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Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh indicted for murders of wife and son

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Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh indicted for murders of wife and son

Blood spatter found on the clothing of disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh could place him at the scene of the murder of his wife and son last year at their South Carolina home, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN.

A Colleton County, South Carolina, grand jury has indicted Alex Murdaugh for the 2021 murders of .

The once prominent, now disbarred, attorney was indicted Thursday morning on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel.

Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and their youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found shot to death on the family's property the night of June 7, 2021. Alex Murdaugh placed the 911 call reporting the shooting, saying he had just returned home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of Hilton Head Island, and discovered their bodies.

Jim Griffin, one of Murdaugh's attorneys, told CNN they would not have further comment on the matter until their client was actually charged. CNN is reaching out to SLED, Murdaugh's other attorneys and the state attorney general's office for comment.

Blood spatter found on could place him at the scene of the killings, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

Murdaugh, a pillar of the South Carolina legal community, denied involvement in their deaths, saying he had been visiting his mother at the time.

The blood spatter found could place Murdaugh in close contact with at least one of the victims when they were killed, the source said. High velocity spatter is associated with the use of a particular weapon, such as a rifle, and it creates a specific blood pattern, especially when used at close range.

In addition, a phone belonging to Paul Murdaugh was recovered on his body containing video and audio of Alex Murdaugh talking with his wife close to the time she and Paul were killed, the source said.

Alex Murdaugh is not seen on the video but is heard speaking with her, and that recording has a time stamp, the source said, which may prove key to the investigation.

The details were first reported by .

Murdaugh is being held behind bars in Columbia, South Carolina, on a $7 million bond, facing a for alleged financial crimes.

The-CNN-Wire

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CNN's Eric Levenson, Dianne Gallagher and Travis Caldwell contributed to this report.