Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to financial crimes in a deal that gives him more prison time

By JAMES POLLARD
Associated Press/Report for America

BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) — Alex Murdaugh has pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars from vulnerable legal clients in schemes lasting over a decade under an agreement. The plea deal all but ensures more prison time for the longtime lawyer who was convicted of killing his wife and younger son. At a court hearing Friday, Murdaugh agreed to plead guilty to 22 total counts, including money laundering, breach of trust and financial fraud, in exchange for a 27-year sentence. Judge Clifton Newman said he intends to officially accept the deal during a sentencing hearing set for Nov. 28 so that victims or their families may attend.