Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh

Victim · Mother · University of South Carolina graduate

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh

Who They Are

Margaret Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh, known as Maggie, was born September 15, 1968. She was 52 when she and her younger son, Paul, were killed on June 7, 2021.

Her family’s obituary records her 1991 graduation from the University of South Carolina, where she met Alex. It recalls a welcoming home, lasting friendships, and time with sons Buster and Paul. These are the family’s memories of Maggie, rather than conclusions drawn from the criminal case.

Why This Face Matters

Maggie’s death is one of the two homicides charged in the state’s murder prosecution. Her life should not disappear behind the attention given to the defendant or the trial.

The May 13, 2026 new-trial ruling concerns the fairness of the first jury process. It does not alter Maggie’s status as a homicide victim or determine a different perpetrator. The case now awaits retrial.