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DOUBLE murderer Alex Murdaugh has pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars from his clients and could face a polygraph test as part of the deal.
The shocking legal move could see him transferred from an undisclosed high-security state prison where he’s serving two life sentences for murdering his wife and son.
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Born into a South Carolina legal dynasty, Murdaugh’s life spiraled out of control when a reported drug addiction fueled a lifestyle of treachery and violence.
Before murdering his wife and 22-year-old son, he allegedly stole and embezzled money from his brother and many of their clients.
He was accused of misdirecting a whopping $8.7million and faces a dozen civil suits seeking monetary damages for other alleged crimes.
On Monday, Murdaugh, 65, pleaded guilty to 22 federal crimes including bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and multiple counts of money laundering.
Each bank fraud charge could carry a maximum 30-year sentence, and money laundering charges carry a max sentence of 20 years.
They both could rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for each count where he’s found guilty.
POLYGRAPH TEST
As part of the deal, Murdaugh will be interrogated about the crimes and must submit to a polygraph test if one is requested, CBS affiliate WTOC reports.
A polygraph exam could result in new information about the deaths of his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul.
Alex was found guilty in March of murdering both family members at their Moselle estate.
The mother and son were shot multiple times, and their bodies were found near the dog kennels at the family’s hunting lodge.
Murdaugh has maintained his innocence as he serves his sentence in an undisclosed high-security prison, but this deal could change that.
Murdaugh’s team has appealed the murder conviction.
They alleged in the appeal that the jury in the murder trial was tampered with and accused the court clerk of improperly influencing jurors in the state’s favor.
They are seeking a new trial in the hopes that the judge will side with them and throw out the conviction.
If Muraugh is granted a new trial, this would prioritize Murdaugh’s new federal sentence, per state law.
This would land him a spot in federal prison, which is often considered to have better conditions and less violent offenders.
SECOND TRIAL NEARS
Murdaugh also faces around 100 charges related to financial crime on the state level.
In the federal plea agreement announced this week, prosecutors said that they would pursue maximum sentences for Murdaugh, but first, federal officials have to agree to sentence him concurrently for the same offenses.
A plea hearing has been scheduled for 10am Thursday in US District Court in Charleston where federal court Judge Richard Gergel is expected to approve it.
It could be months before Murdaugh is sentenced for the crimes, Assistant United States Attorney Emily Limehouse said.
Murdaugh’s trial for his alleged state financial crimes is set to begin the week of November 27.
During a hearing to set this date, Murdaugh’s attorney, South Carolina state Senator Dick Harpootlian, claimed that his client would not be able to get a fair trial in the state.
“Where are you going to get a jury? Mars?” Harpootlian asked the judge.
“This case was tried and finished six months ago … on national television,” he said.
But Judge Newman disagreed completely with Harpootlian’s reservations and refused to move the trial.
The judge said he was “not presuming that a jury cannot be impaneled… based on speculation.”
“You first have to get a jury, according to the law,” he explained.
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