‘Take Responsibility’
“It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal,” convicted murderer and family annihilator tells judge following plea agreement
Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 counts of fraud and money laundering Thursday, marking the first time the disgraced scion of a South Carolina legal dynasty has admitted his crimes in court.
Earlier in the week, Murdaugh’s lawyer filed a plea agreement to the 22-count federal indictment, with Murdaugh copping to charges that he defrauded his own personal injury clients and laundered $7 million in funds.
“I want to take responsibility,” Murdaugh told the judge (via The Associated Press). “I want my son to see me take responsibility. It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal.”
Murdaugh is already serving a life-in-prison sentence after being found guilty of murdering his wife and son. Each count of the financial crimes charges carries a 20-to-30 years prison sentence, but one stipulation of the plea agreement is that punishment run concurrently (or simultaneously) with the life sentence as opposed to consecutively, giving Murdaugh a faint hope of freedom if he wins an appeal on the murder conviction.
The judge will formally hand down Murdaugh’s sentence on the 22 counts on a later date. As part of the deal, Murdaugh also agreed to $9 million in restitution as well as take a lie detector if asked.
Murdaugh still faces upwards of 100 counts on other state charges, including attempting to commit insurance fraud on a failed attempt to hire a hitman to kill him so his surviving son would receive a $10 million in life insurance, as well as charges that he stole settlement money from the family of the Murdaugh’s late housekeeper.