Alex Murdaugh loses phone, tablet privileges due to lawyer’s recording of calls for upcoming documentary.
Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Loses Phone Privileges and Tablet Access
Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has recently faced consequences for his actions while serving his sentence. His attorney recorded him for an upcoming documentary about his crimes, resulting in the loss of his phone privileges and access to his prison tablet computer.
“Your actions, whether you intended or not, assisted Mr. Murdaugh in violating our policy and could jeopardize your telephonic communications with him in the future,” Dennis Patterson, South Carolina Department of Corrections assistant deputy director of operations, wrote in an email to Griffin on August 30.
A prison incident report, obtained by the New York Post, accused Murdaugh of “willingly and knowingly” abusing his privileges to communicate with the news media for his own gain. This incident occurred on June 10 when Murdaugh’s attorney, Jim Griffin, recorded him reading passages from a journal he kept throughout his trial for killing his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul in 2021.
The recordings were intended to be shared with Fox News, which is airing a three-part docuseries titled “The Fall of the House of Murdaugh.”
In July, prison officials discovered that Murdaugh had used his tablet to take selfies of himself shirtless and appearing carefree, despite serving two life sentences for the murder of his family.
The prison policy against inmates talking to the media without permission stems from the Department of Corrections’ belief that victims of crime should not have to see or hear the person who victimized them or their family member on the news, according to the Associated Press.
Murdaugh will now have to seek permission to obtain another tablet and has also reportedly lost his ability to buy items from the prison canteen for a month.
Murdaugh’s Guilty Verdict and Testimony
A jury found Murdaugh guilty of murder on March 2, and he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. The decision came after just a few hours of deliberation and a six-week trial where more than 70 witnesses testified.
Murdaugh has maintained his innocence, suggesting that his son Paul was the main target for the murders due to his involvement in a 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
During his trial, Murdaugh spent nearly two days testifying in his own defense. He immediately admitted to lying for years about his whereabouts on the day his wife and son were murdered.
The prosecution had already argued that Murdaugh lied about not going to the dog kennels on the day his wife and son were murdered. Cell phone evidence taken from Paul’s phone less than five minutes before he was killed showed that Paul had filmed one of the dogs to send to a friend. Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh’s voice can be heard in the background of the recording. However, Murdaugh has denied being at the kennels that night. Prosecutors claim that Murdaugh murdered his wife and son around 8:49 p.m., just a few minutes after the video was taken.
When Murdaugh took the stand, his defense attorneys asked him if he had lied to the police about his whereabouts on the night his family was murdered, and Murdaugh admitted to lying.
“I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” Murdaugh said, according to People Magazine.
Murdaugh maintained that he did not murder his wife and son, whom he referred to by the nicknames “Mags” and “Paul Paul.” He claimed during his testimony that his alleged drug addiction made him “paranoid,” which caused him to lie.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...