Alex Murdaugh Searched For Restaurant Online Minutes Before Killing Wife and Son

Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Authorities have stated that accused murderer Alex Murdaugh searched online for a popular South Carolina restaurant soon after saying he found the bodies of his wife and son. Records from Murdaugh’s phone indicate that he searched for “Whaley’s Edisto” using the Safari browser at 10:40 p.m. while still at the crime scene, just 15 minutes after the first police officer arrived.

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The officer testified that the suspect appeared agitated but didn’t display any visible tears. The timeline, which used data from phone and GPS records from June 7, 2021, the day of the murders, showed Murdaugh’s movements. The restaurant that Murdaugh searched for is one of the oldest in Edisto, where the Murdaugh family’s primary residence was located and features a menu item called “Maggie’s favorite burger.”

It still isn’t sure if there is any link to the Murdaugh family, who have been one of the most influential and powerful families in the area for generations. Based on the timeline, it appears that Murdaugh conducted the online search around 30 minutes after his car was seen arriving at the dog kennels where his wife and son were brutally killed. Paul was tragically shot at close range with two shots from a shotgun, and Maggie was then shot around four or five times with a rifle.

WATCH LIVE: Murdaugh Family Murders

Although Murdaugh contacted 911 17 seconds after arriving, he told the dispatcher that he had already inspected the bodies and tried to turn them over. During the call, he stated, “There was blood everywhere…I see brain.”

According to authorities, early that day, Murdaugh was at the Colleton County home until 9:07 p.m., which was over 15 minutes after authorities believe his wife and son were murdered.

Murdaugh has told investigators that he was away for hours after visiting his parents. According to the New York Post, before leaving the house, his phone caught him rushing around, recording around 70 steps per minute, far faster than he’d been throughout the rest of the day.

“He was a busy guy right then, was he?” prosecutor Creighton Waters had asked State Law Enforcement Division agent Peter Rudofski while in Court. The agent replied, “It appears.”

After leaving the scene, Murdaugh sent a text message to his deceased wife, stating that he would “be rite back.” During his drive, he reportedly exceeded the speed limit of 55 mph and reached speeds of over 74 mph.

Murdaugh passed by the location where his wife’s phone was discovered one day following the murder. The prosecution team may use this information in order to support the theory that Murdaugh was involved in the murder and was trying to dispose of evidence or create an alibi.

After leaving the crime scene, Murdaugh drove to his mother’s residence, where he parked his car in a wooded area near the outbuildings, away from the main house. Prosecutors alleged that he concealed evidence there following the murder.

Bodycam Shows Alex Murdaugh at Crime Scene of Wife and Son’s Brutal Murder

During his visit with his mother, Murdaugh appears to have spent most of his time making calls and sending messages. He then sped back home where he eventually discovered the bodies. After calling 911, he quickly returned to the main house, telling the responding officer that he had retrieved a gun due to the gruesome state of the crime scene.

When the officers arrived, Murdaugh was wearing a clean white T-shirt, despite his claim that he had inspected the bloody bodies. Earlier in the day, he had been seen in a Snapchat video wearing khakis and a shirt, which was filmed by his son.

Immediately after the finding of the bodies, Murdaugh attempted to shift the blame onto his deceased son Paul’s legal issues. Paul was accused of causing a fatal boating accident while drunk, which resulted in the death of a teenager, Mallory Beach, in 2019.

Murdaugh has entered a plea of not guilty, but if convicted, he could face a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for the murders.

In addition to the murder charges, Murdaugh has been indicted on approximately 100 other charges related to several crimes, such as alleged money laundering, embezzling millions of dollars from clients and his family’s law firm, tax evasion, and attempting to orchestrate his own murder so that his surviving son could claim a $10 million life insurance payout. He had been detained in jail without bail on these charges before being charged with the murders.

Read More: Alex Murdaugh Told Sister-in-Law His Family ‘Did Not Suffer’ During Murder 

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