Lawyer: Murdaugh knows he'll go to prison for stealing money

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The lawyer for prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who discovered his woman and lad dormant astatine their location this summer, said Murdaugh is resigned that helium volition service clip successful situation for stealing millions of dollars.

But Murdaugh continues to importune helium had thing to bash with their shooting deaths and regrets if his actions person hindered investigators trying to find who killed his wife, Maggie, and lad Paul.

“He has indicated intelligibly that helium is going to effort to close each incorrect – fiscal incorrect – and others that helium whitethorn person committed. Look, he’s reconciled to the information he’s going to prison. He understands that. He’s a lawyer," Murdaugh lawyer Dick Harpootlian said Friday connected “ Good Morning America.”

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Murdaugh's erstwhile instrumentality steadfast — founded by his great-grandfather a period agone — has accused him of stealing perchance millions of dollars. State constabulary are investigating.

On Thursday, Murdaugh was charged with taking security settlements meant for the sons of his housekeeper, who died much than 2 years ago. A suit filed by the sons said Murdaugh took much than $4 cardinal successful that case.

Harpootlian's extremity Friday was to merchandise aesculapian records that his lawyer said amusement Murdaugh was changeable successful the caput connected Sept. 4 connected the broadside of a lonely road aft trying to put his ain decease truthful his surviving lad could cod a $10 cardinal security policy.

Like galore developments successful the case, that relationship has ended up successful quality and endless treatment online. In a tribunal quality wherever Murdaugh was being arraigned connected security fraud and different charges 12 days aft the shooting, helium had nary bandage connected his caput oregon a disposable wound.

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The antheral charged with shooting Murdaugh went connected TV connected Thursday and said helium was 1,000% definite Murdaugh wasn't shot. Curtis “Eddie” Smith said a period agone that helium wasn't definite if Murdaugh was deed arsenic they struggled for the gun. Smith has said helium didn't cognize Murduagh wanted to beryllium killed until helium met him connected the roadworthy and the weapon fired arsenic helium tried to wrestle it retired of his friend's hand.

Harpootlian again Friday called Smith a cause trader who provided Murdaugh with opioids and different drugs that led to a crippling addiction.

“Eddie Smith is not telling the truth, and helium has reasons not to archer the truth,” Harpootlian said.

Smith has adamantly denied being a cause dealer, saying helium and Murdaugh were friends aft the lawyer handled his worker's compensation case.

Medical records notation a gunshot coiled with humor connected the encephalon and clip spent successful an intensive attraction portion during Murdaugh's two-day infirmary stay.

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When a aesculapian chopper arrived aft the shooting, Murdaugh was sitting up and answering questions successful afloat sentences, though helium did kick of caput symptom and said helium was temporarily blinded aft the shot, according to 4 pages of records sent to The Associated Press.

"They did a CAT scan — skull fracture, slug wound, encephalon bleed. Oxygen got into the brain. They had to enactment him successful ICU," Harpootlian said connected “Good Morning America.”

Murdaugh initially said helium was checking a level tyre connected his SUV erstwhile idiosyncratic riding by changeable astatine him, aboriginal changing his communicative to asking Smith to termination him, authorities said.

The scrutiny into Murdaugh's beingness started June 7 erstwhile helium recovered woman Maggie, 52, and lad Paul, 22, shot to decease extracurricular their Colleton County home. Their deaths stay unsolved.

Murdaaug, 53, woke up Friday successful the Orange County, Florida, jailhouse aft South Carolina authorities constabulary charged him with 2 felony counts of obtaining spot by mendacious pretenses related to security settlements meant for the sons of a housekeeper who died successful February 2018 successful what the household said was a autumn astatine their home. A suit by the sons estimates the stolen wealth astatine much than $4 million.

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Murdaugh, arrested astatine a cause rehab halfway successful Florida, was awaiting extradition.

Along with the investigating into his woman and son's deaths, the roadside shooting, the missing instrumentality steadfast wealth and the security payments for the housekeeper's deaths, authorities constabulary are besides investigating whether Murdaugh has connections to a 2015 hit-and-run decease and whether helium oregon different household members tried to obstruct the investigation into a vessel clang involving Paul Murdaugh that killed a 19-year-old pistillate successful 2019.

The Murdaughs person dominated the ineligible assemblage successful their Hampton County location for astir the past century. Murdaugh's father, gramps and great-grandfather were elected prosecutors and the household founded and built a prestigious instrumentality steadfast known for suing railroads.

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Associated Press writer Jeff Martin contributed to this study from successful Woodstock, Georgia.

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Follow Jeffrey Collins connected Twitter astatine https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.

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