Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to 22 counts of financial fraud, money laundering

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh on Thursday pleaded guilty to 22 federal counts of money laundering and financial fraud, marking the first time the disbarred attorney has admitted blame before a judge.

Murdaugh is already serving a life sentence in a South Carolina prison without the possibility of parole for the 2021 murders of his wife, Margaret Murdaugh, and his 22-year-old son, Paul Murdaugh.

Officials will sentence Murdaugh at a later date for the 22 financial charges. He said in court that he wanted his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, to see him be held accountable.

"I want to take responsibility. I want my son to see me take responsibility. It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal," Murdaugh, 55, said in court, according to The Associated Press.

Even if Murdaugh receives a new trial as his attorneys requested earlier this month and his conviction is overturned in state court, the federal guilty plea means that he will likely still spend years if not decades behind bars.

Murdaugh still faces approximately 100 different state charges, including trying to have a hitman kill him so his surviving son could receive $10 million in life insurance.

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