Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh had an awkward jailhouse phone conversation with his surviving son Buster who rushed off the call after his father said he loved him, according to a newly released audio recording of the call.
Murdaugh phoned his 26-year-old son — whose younger brother and mother Murdaugh is convicted of killing — from a maximum security prison on May 16.
Buster publicly supported his father throughout the trial, but in their call it appeared as though he couldn’t get off the phone fast enough.
Murdaugh, 54, opened the brief chat by greeting Buster with a “Hey buddy,” according to the audio obtained by the local outlet FITSNews under a Freedom of Information Act request.
“Hey, I don’t have a whole lot of time,” Buster responds quickly. “I just boarded a ferry to get back to the Hilton Head Island from Daufuskie [Island].”
“Yeah I know, I – I been trying to call. I was supposed to call you while you were with Jim, um, about this meeting,” Murdaugh then said, apparently referring to his attorney Jim Griffin. “But anyway. How about [you] text him and let him know I’m trying to call him?”
“Mm-kay,” Buster replied.
“Did he talk to you about that? About the thing, about [inaubile],” Murdaugh said as the line cracked.
“No, I can’t really understand you either,” Buster answered.
“Alright, alright. I’m gonna, um, I’m going to leave word with Jim and he’ll be in touch with you,” Murdaugh told his son. “Love you.”
“Alright. Love you too,” Buster said flatly and quickly after a poignant pause.
“So proud of you,” Murdaugh added.
“Thanks,” Buster said before disconnecting the call.
The total conversation between father and son took just 42 seconds.
Murdaugh is serving two consecutive life sentences at McCormick Correctional Institution after he was convicted in March of gunning down his wife Maggie and younger son Paul on his family’s sprawling South Carolina estate in June 2021.
Buster had stood by his father’s side before his conviction and attended each court date during his murder trial. He also testified in defense of the disgraced legal scion during the trial and said that his dad was “destroyed” after finding the bodies of Maggie and Paul.