WALTERBORO, South Carolina — A bomb threat was received at the South Carolina courthouse housing the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial Wednesday while proceedings were taking place, court officials said.
The threat prompted Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman to announce just before 12:30 p.m. that “we need to evacuate the building right now. We’ll be in recess until we figure out what’s going on.”
The South Carolina Division of Law Enforcement said Colleton County Courthouse staff received the threat and the agency is investigating along with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.
Murdaugh, 54, is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, on the night of June 7, 2021, in a case that garnered national attention. The trial began three weeks ago.
This is breaking news. Please check for updates.
Haylee Barber and Carol Gable reported from Walterboro and Erik Ortiz from New York.
