Alex Murdaugh's Powerful Family Dynasty: Inside the History and Corruption

did you ever become a full-time. solicitor no. sir and you so you went into private. practice I think with mson is that. right yes sir the Murdoch family both. revered and feared in South Carolina's. Low Country their legacy built over a. century so how did it all. begin I'm Anette Levy and welcome to law. and crimes sidebar podcast three. generations of the Murdoch family served. as solicitors of the 14th judicial.

circuit that's basically the prosecutor. or the district attorney for the area. it's possible Alec Murdoch could have. followed in the footsteps of his father. grandfather and great-grandfather but it. wasn't meant to be joining me to discuss. the Murdoch Dynasty and their history in. the low country is Sarah Holstein Graves. she's a genealogist and a local. historian and she also grew up with John. Marvin Murdoch who is the younger. brother of Alec.

Sarah welcome to sidebar thanks for. coming on thank you for having me this. family goes back a really long time so. when did uh the murdocks really kind of. put down roots in that Hampton County. area so um I I'll start off by talking. about Randolph murck Senor because he is. the one who established the the legal. lineage in Hampton County um his parents. were actually more from the catton. county area and at that time there was.

no Hampton County Hampton County was a. part of bufor um the uh the father of. Randolph Senor Josiah putam Murdoch kind. of broke with the family tradition of. farming and he went out on his own moved. to Charleston and got into the phosphate. industry and at the time uh phosphate. was um an alternative to fertilizer and. it was very lucrative there was a lot of. phosphate mining going on and it was. centered around Charleston because they.

had the ports they had the the the SES. to dig and they had the the means to. transport it and uh so he made a good. bit of money doing that but he had also. been um a soldier in the Civil. War and as he aged his health got to be. pretty bad and his eyesight started to. fail so he retired and they moved to. what was then bubert but what became.

varnville South Carolina which is in. Hampton County um and so Randolph Senor. was actually born in Charleston but. spent most of his life in varnville he. was um he was born in. 1887 which is Hampton County was formed. in 1878 so very close after that and he. was the youngest of seven children so of. all of them he truly did grow up in.

barnville um his dad dabbled in a few. businesses around there his brother um. owned a store on Main Street barnville. that was very successful for a very long. time but uh Randolf. senior was always a goget and a. hardworking young man he um he went to. the University of South. Carolina while he was there.

he. joined just about every club that there. was and if he was in a club he was. typically one of the officers you know. he was a Treasurer he was a president he. was a joiner um he went to USC as a. track athlete he was uh described by. many of the athletic directors there as. the single most utilitarian athlete that. they had very committed very hardworking. very fast um and so he he spent his time.

at USC loved it there but in 1906 he got. the opportunity to compete for a slot as. a midshipman at the US Naval Academy in. Annapolis and he won that slot so he. spent a semester there he returned to. USC continued on with the track team his. event was the H 100 yard dash which he. could do in under 11 seconds that's fast.

yes he also the 220 yard dash the. running High Dr jump the hurdles but the. the one of the things I found. interesting was um you know the. University of South Carolina had a a. football team but football was not as. big a deal back in that time and their. Board of Trustees in 1906 decided to. discontinue the program and the reason. was because Clemson and Carolina had. played their first game and there were.

fights and there was you know all kinds. of terrible conduct you know that's our. big rivalry in the state and that's when. it started so the the Board of Trustees. decided to do away with the football. program uh because the faculty had been. complaining about the coarseness of the. chance at the games and the. ungentlemanly. conduct so they they didn't have. football for a couple of. Seasons but then.

the student. athletes joined together and they. petitioned the Board of Trustees during. Fair week and nobody expected they were. going to be successful but they. petitioned them to please let them have. the football program back and. surprisingly they agreed so they had an. impromptu parade right there in the. middle of fair week and now we have. football at USC again problem is we had. no football players so they took people.

you know Randolph was one of the people. that that got it started again so he. said I'll play so you know 145 pounds of. him the average weight on the football. team was about 150 pounds that year um. but they played and they only played. three games but they won all three and. they were only scored on four times um. colle Charleston College scored on them. but they still beat him 14 to4 um they.

beat Georgia for to nothing and they. beat the senal 12 to nothing and they. were coached by um Christy Bennett who. was a USC educated attorney at the time. but had played football at USC before. and um he couldn't coach him in 1908. because he'd been elected as the fifth. circuit. solicitor so he had a connection to a. solicitor very early on.

