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The Murdaugh family: A timeline of events

The prominent Lowcountry family has garnered national attention surrounding the murder of family members and other allegations.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The mysterious deaths and allegations involving the Murdaugh family have garnered national attention.

The latest update is Alex Murdaugh's arrest, which happened Thursday when he turned himself in. However, a lot has happened leading up to that arrest.

Here's a break down of events involving the prominent Lowcountry family:

July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead in Hampton County along a rural road. The death is classified as a hit and run, but seems to have no connection to the Murdaughs. But six years later, SLED would reopen this case. 

February 26, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, a Murdaugh family employee, dies from injuries sustained from a fall at the Murdaugh Estate. She had been the family housekeeper and nanny for over 20 years.

February 24, 2019: 19-year-old Mallory Beach goes missing after a boat icrash near Parris Island in Beaufort County. Paul Murdaugh, the Murdaughs' youngest son was driving the boat.

March 3, 2019: Mallory Beach's body is found near Broad River Boat Landing. 

March 2019: Mallory Beach's family files a wrongful death suit against the Beaufort bar, convenience store and persons serving or providing alcohol to the underage persons the night of the boating accident. The lawsuit is later amended to name Alex Murdaugh and his oldest son Richard Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh, Jr.

April 18, 2019: Paul Murdaugh is charged for boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury. 

RELATED: Man charged in boating wreck that killed former USC student

June 7, 2021: 52-year-old Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and her son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh were found dead by Alex Murdaugh. The mother and son were shot multiple times on their hunting lodge property near the border of Hampton and Colleton counties. Alex placed the 911 call at 10:07 p.m.

RELATED: Reward offered in Murdaugh double homicide

June 22, 2021: The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) opens an investigation on Stephen Smith’s 2015 death. SLED confirms that the investigation into his death was prompted by information gathered during their murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

June 25, 2021: The Murdaugh family announce a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

July 22, 2021: SLED releases a recording of the 911 call placed by Alex Murdaugh the night Maggie and Paul were killed.

August 6, 2021: South Carolina Attorney General's office drops all charges against Paul Murdaugh in the death of Mallory Beach as a result of his own death.

September 2, 2021: Alex Murdaugh's law firm PMPED begins an investigation into Murdaugh's possible misuse of clients' funds.

September 4, 2021: Alex Murdaugh is reportedly shot while his car is stopped along a rural road in Hampton County on the way to Charleston. He is taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, according to SLED.

RELATED: Prominent SC attorney shot months after deaths of wife, son

September 6, 2021: Murdaugh announced he was going to rehab and that he resigned from his law firm, PMPED. However, the law firm made it clear that Murdaugh’s tenure ended over allegations of misappropriating money. SLED is now investigating those allegations.

September 8, 2021: By Order of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, Murdaugh is suspended from the practice of law.

RELATED: Attorney Alex Murdaugh resigns, enters rehab, allegedly took money from law firm

September 14, 2021: SLED announced the arrest of Curtis Smith in the September 4 shooting of Alex Murdaugh, saying Murdaugh admitted to planning the shooting so that his son could collect life insurance money. Agents said Murdaugh provided Smith with a gun and asked Smith to shoot him in the head, according to authorities, to allow payment of approximately $10 million in life insurance benefits to his son. SLED is also launching an investigation into Murdaugh's alleged misappropriation of funds while at PMPED.

RELATED: SLED: Alex Murdaugh planned shooting for $10M life insurance payment

September 15, 2021: SLED announced it was opening a criminal investigation into the 2018 death of Murdaugh family employee, Gloria Satterfield.

RELATED: Another twist: SLED investigating death of Murdaugh family housekeeper

September 16, 2021: Alex Murdaugh turns himself in to Horry County Detention Center after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, relating staging his attempted death. Local judge grants Murdaugh $20,000 personal recognizance bond.

RELATED: SC attorney Alex Murdaugh gets $20,000 bond on criminal charges

September 20, 2021: Connor Cook files a lawsuit against Alex and Buster Murdaugh and Gregory Parker Inc. and store employee Tajeeha Cohen for their alleged roles contributing to the Feb. 24, 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beech. Cook was a passenger in the boat.

September 27, 2021: The sons of Gloria Satterfield file papers in Hampton County seeking the arrest of Alex Murdaugh over money owed to them from the settlement of their mother's 2018 death.

October 1, 2021: Gloria Satterfield's sons reach a settlement with Cory Fleming, a Beaufort lawyer allegedly working with Alex Murdaugh to withhold payment of a settlement of their mother's death.

October 6, 2021: PMPED files a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh alleging Murdaugh stole money from clients and the law firm over a period of years.

October 14, 2021: Alex Murdaugh is taken into custody after leaving a rehabilitation clinic in Orlando, Florida. He is booked into Richland County's Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

October 19, 2021: Murdaugh appears in Richland County Court in Columbia for a bond hearing on charges of obtaining property by false pretense. Judge Clifton Newman denies bond and orders Murdaugh to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

October 22, 2021: SLED releases recording of 911 call from Sept. 4, when Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head. Lawsuits are filed against Alex and his son to prevent either man from disposing of financial or property assets without the approval of a judge.

October 28, 2021: Randy Murdaugh, Alex's brother and law partner, sues Alex Murdaugh in Hampton County over an unpaid loan.

October 29, 2021: John Parker, law partner at PMPED, sues Alex Murdaugh in Hampton County over an unpaid loan.

November 2, 2021: South Carolina State Judge Dan Hall freezes all assets of Alex Murdaugh

November 10, 2021: Judge Clifton Newman again denies bond for Alex Murdaugh, who remains incarcerated at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

November 19, 2021: SC Grand Jury indicts Alex Murdaugh on 27 counts of financial crimes, amounting to $4.8 million in five counties.

December 9, 2021: Grand Jury brings additional 21 counts of financial crimes against Murdaugh, totaling $1.3 million

December 13, 2021: Judge Alison Lee sets $7 million bond on 48 charges of financial crimes against Alex Murdaugh. The entire $7 million must be paid in full before Murdaugh can be released.

December 26, 2021: According to court records, Maggie Murdaugh left all of her property to Alex Murdaugh in her will.

January 4, 2022: PMPED officially removes Alex Murdaugh's name from the firm.

January 10, 2022: Attorney Dick Harpootlian argues for a reduction of bail for his client Alex Murdaugh.

January 18, 2022: Request for bail reduction denied, Murdaugh remains at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County.

January 21, 2022: SC State Grand Jury hands down 23 new criminal charges against Alex Murdaugh, including breach of trust and computer crimes, for a new total of $2.27 million. Murdaugh is now facing a total of 73 charges and a total of over $8.37 million.

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