Alex Murdaugh trial suspended as courthouse evacuated due to security issue

The South Carolina courthouse where former attorney Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial is taking place was evacuated Wednesday due to a security issue, officials said. 

“A bomb threat was received by Colleton County courthouse personnel,” a spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said in a statement.

“The building has been evacuated and SLED along with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the threat,” the statement continued. “No additional information is available from SLED at this time.”

Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman is presiding over the case as Murdaugh’s trial — for an alleged double-homicide that has been widely publicized for years — enters its third week. In a live stream of Wednesday’s proceeding, Newman can be heard calling a sudden recess around 12:30 p.m.

“Ladies and gentleman, we have to evacuate the building at this time,” the judge said. “So, we’ll be in recess until we discover what’s going on.”

Murdaugh, 54, is a disbarred South Carolina lawyer previously known for his family’s status as prominent legal figures in South Carolina, their home state. He has been accused of shooting and killing his late wife, Margaret, 52, and their son, Paul, 22, in July 2021.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.