For the Press and Standard
The Murdaugh trials captured the attention of the nation and of Hampton County editor and author Michael M. DeWitt Jr. DeWitt’s coverage of the Murdaugh crime saga has been published in print and online around Gannett’s nationwide USA Today network. DeWitt has appeared on television programs including ABC’s 20/20, Dateline NBC, and Netflix documentaries about the infamous Murdaugh trial. DeWitt is now taking part in a South Carolina book tour that will begin with a stop at the now-famous, Colleton County Courthouse. The tour will support literacy and the local library systems along the way. The tour will highlight two books Wild Hampton County, released on May 29, 2023 and Fall of the House of Murdaugh, to be released later this summer. Wild Hampton County is about the rich history of Hampton County and it’s residents including the Murdaugh family. Fall of the House of Murdaugh tells the tale of the Murdaugh trial and the events leading to the world wide court case.
DeWitt spent all but three days out of the entire six week Murdaugh trial in the courtroom. During the trial he wrote two stories a day. One he would write at lunch while he was eating. The other story he wrote after the conclusion of the court day. Then he would drive back to his home in Hampton County. He commented that the last trial he attended from start to finish was a case Randolph Murdaugh prosecuted. DeWitt’s books will give a unique perspective to all the history of Hampton County and the Murdaugh family. He is not an outsider looking in, he grew up around and with this family in the community.
