By HEATHER RUPPE
South Carolina’s top investigative agency has now called in federal resources to help them unravel a string of crimes coming from Alex Murdaugh and the still unsolved double murders of his wife and son.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced on Sept. 23rd that they are speaking with the FBI and with the U.S. States Attorney’s Office to help in its ongoing investigation of the June 7th shooting deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh: Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were each found shot to death on their Islandton property. There are still no suspects.
“As a result of the brutal murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh on June 7, SLED’s initial priority was finding anyone responsible for their deaths. During the course of the double murder investigation, SLED agents have uncovered other potential crimes that warrant further investigation,” said SLED Spokesman Tommy Crosby, in an email sent to media outlets last week.
Since then, SLED has opened a slew of other criminal investigations into Alex Murdaugh, the father and son of the murder victims who was also a once prominent lawyer with his family’s longstanding law firm. However, some of these criminal investigations are now focused on Alex Murdaugh, who has been charged with insurance fraud in his own failed suicide-for-hire scheme.
Alex Murdaugh is being investigated for embezzlement for his alleged theft of millions of dollars from his Hampton-based law firm. SLED has also reopened several previously-closed criminal cases, all of which are tied to the Alex Murdaugh family.
“SLED agents continue to work diligently to bring justice to all victims in these cases. As I have previously stated, our agents remain committed to following the facts no matter where they lead us,” stated SLED Chief Mark Keel, in a written statement. “I have been in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
“From very early on in this investigation SLED has utilized federal resources as needed. We will continue to call upon our federal partners as their assistance is needed to successfully investigate and prosecute specific aspects of these cases,” he said.
Crosby is also urging members of the public to use a dedicated tip line to help report any suspects. “While SLED continues to pursue all leads, we want to remind any member of the public who wishes to provide us with information related to these ongoing cases to call our 24-hour dedicated tip line at (803) 896-2605,” he said.
