Alex Murdaugh moved to protective custody at maximum security prison

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) - Former attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has been moved to the statewide protective custody unit of a maximum security prison.

WCSC reports the state’s corrections department made the decision on Friday after Murdaugh’s reception and evaluation process was complete.

Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences in the killings of his wife and son at the family’s rural hunting property in Colleton County.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections Protective Custody Review Board reports it met this week to make a recommendation for a statewide protective custody classification for Murdaugh.

The four-member board included SCDC security, mental health and classification experts, the agency said.

“Inmates in this unit have validated protective concerns and are placed in a specialized unit to separate them from the general population,” the agency said in a statement. “Their location is not disclosed for safety and security reasons.”

According to the department, the unit currently houses 28 inmates.

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