A month ago, on June 7, two members of a prominent legal family in South Carolina were found fatally shot at their home. There are still no suspects named.
It's been a month since the Murdaugh double-homicide involving members of the prominent South Carolina family and state authorities have still not named a suspect in the case as they remain tight-lipped on details of the investigation.
Paul Murdaugh and his mother Maggie Murdaugh, whose lineage in the town's solicitor's office dates back a century, were found slain at their secluded property in Islandton on June 7.
The Murdaughs were found by Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh, Paul's father and Maggie's husband, around 10 p.m., police said. Alex told investigators that he was visiting his father, Randolph, who was ill in the hospital at the time. He says he found their bodies when he returned to their 1,700-acre property.
Alex Murdaugh is the son of Randolph Murdaugh III, who led the 14th District Solicitor, the local prosecutors' office.
Murdaugh III served after his father's retirement as the solicitor and served from 1986 until his own retirement in 2005, where he rejoined his family law firm, now called Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Elxtroth & Detrick. After years of health problems, he died just three days after the double murders took place, according to local reports and his obituary.
An attorney representing Alex Murdaugh told FITSnews that he is "cooperating fully" with investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, or SLED.
"SLED continues to investigate the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. I refer you back to our prior releases as to the information we have released on this case. No additional information is available at this time while the case is ongoing," a spokesperson wrote in an email to Inside Edition Digital.
Scant details in the case have been released, though SLED released an 18-page redacted incident report from the night of the murders that included a few new details.
One of the main pieces of public information is that the Murdaughs were killed with two different firearms, authorities said.
Paul, 22, was shot multiple times with a shotgun and his mother Maggie, 52, was killed with a semi-automatic rifle. Their bodies were several feet apart from each other.
The Murdaugh murders have attracted national attention for several reasons, including the family's close ties to the solicitor's office. Also because of two deaths that occurred in the community in recent years, one of which took place while Paul Murdaugh was present and the other in which authorities, during the course of their investigation, mentioned the Murdaugh family name, among the names of others, in their notes.
At the time of his death, Paul Murdaugh was facing three felony counts of boating under the influence charges concerning the accidental death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, who was ejected from a boat Paul was allegedly driving in February 2019. The 17-foot vessel belonged to his father, Alex.
There was also an ongoing civil suit filed by Beach's mother against the Murdaugh family and a few local establishments which had allegedly sold the minors alcohol that night.
And due to information gathered during the investigation into the killings of Paul and Maggie, SLED will look into the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, who was found in the middle of the roadway in July 2015.
Police initially thought his death was consistent with a homicide, and even cited head wounds that appeared to be gunshots, but an autopsy ruled his death the result of a pedestrian-vehicle collision.
Smith's mother became skeptical when she read police case notes in which the Murdaugh family name and other names were mentioned. She says she has fought for six years to find out what happened.
No one has been criminally charged in connection with her son's death.
A cousin of Smith told Inside Edition Digital that he was studying to be a nurse and "wanted to make something of himself."
SLED confirmed to Inside Edition Digital last month that it will be investigating Smith's death "due to information gathered in the Murdaugh investigation."
No other details have since been provided.
