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- The Murdaughs is a powerful legal dynasty in South Carolina.
- Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head on Saturday, months after his wife and son were mysteriously killed.
- The son, Paul Murdaugh, had been due to stand trial over the death of a 19-year-old girl.
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A prominent lawyer in South Carolina was shot in the head on Saturday, months after his wife and son were shot and killed in mysterious circumstances, reports say.
Alex Murdaugh, 53, had stopped on the side of a remote road in Hampton County to change a car tire when someone in a passing truck shot him, The New York Times said.
Murdaugh survived the attack, the paper said, and was conscious and able to speak on the phone from hospital.
The assailant has not been identified.
The shooting is the latest development in a months-long murder mystery that has gripped the state.
This family photo shows son Paul, parents Maggie and Alex, and their other son Burt Murdaugh.
On June 7, Alex Murdaugh, from a prominent legal family in South Carolina, came home to discover his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, had been fatally shot.
The two were reportedly killed at the family's 1,700-acre hunting estate with different weapons, one with an assault rifle, the other with a shotgun, The Daily Beast said.
Alex Murdaugh was not home at the time as he was helping his ill father to the hospital, the outlet said.
The killings came days before Paul Murdaugh, a college student, was due to stand trial over the death of 19-year-old woman Mallory Beach.
In 2019, the younger Murdaugh crashed a boat while intoxicated, and Beach, a passenger, was thrown overboard, The Daily Beast previously reported.
The teenager's body was reportedly found a week later by a fisherman, with drowning determined to be the cause of death.
Police dashcam footage released by FitsNews showed one of the boat passengers telling a police officer after the incident, "that motherfucker needs to rot in fucking prison."
"He ain't gonna get in no fucking trouble," the passenger said.
Randy Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh, brothers of Alex Murdaugh, previously told Good Morning America that their nephew had received death threats following the incident.
The Murdaugh is a powerful legal dynasty in South Carolina, with three generations of the family having served as the top prosecutor for a large part of the state for over eight decades.
The family's influence and connections have led to accusations that law enforcement officials gave Paul Murdaugh favorable treatment.
Although footage reportedly showed Murdaugh driving the boat, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) filed a report suggesting the nautical operator was unknown, The Daily Beast said.
No suspects have been arrested in the Murdaugh murders or the shooting of Alex Murdaugh.
On Saturday, Alex Murdaugh's lawyer Jim Griffin said that the shooting of his client had increased the family's suffering, according to The New York Times.
"It's shocking and very disturbing, without a question," Griffin said, according to the paper. "It makes us all wonder what the hell's going on."