Journalist and researcher Beth Braden combed through dozens of court filings and previous Murdaugh Murders Podcast reporting to put together a comprehensive timeline of events that put financial pressure on Alex leading up to the murders of Maggie and Paul.
Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 federal indictment notes that at some point in September 2005, “knowingly devised a scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises…” and that the scheme continued until September 2021. Alex stole $292,179.17 from the September 2005 victim — one of his law clients — who is referred to as “LB” in federal court filings.
Thursday, November 16 – Palmetto State banker Russell Laffitte is appointed to be the conservator for Hannah Plyler and Alania Plyler.
At some point in November 2008, Alex steals $50,000 in settlement money from a client referred to as HH in federal court filings.
Tuesday, November 4 – Manuel Santis-Cristiani is injured in a car crash.
At some point in December 2009, Alex steals $15,893.58 from the settlement of a client referred to as BJ in federal court filings.
Monday, April 26 – Alex Murdaugh and fellow PMPED attorney Ronnie Crosby file a personal injury suit on behalf of Hakeem Pinckney. Alex also represents Hakeem’s cousin, Natarsha Thomas, and his mother, Pamela Pinckney.
Between September and December of 2010, Alex Murdaugh steals $30,000 in settlement money from a client referred to as YF in federal court filings.
At some point in December 2010, Alex Murdaugh steals $20,000 in settlement money from a client referred to as CC in federal court filings. An additional $8,400 in settlement money was stolen and given to a friend, according to federal court filings.
Friday, January 28 – Arthur and Donna Badger are in a car accident. Donna Badger is pronounced dead at the scene.
Tuesday, August 30 – Alex files a lawsuit on behalf of Manuel Santis-Cristiani
Wednesday, September 14 – Russell Laffitte writes the first of many loan checks to Alex Murdaugh funded by his conservatorship of Hannah Plyler. The check is for $90,000.
Tuesday, October 11 – Hakeem Pinckney dies after his ventilator is unplugged.
Wednesday, December 21 – Alex steals $325,000 of Natarsha Thomas’s settlement money by diverting the funds into a money order payable to a family member. The same day, Alex steals $309,581.46 of Hakeem Pinckney’s settlement money by diverting the funds into a money order payable to a family member and other client conservatorship accounts he had previously borrowed money from.
Tuesday, August 21 – Alex flies to Omaha, Nebraska, for the college baseball world series with attorney Cory Fleming using money from the Pinckney settlement.
Wednesday, August 29 – Alex, with the help of banker Russell Laffitte, steals another $25,245.08 of Natarsha Thomas’s settlement money by diverting the funds into a money order also made out to Palmetto State Bank
Monday, February 11 – Alex, with the help of banker Russell Laffitte, steals $388,687.50 from Arthur Badger’s settlement money by diverting the funds into a money order so Murdaugh could repay a loan from a law partner. The same day, Alex and Russell also steal $75,000 from Arthur Badger’s settlement money and convert it to a money order payable to a Murdaugh family member to repay personal debts.
Tuesday, February 12 – Alex, along with the help of Russell Laffitte, steals $151,726.05 of Arthur Badger’s settlement money by generating a check to be deposited into a different account for whom Russell Laffitte serves as conservator. Prior to this, Russell had allowed Alex to borrow money from that conservator account.
Monday, April 15 – Alex purchases 240 acres of property (part of the Moselle land) in Hampton County from JM Boulware, Barrett Boulware’s wife.
Wednesday, April 17 – Alex gets a mortgage from Palmetto State Bank for $1,311,865 with a due date of January 15, 2018.
Friday, September 13 – Alex, along with the help of Russell Laffitte, steals $33,789.83 from the estate of Donna Badger by depositing it into a different account for whom Russell Laffitte serves as conservator. Prior to this, Russell had allowed Alex to borrow money from that conservator account.
Thursday, October 3 – Alex and Russell steal $101,369.49 from the estate of Donna Badger by converting funds into a money order payable to the conservatorship of a different account and to a family member. Russell had previously allowed Alex to borrow money from that conservator account, and needed to pay it back.
Monday, October 7 – Alex Murdaugh writes the first check to Curtis Edward “Cousin Eddie” Smith to cash.