yeah sounds like it so is that how he. got interested in the law I would. imagine so um because he spent a lot of. time with him and you know the he he was. the of the fifth circuit was right there. in Colombia so he would have seen him. quite a bit um he also one of the other. guys on his team was Robert Gonzalez. whose uncles started The State. newspaper and and Robert was a reporter. at The State newspaper for a while Sarah. the power of the Murdoch family came up.

in the trial this week Mark Ball the. former law partner and longtime friend. of Alec Murdoch was asked about that on. the stand so let's listen to what Mark. Ball had to say about the power of the. Murdoch. family law firm's been an existence how. long 1910 1910. was and we're no longer I'm sorry we're. no longer we're now longer was until he. came along right until all this happened. right.

until September of 2021 September of. 2021. and was a relative of Alex his. great-grandfather was part of that. initial Law Firm is that right his. great-grandfather was the beginning of. that law firm and was he also the. solicitor for the 14th circuit for this. area of the state he was from I believe. 1920 until 1940 when he was killed in a. train accident and then did the. defendants.

grandfather BEC solicitor Buster the. chief prosecutor for this area Buster. took over in 1940 and was the solicitor. until. 1946 and then Randolph was appointed by. the governor and then was. until he was 72 and his father became. sister is what you just said is that. right Rand until about. when Randolph was 82 when he passed away. so 10 years years ago maybe around there.

and Buster. became Buster left the solicited office. in. 86 when he became 72 at the end of 86. beginning of ' 87 I think Rolph took. over and Buster became the assistant. solicitor all right and how long was. Randolph solicitor until about 10 years. ago so Sarah he's saying this family is. very powerful it's going back you know a. century uh that this family came into.

power so uh Randolph senior becomes the. solicitor how does that come about so. remember that back in his college days. he made a lot of very influential. friends um he made friends that would go. on to to have Senator positions to have. uh business owner positions so he knew a. lot of powerful people and he was also. very very motivated to be um politically.

active socially active um when he. graduated from law school he had no wife. no children but he was still appointed. to the uh to the school board uh he um. he was in the National Guard he was um. he he just he he was as active as he. could be in the community so when he. started his law practice the the county. was still in its Youth and there were. not a lot of attorneys so he not only. got positions as attorney but he also uh.

acted as a receiver for um some of the. the banking cases that were going on so. when he graduated in 1910 and was. admitted to the bar he came back home to. Hampton and he started his firm uh he's. never had a sign on the outside of the. door he just said people know where I am. and to this day there's no sign on the. front door and it's this big it's I mean. it's this is the big firm this is the. big firm of course it didn't look like. that then right um but he um so Hampton.

shared uh a solicitor with Buford and it. was a very informal type of position so. around 1920 they decided to um to assign. a solicitor for the 14th judicial. circuit which was five counties and he. ran against uh a gentleman named RM Jeff. and he was from colatin County and and. he was a big name in colatin county and. actually did have to have a runoff but.

he he came out Victorious and I think. every time he ran after that he ran. unopposed um and it wasn't because of. great fear or you know and it was just. that he was doing a great job and people. really liked him and so was he. considered somebody not to interrupt you. but was he he you're saying people liked. him they weren't afraid of him I mean. was there any hint back then that. anything was a Miss um or was this just.

somebody who was you know respected in. the community this was a man who was. very respected he put his money where. his mouth is I'll give you an example. again we were a young County at that. time and there were a lot of things that. were happening were very. Grassroots uh we know that there's a. road that connects Hampton to. crocketville now which is where the the. Steven Smith incident happened but back. in in his day there wasn't a road there.

and the community was approached about. ways to fund this and he was one of of. four local citizens who. said the first thing you need is clay. and it costs this much money um we'll. pay for it and and they paid for it to. better the community because we had a. railroad out there at the time and the. transportation was very needed so when. things like that would happen he would. step up up and he would contribute um he.

would serve on any committee or any. board that was making improvements to. the area and he really went out of his. way to make it a a better place so a a. pillar in the community absolutely uh. highly regarded well respected then he's. he's killed he dies on train tracks tell. us about that you know of course there's. rumors and I typically do not speak. about rumors. but there's been enough uh there's been.

enough evidence that that something you. know may have it sounds. fishy right so the story that I was. always told was that he was visiting. friends it was late at night his car. stalled on the train track and he was. hit by a train but I've also always. heard the rumor that he was ill and he. knew that he was ill and so he drove.

