Randolph Murdaugh Sr.

Randolph Murdaugh Sr. (February 28, 1887 – July 19, 1940) was an American attorney and politician from South Carolina who served as the circuit solicitor for the 14th judicial district from 1920 until his death in 1940. Randolph was the founding patriarch of the South Carolina Murdaugh family. He died when his car was struck by a train, suspected to be a suicide.

Early life, education, and family

Randolph Murdaugh Sr. was born in Varnville on February 28, 1887, the youngest son of Josiah Putnam Murdaugh II (1830August 17, 1912), a wealthy Lowcountry businessman and Confederate States Army veteran, and Annie Marvin Davis (August 4, 1847August 6, 1919), a distant cousin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Josiah, also known as "Captain Joe," had fought in Hampton's Legion and was injured in 1862, returning to combat only three months later. Two years before Murdaugh was born, his parents moved to Varnville, South Carolina, later buying land south of the town in an area known as Almeda.

Murdaugh received a public school education until high school, when he switched to a private school. Murdaugh initially attended the University of South Carolina, where he played on the football and baseball teams, but transferred to the United States Naval Academy in the summer of 1906, after completing his sophomore year. However, he was soon medically disqualified after physical examinations revealed heart murmers and "signs of [an] enlarged heart." Murdaugh returned to the University of South Carolina, receiving a bachelor's of arts in 1908 and graduating from its law school in 1910. In 1911 and 1915, he was appointed to the school board for Hampton County for two-year terms. In 1912, 1916, and 1918 he was a delegate for Hampton County to the Democratic Party state convention. He founded The Hampton County Herald in 1916.

Circuit solicitor In 1920, incumbent solicitor for the 14th judicial circuit George Warren resigned in March 1920 to run for U.S. Senate; Murdaugh quickly announced his campaign for the open circuit solicitor seat the same month, promising to be a "faithful, fearless, and competent" public servant "who cannot be influenced or intimidated to depart from his duty as solicitor." He faced Heber Padgett and R.M. Jefferies in the Democratic primary and was endorsed by the Hampton County Democratic Party. He advanced to a runoff with Jefferies after the August 31st primary. He won the runoff and the seat in the September runoff. In 1920 he became the solicitor in the 14th judicial circuit. The same year he was elected, T. Hagood Gooding was re-elected as Hampton County auditor despite Gooding being known as particularly corrupt and having been prosecuted by the state tax commission under Governor Robert Archer Cooper in 1919. Murdaugh prosecuted both Gooding and W.A. Mason, another county auditor, for the state eventually leading to their removal from office. In 1922, he prosecuted Colleton County sheriff W.B. Ackerman for embezzlement. While solicitor, he represented a governor, prosecuted another, and was known to fill the courthouse gallery during murder trials. Murdaugh's body was launched 150 feet. In the months before his death, Randolph was sick and his son, Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., would frequently fill in for him at court. Brakeman J.H. Montgomery corroborated Bartlett, stating, "This man drove up in the middle of the track and stopped and was looking up at the engine. He looked like he was waving to us and we couldn't stop and we ran right into him." After his death, Buster sued Charleston and Western Carolina Railway and the parties settled for an undisclosed sum.