THE GRINNING GHOUL: Alex Murdaugh smiles in new mugshot taken days after being sentenced to life
WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina's Department of Corrections has released a new mugshot of Alex Murdaugh, in which the convicted killer was seen smiling just days after he was sentenced to life in prison. The new mugshot will replace an out-of-focus photo that was taken on March 3, when he was transferred to the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center.
Unlike the last mugshot, this time Murdaugh was seen wearing a white t-shirt under his yellow prison overalls. The photo was taken inside the prison outside Columbia, South Carolina. The 54-year-old is currently undergoing the standard formalities in the facility, which includes 45 days of testing to assess where he will be held. Murdaugh has been imprisoned with the state's most brutal and violent inmates for murdering his wife and son.
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Alex Murdaugh's prison sentence
Last week, Murdaugh was slapped with two consecutive life sentences after he was found guilty of fatally shooting his wife Maggie, 52, and younger son Paul, 22, at the family's hunting estate in Moselle on the night of June 7, 2021. "As part of the intake process, like all inmates, (Murdaugh) will undergo medical tests, mental health and education assessments, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections will gather other additional background information," the South Carolina Department of Corrections said in a statement, per Daily Mail.
Murdaugh will be sent to one of the state's maximum-security prisons, which also has more than 1,700 of the most violent criminals of the state. It is also has a specialized maximum-security jail for the most dangerous and violent offenders.
700 prisoners died in facility
Between 2015 and 2021, more than 700 prisoners died in South Carolina's prisons and jails. The majority of those deaths occurred at Kirkland (160) and Broad River (101). "Kirkland is also responsible for the maximum-security unit which houses some of the most violent and dangerous inmates in the state," the SCDC website says, adding, "Furthermore, Kirkland Correctional Center houses inmates who are in the statewide protective custody program."
Alex Murdaugh's attorney receives hate mails
While Murdaugh remains in the state’s custody, his defense attorney reportedly claimed that he has received hate mail after representing him in his high-profile murder trial. Dick Harpootlian, who is also a state senator, said that he had received messages calling him a “piece of scum” or hoping that he dies of “rectal cancer." This news comes the same day when a juror, infamously known as “egg juror,” released a statement asking to be left alone.
The juror came under the scanner as she was dismissed from the panel, hours before deliberations began, as she had been caught speaking about the case and leaking information to the general public. The courtroom erupted in laughter after she was excused as she asked for “a dozen eggs” to be returned to her from the jury room.
On the eve of Murdaugh's sentencing, attorney Robert Rikard tweeted, "Tomorrow will be a much different day for Murdaugh. After sentencing instead of going to the county jail he will go to Reception and Evaluation on Broad River Rd. They'll shave his head and put him through a battery of tests that vet weeks. Then he will be assigned to a SC Department of Corrections facility. Because he's convicted of a violent crime, he will go to a facility that only houses the violent criminals. The worst of the worst. It will be a much different scene than the county jail. These are brutal environments and it will be quite a shock after the privileged life he has lived."
'Creepo and his creepy smile'
Twitter users also reacted to Murdaugh's new mugshot. A person tweeted, "Is it me, or does he look rested and relieved? Looks better than he ever did over the course of the trial. Creepy. #MurdaughTrial." Another wrote, "The smirk is creepy and super disturbing!" A user wrote, "Jeez he looks like he’s aged 10 years since last week," while another said, "No matter how you look at it, it’s always evil." "Creepo and his creepy smile," tweeted another user.
Is it me, or does he look rested and relieved? Looks better than he ever did over the course of the trial. Creepy. #MurdaughTrial
— snarkbeast (@_snarkbeast_) March 8, 2023
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