Where Is Buster Murdaugh Now? What to Know About His Life After Dad Alex Murdaugh's Conviction

Buster Murdaugh and his family were salient members of their South Carolina organization — but nan Murdaughs gained nationalist notoriety successful nan summertime of 2021, aft the murders of Buster’s mother, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, and brother, Paul Murdaugh.

Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were changeable and killed connected June 7, 2021, astatine Moselle, their family’s 1,770-acre spot successful nan debased state of South Carolina. At nan clip of their deaths, Paul was awaiting proceedings successful relationship pinch nan 2019 boating decease of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. The double execution sent shockwaves done their mini South Carolina municipality of Hampton, wherever nan powerful Murdaugh family had been practicing rule since 1910.

Adding to nan section play was nan truth that Buster’s father, South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, recovered himself astatine nan epicenter of nan shocking slayings. Alex’s attorney, Jim Griffin, revealed that nan grieving hubby and begetter was considered a personification of interest from nan onset of nan authorities’ investigation into nan murders.

The charges against Alex continued to equine passim early 2022, but he wasn’t officially linked to nan killings of his woman and boy until July 2022 — when a South Carolina expansive assemblage indicted nan disgraced lawyer successful nan double murder.

Prosecutors alleged that, connected nan evening of June 7, 2021, Alex lured his estranged woman Maggie from their family’s formation location (where she had been staying) to their hunting estate, wherever he past changeable and killed her and Paul execution style adjacent nan canine kennels connected nan property. Despite nan “mountain of evidence” presented against Alex during his  2023 execution trial, Buster stood by his father’s side, maintaining his innocence and testifying successful his defense. But nan fallout from nan deaths of his mother and relative — and his father’s March 2023 double execution conviction — was devastating for Buster.

“Buster is collateral harm to his father’s situation,” a puerility friend of Buster’s told PEOPLE successful 2022. “I deliberation he’s developed this cognition of ‘I’m gonna unopen group retired earlier they unopen maine out.’ His circle of friends sewage really mini really fast.”

So wherever is Buster Murdaugh today? Here is simply a look astatine Buster’s life before, during and aft nan tragic deaths of his mother and relative — and his father’s conviction.

Who is Buster Murdaugh?

Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr., different known arsenic Buster, was nan eldest boy of Alex Murdaugh and his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh. Buster and his younger relative Paul were calved into 1 of nan astir salient families successful Hampton County, South Carolina.

They earned nickname from nan family rule firm, Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick (or PMPED), which was founded successful 1910 by Buster’s great-great-grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh Sr., The Greenville News reported. Over nan adjacent century, nan rule patient grew into a multimillion-dollar believe that employed respective generations of Murdaughs — including Buster’s father, Alex.

Randolph Sr. was besides nan first personnel of nan family to service arsenic Solicitor successful nan 14th Judicial Circuit, wherever he prosecuted criminal cases successful 4 South Carolina counties, according to its website. The Murdaugh family would spell connected to clasp nan agency continuously from 1920 to 2006.

“For complete a century, nan Murdaughs were rule and bid present successful nan 14th circuit,” The Hampton County Guardian newsman Michael Dewitt said successful nan Netflix docuseries Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. “They ran some sides of nan ineligible ledger, from civilian cases to criminal cases.”

Dewitt continued, “They were nan rule successful this area — and, astatine times, they were supra nan law.”

What is Buster Murdaugh known for?

Buster and his family first made nationalist news aft his mother, Maggie, and younger relative Paul were recovered shot to death astatine Moselle, nan family’s 1,770-acre hunting property successful South Carolina.

The headlines pursuing their murders chiefly centered connected Buster’s father, Alex. The once-wealthy and powerful lawyer quickly became disgraced successful nan months pursuing nan murders, arsenic a consequence of his alleged engagement successful forbidden supplier distribution, money laundering, theft, embezzlement and perjury, PEOPLE antecedently confirmed. In summation to nan almost 90 charges brought against Alex, he was besides charged pinch murdering Maggie and Paul aft a expansive assemblage indictment successful July 2022.

Buster recovered his sanction entangled successful his father’s ineligible turmoil successful September 2021, erstwhile Alex was reportedly “shot successful nan caput while changing a tire” successful Hampton County, South Carolina. However, little than 2 weeks later, South Carolina rule enforcement revealed that Alex allegedly arranged nan shooting himself — hiring Curtis Edward Smith to sprout him successful nan caput truthful that Buster could person $10 cardinal successful a life security payout aft his death.

Buster besides made headlines erstwhile he testified for nan defense astatine his father’s double execution trial. Buster told nan assemblage he “knew a small bit” astir his father’s supplier usage (which astatine 1 constituent had Alex allegedly spending $50,000 a week connected opioids and taking up to 60 pills a day). Buster besides claimed connected nan guidelines that his begetter was “heartbroken” pursuing nan deaths of Maggie and Paul.

What was Buster’s begetter Alex convicted of?

After a highly publicized six-week proceedings successful early 2023, Buster’s father, Alex, was recovered blameworthy of murdering his woman and son. Buster, Alex’s only surviving child, was successful nan courtroom arsenic nan verdicts were read.

Alex’s defense squad moved for a mistrial aft nan blameworthy verdicts were handed down, but nan mobility was quickly denied by nan judge.

“The grounds of guilt is overwhelming, and I contradict nan motion,” authorities Circuit Judge Clifton Newman said, per Good Morning America.

The pursuing day, Alex was sentenced to 2 life sentences for nan murders of Maggie and Paul. Alex, however, maintained his innocence erstwhile he addressed nan judge astatine his sentencing hearing.

