Real Name | Richard Alexander "Alex" or "Alec" Murdaugh |
Date of Birth | June 17, 1968 |
Age | 54 (as of 2023) |
Place of Birth | Hampton County, South Carolina, U.S. |
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m/193 cm) |
Weight | 94 kg (207 lbs) approx. |
Hair Color | Blonde |
Eye Color | Brown |
Spouse | Maggie Murdaugh (died 2023) |
Children | 2 (Paul & Buster Murdaugh) |
Parents | Randolph Murdaugh (father) and Elizabeth Alexander (mother) |
Charge | Murder (2 counts); Possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime (2 counts) |
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh is reported to be 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m or 193 cm) and 207.2 lb (94 kg) in weight.
However, a recent breakthrough in his notorious double-murder case raised the possibility that Alex's wife Maggie's killer was far shorter than the attorney who was convicted in the case.
Alex is listed as being 6 ft 4 in tall on the website of his former legal firm, making him one of South Carolina's tallest lawyers and one of the tallest convicted killers in the state's recorded history.
The 54-year-old Alex Murdaugh's family has ruled the South's legal system for nearly 100 years.
In March 2023, a jury convicted him guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, and their youngest son, Paul, while failing to cover up his own financial crimes. Alex was given a life sentence by the judge.
Defense witness said Alex Murdaugh's height made him an 'unlikely' suspect
During Alex's high-profile double-murder trial, a defense witness claimed that Maggie, 52, was shot by a person who was only 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m or 157 cm) tall, much shorter than her 6 ft 4 in husband accused of her murder, as per The Independent.
As per the testimony, it seemed implausible for a person of Alex Murdaugh's height to have shot his wife and youngest son, Paul.
Mike Sutton, a forensic engineer from North Carolina, stated that it would be "very unlikely" for the tall Alex to have been Maggie's shooter who left bullet holes in the dog kennels' walls on the evening of June 7, 2021.
Sutton testified that he thinks the shooter who shot Maggie with an AR-15-style rifle had to be between 5 ft 2 in and 5 ft 4 in tall based on the projection of one of the rounds at the crime scene.
However, the disgraced attorney is a staggering 6 ft 4 in tall.
Sutton further added that based on Alex Murdaugh's height, the disgraced lawyer could not have fired the shots that killed his wife.
Sutton testified at the time: "In my opinion, it’s very unlikely that he fired that shot."
"You would have to be bending over and have your shooting hand down at or below your kneecap. It just makes it very unlikely that a tall person made that shot."
Who is Alex Murdaugh's wife and youngest son?
However, former attorney Alex was found guilty of killing his wife and son Paul to evoke sympathy and divert attention away from financial irregularities that threatened to ruin his career.
Paul Murdaugh, 22, was the youngest son of Alex Murdaugh and Maggie Branstetter. He was a student at the University of South Carolina when he died.
On June 7, 2021, Paul and his mother Maggie's bodies were found shot to death close to their South Carolina home.
Many people were shocked by Paul and his mother's tragic deaths, and the inquiry into their murders is still ongoing.
How much was Alex Murdaugh worth?
As per Exact Net Worth, convicted South Carolina attorney Alex has a net worth of roughly $1 million, and he earned $250,000 annually as a lawyer.
Alex was one of the partners in the 1910-founded Hampton County law firm 'Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick,' which his great-grandfather Randolph Murdaugh Sr had established.