What Is the Surviving Son of Murderer Alex Murdaugh Doing Now? Is Buster Murdaugh a Lawyer?
Alex Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of killing his wife and youngest son.
Published Oct. 15 2025, 1:28 p.m. ET
The murders of Maggie Murdaugh and her youngest son, Paul, at the hands of her husband, Alex Murdaugh, on June 7, 2021, captivated the nation. Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife and son at their home in Islandton, S.C. The murders took place at the family's hunting lodge known as Moselle.
The Murdaugh name had been prominent in the South Carolina town of Hampton for decades due to the family's law practice, and people are wondering if the family's surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, is now a lawyer like his father and grandfather before him.
Is Buster Murdaugh a lawyer?
No, Buster Murdaugh is not a lawyer. Buster graduated from Wofford College in 2018 before attending law school at the University of South Carolina, but in 2021, he was dismissed for plagiarism, per Today.
According to People, Buster testified at his father's murder trial in his defense. At the time of the double murders, Paul was about to go on trial for driving a boat while drunk and killing his friend, 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
Alex had become a drug addict and had been stealing millions from his law firm and clients for years. According to the BBC, he killed Maggie and Paul to collect on their insurance policies in an attempt to cover up his theft.
Maggie was staying at the couple's beach house, and on the night of the murders, he lured her to their hunting lodge. He was convicted of shooting his wife and son to death near the dog kennels on the property.
Murdaugh claimed that the family had received death threats due to Paul's boat accident that resulted in Mallory's death. He claimed to be at home napping during the murders and later visited his mother before returning and finding his wife and son dead.
However, Paul had used his phone to make a video to send to his friend whose dog was being housed at the kennel just before he was shot, and Murdaugh's voice was heard on the recording. Buster defended his father during his murder trial, but Murdaugh was convicted and received two life sentences. He was also sentenced to 40 years in prison for his financial crimes, per the DOJ.
What is Buster Murdaugh doing now, and what is his net worth?
Buster married Brooklynn White, his longtime girlfriend, in 2025, per People. He sued Netflix and Warner Bros. for defamation in 2024 after documentaries that implicated him in the suspicious death of Stephen Smith, his old classmate, back in 2015. Smith had run out of gas and was walking along a road near the Murdaugh estate. He was found later dead with cuts on his forehead, and the authorities ruled his death a hit-and-run accident.
According to Impact Wealth, Buster has a net worth of approximately $5 million. According to CBS News, the family's hunting lodge sold for $3.9 million back in 2023, and some of the funds reportedly went to Buster while the remaining funds went to Beach's family, two of the survivors of the boat crash, and to Murdaugh's financial victims. Buster is also an heir to the family law firm's assets and other properties in family trusts.