“I’m innocent. I would ne'er wounded my woman Maggie. And I would ne'er wounded my boy ‘Paul Paul,’ ” he told Judge Newman.

Does Buster Murdaugh judge his dad?

Buster has stood by his father, maintaining his innocence during and aft his trial.

In an question and reply pinch Fox Nation successful August 2023, Buster doubled down connected his stance that his begetter was guiltless and did not beryllium successful prison.

“I do not think that he could beryllium affiliated pinch endangering my mother and brother,” Buster said successful Fox Nation's The Fall of nan House of Murdaugh. “We person been present for a while now and that’s been my stance.”

Buster added that he believed his father’s proceedings was “not fair” and that pretrial publicity led nan assemblage to shape predetermined opinions astir nan erstwhile South Carolina attorney.

“I deliberation that I clasp a very unsocial position that cipher other successful that courtroom ever held. And I cognize nan emotion that I person witnessed,” Buster said, referencing his father’s “loving” narration pinch his family.

Buster besides told Fox Nation that he believes nan slayer is still connected nan loose — and that his information is astatine consequence arsenic a result.

“I deliberation I group myself up to beryllium safe but yes, erstwhile I spell to furniture astatine nighttime I person a fearfulness that location is personification that is still retired there,” he shared.

Did Buster Murdaugh get charged pinch anything?

Though Buster faced nary charges successful narration to nan deaths of his mother and brother, he was not without his ain ineligible troubles.

Buster’s sanction was mentioned much than 40 times during nan investigation into nan mysterious 2015 decease of 19-year-old nursing student Stephen Smith. Smith — who was a classmate of Buster’s — was recovered dormant connected a acheronian Hampton County roadworthy not acold from nan Murdaugh family property during nan early greeting hours of July 8, 2015. Authorities initially ruled Smith’s decease a hit-and-run — before reopening nan lawsuit successful June 2021, pursuing nan murders of Maggie and Paul.

Authorities revealed that, while investigating nan murders of Maggie and Paul, caller grounds connected to Smith’s decease surfaced, which led to them reopening nan case. Shortly aft Alex’s condemnation successful March 2023, Smith’s decease was officially ruled a homicide.

Buster has ne'er been charged — or moreover questioned — successful relationship pinch Smith’s death, however. He vehemently denied immoderate engagement successful a nationalist connection released soon aft his father’s condemnation successful March 2023.

“I person tried my champion to disregard nan vicious rumors astir my engagement successful Stephen Smith's tragic decease that proceed to beryllium published successful nan media arsenic I grieve complete nan sadistic murders of my mother and brother,” nan connection read. “I haven't spoken up until now because I want to unrecorded successful backstage while I header pinch their deaths and my father's incarceration ... This has gone connected acold excessively long.”

It continued, “These baseless rumors of my engagement pinch Stephen and his decease are false. I unequivocally contradict immoderate engagement successful his death, and my bosom goes retired to nan Smith family. I americium requesting that nan media instantly extremity publishing these defamatory comments and rumors astir me.”

Buster was besides named successful a wrongful decease suit revenge successful 2019 by nan mother of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old who was killed successful February 2019 aft a vessel driven by an allegedly intoxicated Paul collapsed into a bridge. Alex, Maggie and Buster were each named successful nan lawsuit, arsenic Alex was nan proprietor of nan vessel and Maggie’s in installments paper and Buster’s ID were allegedly utilized by Paul to illegally acquisition intoxicant anterior to nan crash, Fox News reports.

Beach’s family and 3 of nan different vessel clang victims settled pinch Buster and nan property of Maggie successful January 2023 for an undisclosed but “significant” amount, an ABC connection station successful South Carolina reported.

Where is Buster Murdaugh now?

Buster went from being a personnel of 1 of South Carolina’s astir well-known families to surviving a life successful adjacent isolation — cutting disconnected interaction from astir of his societal circle pursuing his mother and brother’s deaths.

“He really withdrew aft everything happened,” a erstwhile assemblage classmate told PEOPLE successful 2022. “He has really closed disconnected and built walls astir himself.”

Buster has ne'er returned to Moselle, his family’s property wherever his mother and relative were murdered, aliases his family’s formation location connected Edisto Island, S.C., wherever his mother was staying earlier her death. He besides avoids his hometown of Hampton, wherever his family went from revered to reviled.

“I get stopped and yelled astatine each nan time. I sewage cussed astatine successful nan state position nan different day,” Buster told his begetter successful a taped jailhouse telephone call, according to nan University of South Carolina’s newspaper The State.

To escape, Buster moved into his girlfriend, Brooklynn White’s, Hilton Head Island, S.C. condo, FITS News reported. The longtime mates went connected to acquisition a location together successful Bluffton, S.C., successful May 2023. They besides stock a aureate retriever named Miller.

White is presently an lawyer astatine Olivetti McCray & Withrow, an all-female rule patient successful Hilton Head. She graduated from nan University of South Carolina School of Law — the aforesaid rule schoolhouse Buster attended earlier he was kicked retired successful 2019 for debased grades and alleged plagiarism, according to The State.

Jailhouse recordings revealed that Alex paid $60,000 to salient lawyer Butch Bowers to thief get Buster backmost into rule school. Buster was reportedly readmitted and owed to resume classes successful January 2022, but “it was mutually agreed that delaying readmission to rule schoolhouse would beryllium champion for him and for nan rule school,” Alex’s lawyer Jim Griffin told The State.

Buster has yet to return to rule school. It is not known whether he is presently employed.