by WILL FOLKS
***
Another new poll has South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson openin
Nearly three years after disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh was convicted of slaughtering his wife and son, he is keeping his head down and nose clean while his lawyers craft an appeal.
The imprisoned scion of a South Carolina legal dynasty is working a prison job, staying largely out of trouble, and pressing forward with his case, according to a report.
Murdaugh, 57, is serving two life sentences without parole for the June 2021 killings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
He is also serving concurrent 40-year federal and 27-year state sentences for financial crimes.
South Carolina Department of Corrections records show Murdaugh has worked as a wardkeeper’s assistant since August 2023.
A wardkeeper’s assistant is responsible for day-to-day operations at a prison, such as helping manage the housing unit where inmates live.
That same month, he was disciplined for feeding information to a documentary crew and barred from phone use and canteen purchases for 30 days, according to his inmate record. He has remained infraction-free since.
His attorney, Dick Harpootlian, said Murdaugh spends much of his time focused on his appeal.
“You can talk to him, unlike normal clients who have no concept of the appellate process or how all this works,” Harpootlian told the Daily Mail. “He is interested because he is a lawyer, so we talk about where we’re at and what we think the grave issues are with the case and what our weaknesses are.”
Harpootlian said they speak weekly and described his client as being in good spirits.
“I think Alex understands he did a bad thing in stealing all that money,” Harpootlian said. “He is adamant he didn’t kill Paul and Maggie. He always has been … and when we get a fair trial, I think the jury will determine he didn’t do it.”
Murdaugh is hopeful about a new trial, his attorney said, but cautioned the inmate is “not confident of anything.”
Behind the scenes, the family dynamic appears far more strained.
Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster, and daughter-in-law, Brooklynn, have stayed away, a source told the outlet.
The insider said Buster carries “a lot of anger about the loss of his mom and brother” and avoids discussing the case.
“Whether or not Alex killed them, he definitely did enough to tarnish Buster’s name forever, and he’s angry about that,” the source said.
Murdaugh’s appeal heads back to court Feb. 11, when his legal team and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will argue before the state Supreme Court in Columbia.
The appeal centers largely on allegations that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill tampered with the jury during Murdaugh’s murder trial.
Hill pleaded guilty in December to obstruction of justice, perjury, and two counts of misconduct in office after admitting she showed sealed crime scene photos to a reporter and lied about it.
She also admitted to promoting her book about the trial through her public office.
Hill was sentenced to probation. Prosecutors said they found insufficient evidence to prove jury tampering.
Attorneys for Murdaugh argue that Hill’s conduct tainted the trial and jurors should not have heard extensive testimony about his financial crimes.
“By the time the jury heard two-and-a-half weeks of testimony about him stealing $12 million from invalids and orphans, he was so vilified it didn’t matter what [Murdaugh] said on the stand,” Harpootlian said.
Prosecutors maintain the verdict was sound.
Former South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal previously ruled Hill’s conduct did not affect the outcome.
Harpootlian said he still believes two shooters carried out the killings.
“There is strategic evidence to indicate that’s correct,” he said. “Two different guns shooting two different people … The forensics supports two people [committing the crime].”
Week 10 of the 2026 college football campaign sees the Texas A&M Aggies in the second game of a three-week road trip across the Southeast, this time heading to Columbia, South Carolina for a match with Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks.
The last time the two teams met, it was a clash between an undefeated Aggies team and a Gamecocks squad that had absolutely nothing to lose, and resulted in high-running emotions, questions as to whether or not Marcel Reed deserved his Heisman Trophy hype, and even an odd interaction between a South Carolina player and a state trooper that was working the sidelines of the game.
Oh, and also the greatest football comeback in Texas A&M program history.
The Aggies already had revenge fresh on their minds from the 2024 meeting between the two teams, which saw the Gamecocks hand the Ags an embarrassing 44-20 loss to halt their seven-game winning streak and serve as the catalyst for a downward spiral for A&M that resulted in them losing two of their next three games, including a four-overtime thriller against Auburn and a heartbreaking finale loss at home against the Texas Longhorns.
And the first half of the 2025 game looked like a rinse and repeat of that fateful November night in Columbia, except this time, it was in front of a jam-packed Kyle Field crowd.
South Carolina wasted no time pouring it on the Aggies, as a 17-3 first quarter score had Shane Beamer beaming with delight during an interview shortly before the second quarter.
Two field goals and an 80-yard touchdown pass from quarterback LaNorris Sellers to Nyck Harbor, and the confidence of the 12th Man in the team was crumbling, and an undefeated Aggie team was suddenly on the ropes against one of the more underperforming teams in the conference.
Unfortunately for Beamer and the Gamecocks, football has two halves in it, and very few teams perform better in the second half of a contest than the Texas A&M Aggies.
Marcel Reed wasted no time to start the second quarter, only needing three-and-a-half minutes to find Izaiah Williams down the sideline for a 27-yard touchdown, slowly bringing life back into the largest football stadium in the state, life that was temporarily zapped when Ashton Bethel-Roman dropped a walk-in touchdown pass, but was restored as ABR made a circus-like catch to come down with the ball in the end zone for a 39-yard score.
Bethel-Roman would add to his highlight reel with a 76-yard catch to bring the ball all the way to South Carolina’s 14-yard line, where Reed connected with tight end Nate Boerkircher for a touchdown, the score going from 30-3 to 30-24 in the span of a quarter.
After A&M forced a punt from the Gamecocks, they would then embark on a 10-play, 98-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard punch-in from EJ Smith, completing A&M’s comeback and giving them their first lead of the afternoon.
However, there were still nearly 11 minutes left in the game, and a fumble from running back Jamarion Morrow with three minutes to go did not do the College Station crowd any favors.
Thankfully for the Aggies, they had a dynamic duo of defensive linemen in Tyler Onyedim and Cashius Howell, who each recorded sacks on the ensuing drive, and Howell chased Sellers out of bounds on 4th & 16 to force a turnover on downs, sealing the game, keeping the Aggies undefeated, and capping off the greatest comeback in the history of Texas A&M football.
The Aggies and Gamecocks meet again in Columbia on November 7, where A&M has not won since serving up a 48-3 pummeling of South Carolina back in 2020.
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Attorney general pulls ahead of lieutenant governor in survey released by his campaign…
by WILL FOLKS
***
Another new poll has South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson openin
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 14, 2026, results for each game:
Evening: 2-7-8, FB: 6
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Evening: 9-2-8-4, FB: 6
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Evening: 15
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
16-18-20-22-31
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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