onto the train. tracks apparently backed up to get. centered and waved at the train as it. was coming so maybe he died by died by. Suicide knowing he was terminally ill. and the only reason that I would even. repeat that because again I I don't deal. in rumors right however in my research I. have found you know he was 53 years old. uh Still a Young Man I have found a.

couple of hospitalizations that happened. within the year and um they were. attributed to a kidney issue or a. stomach issue but he had been. hospitalized a couple of times that year. so the rumors that he may have had a. serious illness are not completely. unfounded yeah so it sounds like maybe. he had cancer or something and back then. I have heard it was stomach cancer. that's again that's a rumor um but but I. do see enough evidence to support that.

okay well let's fast forward now to. Buster Randolph Buster Murdoch who took. over the solicitor seat eventually he. retired in 1986 and uh he actually got. into a little bit of trouble right he. did he did he uh he was arrested along. with um many other people in a. bootlegging Scandal over in Colon County. uh the allegations were that when he.

knew a raid was coming he would inform. them so they could move their Stills and. he would be paid in in liquor or. moonshine um but he was a little more. geographically removed that was. happening a county over and uh the the. local sheriff there was prosecuted and. convicted but Buster was. not interesting so is this where we see.

maybe we go from Randolph senior the. upstanding pillar of the community then. then Buster gets into the seat and maybe. there's some some stuff going. on um you know. Buster and again I can only speak from. what I know personally I I've heard so. many rumors that people were afraid of. him and and all that but I've talked to. so many people over my lifetime and then. in the last year or so being being. hyperfocused on researching this I've.

spoken with even more people and and. older people in the community that would. have very firsthand knowledge and I have. honestly been unable to find. anybody who has ever felt legitimately. threatened by him or that could even. tell a story of well my brother was. threatened by him or something of that. nature I've I've never seen or heard. anything person Al that lends any.

Credence to that so Sarah Buster's. mother had some pretty good political. connections she did um his mother's name. was Eda Cy Harvey her father was the. local doctor in Hampton and uh her. brother was uh Brantley Harvey Brantley. Harvey went on to become a senator and. his son was uh lieutenant governor. Brantley Harvey so so senior and Buster. have always had that connection as well.

unfortunately when she delivered their. second child she developed sepsis and. she died two weeks after very young and. uh the result of that is that buster. spent a lot of time with his father so. when his father was traveling the. circuit and making day trips out of out. of the circuit to go to court Buster. would usually go with him Buster grew up. in the courtroom and uh the the.

interesting thing for me too is with. this notion that they've had this life. of privilege is that uh you know Buster. graduated law school in. 1938 we're looking at fresh out of the. depression his father lost everything he. had in the depression so when Buster was. ready to go to college he didn't have. money to send him to college but Buster. had played football in high school. and he was able to win a scholarship to.

USC and he paid for his college by. playing football and that's where he. earned the name Buster because he would. bust through the offensive line that's. so interesting um so how does how does. uh you know let's get to Randolph III. now um Randolph III they call him. handsome we've heard that during the. trial how does he come into the. solicitor's seat yeah he when his when. his oldest Grand child was born they. were trying to figure out grandparent.

names and they asked him what he wanted. to be called and he said well nobody. ever calls me. handsome and so it just kind of stuck. and then and then everybody called him. handsome after that um so so uh you know. Buster grew up in the. courtroom and so he was he had been. working with his father he'd been. working while his father was Ill all of. these things and and Randolph kind of. did the same thing um there was a a.

little scuttlebut in bufort uh back in. the 70s I believe where some of the. local officials were were charging. Buster with uh allegations of nepotism. for hiring his son and he said look I. would love to hire somebody else but. nobody wants this job it doesn't pay. very much you deal with the most. horrendous crime scenes murders rapes.

abuse it is a lot for somebody to carry. and and the pay is not good so I've. tried to get people to come here and. work as an assistant solicitor and. nobody wants this job so my son is. willing to do it and so my son helps me. but if you have any other candidates. please send them I'd be glad to take a. look at them so it was very much. presented as is a job that people just. didn't want it was burdensome it didn't.

pay well it was hard you had to make a. lot of really hard decisions the thing. that buster and and Mr Randolph hansome. were both very good at and I think. you've heard uh them say the same thing. about ell here was they knew how to read. people and they were very good at. assessing a firsttime criminal and kind. of making a a a quick determination as. to that person's ability to be rehabed.

