“You don’t know how good that feels when you’re under an incredible amount of stress, an incredible amount of scrutiny."

According to AOL, Murdaugh could face life in prison for the murders.

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