South Carolina Corrections Department officials have revoked phone privileges and a tablet computer from convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh. This decision came after his attorney, Jim Griffin, recorded him sharing journal entries for a forthcoming Fox Nation documentary. The state prison prohibits inmates from communicating with the media without explicit permission.
Chrysti Shain, state prisons spokeswoman, expressed that the policy aims to protect crime victims from encountering their assailants or their relatives in the news. The disciplinary actions against Murdaugh, which also include a canteen purchase ban for a month, were enforced due to the media interaction violation and another transgression involving unauthorized use of another inmate’s telephone password.
Murdaugh, aged 55, is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife and younger son. Prosecutors argue that Murdaugh, a now-disbarred attorney, committed the murders fearing impending exposure for embezzling millions from his legal firm and clients.
Though Murdaugh has consistently denied the murders, evidence shows that Griffin recorded him this June narrating his trial journal entries. Prison officials have cautioned Griffin about potential consequences for future violations.
Concerning the breach, phone communications between attorneys and inmates are traditionally considered confidential. Yet, suspicions arose when Murdaugh’s voice was recognized on a call from a different inmate’s account.
Murdaugh is slated to plead guilty on September 21st in a federal court over charges of large-scale theft from clients. This admission will mark his first acknowledgment of criminal activity. He also faces approximately 100 state court charges related to financial misdeeds, a purported drug ring involvement, and an alleged murder-for-hire scheme targeting himself.