Tuesday, October 29 – Alex and Russell steal $50,684.75 from the estate of Donna Badger by diverting the funds to one of Alex’s personal accounts via a wire transfer.
Monday, December 9 – Alex Murdaugh and Russell Laffitte steal $33,789.83 from the estate of Donna Badger by converting it into a money order payable to a car dealer for Alex’s personal use and personal debts.
Monday, May 12 – Alex steals $101,369.49 from the estate of Donna Badger. A month later, he deposited the check into his Bank of America revolving credit line.
Sunday, September 14 – Banker Russell Laffitte loans money to Alex via an unsecured loan from Hannah Plyler’s conservatorship Account. They money went directly into Alex’s personal bank account, which was overdrawn.
Tuesday, September 23 – Alex buys 43 acres in Colleton County and 189 acres in Hampton County (part of the Moselle land) for $970,354, from JM Boulware (Barrett Boulware’s wife).
At some point in December 2014, fellow attorney Chris Wilson writes a check for $100,000 to Alex Murdaugh instead of to the PMPED law firm from the settlement of a victim referred to as JV in federal court filings. Alex then uses the money for personal use.
At some point in January 2015, Alex steals $7,500 from the settlement proceeds of a client referred to as ER in federal court filings.
Monday, February 9 – Alex Murdaugh takes out four $500,000 revolving lines of credit on four different tracts of the Moselle property.
Wednesday, July 8 – Stephen Smith is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. The Murdaugh name begins circulating in the community and is documented several times in the case file.
Tuesday, September 22 – Alex Murdaugh opens the first Fake Forge account at Bank of America.
Wednesday, October 7 – Alex Murdaugh steals $338,056.14 from the trust of Deon J. Martin via the Forge scheme.
At some point in December 2015, Alex steals $95,000 from the settlement proceeds of a client referred to as JB in federal court filings.
At some point in August, Alex seals $9,569.30 from the settlement proceeds of a client referred to as RD in federal court filings. Also, beginning in August 2016, Alex begins stealing from another client known as JR in federal court filings. Between August 2016 and November 2019, Alex stole a total of $95,941.17 of JR’s settlement proceeds.
Thursday, August 11 – Alex steals $70,000 from the trust of Manuel Santis-Cristiani via the Forge scheme.
Tuesday, October 11 – Alex Murdaugh steals another $45,000 from the trust of Deon J. Martin via the Forge scheme.
Saturday, October 15 – Alex steals another $70,000 from the trust of Manuel Santis-Cristiani via the Forge scheme.
Tuesday, December 20 – Barrett Boulware sells Alex Murdaugh some more of the Moselle property for $5. The same day, Alex “sells” two different properties (one in Walterboro and one in Hampton) to Maggie Murdaugh
Sunday, March 12 – Attorney Cory Fleming misappropriates $4,560 of Pamela Pinckney’s settlement money by writing a check to Alex for case expenses that didn’t actually exist. Alex uses the funds for his own personal use.
Tuesday, May 16 – Alex, with the help of fellow attorney Cory Fleming, uses Hakeem’s death to generate a $89,133.4 settlement on behalf of Hakeem Pinckney’s estate, and then steals the money via the Forge scheme. The same day, Alex stole a $121,358.63 check from the law firm that was intended for his brother, Randy.
Friday, November 3 – Alex steals $9,569.30 of Randy Drawdy’s settlement proceeds via the Forge scheme.
Friday, February 2 – Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh call 911 to report that their housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, had fallen and was bleeding from her head.
Saturday, February 24 – Gloria Satterfield dies while still in the hospital. After her funeral, Alex introduces her sons, Brian and Tony, to Cory Fleming so Cory could sue Alex for Gloria’s death.
At some point in July 2018, Bank of America force closes the Fake Forge account due to it being overdrawn, according to the federal indictment.
Thursday, July 19 – Alex files a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of Christopher Anderson.
In August 2018, Alex begins stealing from a client referred to as JJ in federal court filings and takes a total of $150,000 by the end of September 2018.
Tuesday, August 21 – Alex opens a second Fake Forge account at Bank of America
Thursday, September 20 – Randolph Murdaugh III, Alex’s father, receives the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.
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