they knew when to give people a second. chance they knew when to come down hard. on somebody um and and they were very. good at. that I found them to be very fair that's. interesting um because we've heard in. the in the courtroom that Mark Tinsley. said he thought Alec was very good at. reading people so maybe this is. something that was came down through. Generations so you know we've heard all.

of this stuff about how this family has. covered up things you know you're you're. a historian you're a genealogist like. you are there you you've lived there so. I is this true like that they are doing. all these nefarious things and covering. things up and what is your feeling on. that you know the when there's smoke. there's fire so I there's got to be. something there and I don't doubt that. there have been little things um here. and there or maybe some big things I.

don't know but but I will say this um I. have heard far more stories of. them I won't even say bending a law but. maybe trying to work around the legal. system to help people more than to cover. things up. now do that does that mean that you know. there's a charge and they've made it go.

away oh I'm sure I'm sure that that. happened um but I also know of uh a. couple of situations where you know. there were people that were in. foreclosure and the only step left in. the process was for them to get served. and there were legal means crafted to. keep them from getting served until they. could you know buy a little extra time. to come up with the money they needed to. prevent the for closure things like that.

are the stories that I'm hearing more. than anything I know that for me um and. my parents and my my father's family was. in that Community for over a hundred. years none of. them had this fear I I've never heard of. of any of that um I hear a lot of rumors. around town but I hear rumors about. everybody and I hear some really. outlandish rumors about people rumors do.

spread um so I don't doubt that there's. rumors about them as well as as. other you know families in the community. but for me. personally I have not seen it and I have. not had any conversations with any. people who can tell me of an. example of something that was done to be. hurtful or. out of Revenge I've only heard of things.

that have done to be. helpful you grew up with John Marvin so. did you guys go to school together I. mean tell me about that relationship uh. in in our area um it's definitely small. but there are a lot of smaller. communities so we all would go to the. elementary schools based on where we. lived and then once we would you know. come to high school then we were all in. the same school together so John Marvin. and I went to separate elementary.

schools but then we finished school. together in addition to that um we both. went to the the Methodist Church so we. knew each other that way um so yeah I. grew up with John. Marvin um I I've been very o Open about. saying I've never been a fan of Alec and. I were never friends um I and why were. you not a fan of Alec I felt you know. the family is very uh political in.

nature because not only because of the. solicitor but as an attorney you know. you have to be likable because you are. uh you know you are. um trying to advocate for another person. and you need to be trustworthy and. believable so the family's always been. very friendly very social very Community. oriented and uh. and they've always been very genuine.

about it for me personally I never felt. like ell was genuine about it I felt. like. if he would be nice to me but I also. felt like uh if I didn't have some. benefit for him then I wasn't somebody. he was going to waste time talking he. didn't have time for you yeah uh. interesting ugly about it but he definit. and I've spoken to a bunch of people. since this have happened and that's been.

the general that's been the general. feeling he's just not as genuine as his. siblings. are so is he the black sheep then is he. a bad apple I mean is that how you're is. that what you're telling me because I. you know I watched the documentaries. actually I watched one documentary. before you know all about this and you. know it it suggests that this family is. just rotten to the core you know going. back Generations but are you telling me. that you feel that Alec is like a bad.

apple a black sheep I I'm not going to. say a black sheep and and it's funny. because John Marvin actually refers to. himself as the Black Sheep um because he. didn't become a lawyer but um no I don't. I'm not going to say he's a black sheep. but I am G to say that. um I can only compare him closely with. Randy because they're both males they. both grew up the same way they're in the. same profession they're in the same. office so it's easy to compare them um. Randy is smart he's studious he's driven.

he's focused he's genuine he's very good. to people and you can trust what he's. telling you elec I think was there. because that's the path that was laid. out before him and he was able to to you. know to to coin a phrase you know he was. born on third base and uh so all he had. to really do was behave.

himself and he had an opportunity that. most of us don't have Randy has. capitalized on that opportunity he's. honored it he's given back with it and. he has done his family. proud um ell hasn't done that and I. don't know why that is but elec has. always been a little more interested in. in ell and I don't find Lynn Randy or.

John Marvin to be that way. interesting uh this has been fascinating. Sarah I'm so happy you came on and um. agreed to talk with us I wish we had. more time but uh we will have to wrap it. up there uh we hope you'll come back. Absolutely I'll be glad to and that's it. for this edition of Law and crime. sidebar podcast you can download and. listen to sidebar on Apple Spotify. Google and wherever else you get your. podcast and of of course you can always. watch it on Law and crimes YouTube.

channel I'm anginette Levy and we will. see you next time. [Music].