Community members in Hampton discuss impact of Murdaugh murder trial

HAMPTON COUNTY, Sc. (WTOC) - The Hampton County tax assessor’s office confirmed that he sold Alex Murdaugh’s former Hampton property back in 2020.

While Murdaugh may be in a Colleton County courtroom this week, signs of his impact can be seen here in Hampton.

Murdaugh’s former law office, which is still in operation, is right in the heart of Hampton, off Mulberry Street.

They recently changed their name. The large building takes up nearly an entire block.

Pearl Heyward says, she rents the building right across the street which is the Murdaugh’s old law office.

“Alex and my brother went to school together and played ball together. And, he said he and Alex were really good friends. They was really good friends.”

Heyward says, before the trial, she’d only heard good things.

“I hadn’t heard any bad talks at all.”

That’s just around the corner from the Hampton County Courthouse where the Murdaughs tried cases.

For better or for worse... people across town, they know the Murdaugh’s.

One Hampton native who works for the county said off-camera, if you had a legal dispute, the old saying was... “he who gets to Murdaugh first, wins.”

Some feel, this tragedy has put Hampton in a bad light.

“It’s really put the community in an impossible situation.”

Executive Director for Hampton Friends of the Arts Heather Bruemmer says, people here want to be known for more than one person’s accused actions and hopes their community will get more than just a bad reputation.

“People are making millions of dollars off this case.”

“How much of that money is going toward bettering the community of Hampton?”

WTOC stopped by the Hampton home where the Murdaugh’s used to live, off Holly Street East.

County records show they bought the land in 1999 for $20,000.

They sold it to another attorney in April of 2020 for $375,000.

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