In Murdaugh family scandal, tiny South Carolina town shaken

By JEFFREY COLLINS
Associated Press

HAMPTON, S.C. (AP) — The influential Murdaugh family is at the center of an unfolding drama in the tiny South Carolina town of Hampton. For a century, the Murdaughs have quietly steered much of the legal world in this corner of the state, by running the prosecutor’s office and a large civil law firm. Then, in June, Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were killed at home. Alex Murdaugh found his wife and son’s bodies. State police have since opened six investigations into Murdaugh. Police say he tried to arrange his death to get a life-insurance payout for his surviving son. Most of Hampton’s 2,600 residents know Alex Murdaugh, but won’t speak publicly about him now. Quietly, many wonder whether the family is wielding power as investigations play out.