On June 7, 2021, Buster Murdaugh’s life changed forever.
That’s the day that his father, Alex Murdaugh said he came home and found his wife,Maggie, 52, and their son, Paul, 22,gunned downon their 1,770-acre estate in the small town of Islandton, S.C. The mother and son had been shot with two different guns and were found outside the home, near the dog kennels.
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Alex Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is being held without bond.
For Buster Murdaugh, 26, the fallout has been devastating.
From left, Buster Murdaugh, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, Paul Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh.Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook
According to two different friends, Buster has never gone back to live at the hunting lodge where his mother and brother were killed. He cleared out his belongings the month after her death, before his father’s arrest. He has also never gone back to the beach house where his mother was staying before her death.
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“He’s not doing well at all,” a former college classmate tells PEOPLE in its latest issue. “He really withdrew after everything happened. Before, he’d text immediately. His phone was surgically implanted in his hand or something, like you’d send a text 24/7 and he’d respond, and he loved to chat. Now he doesn’t respond to most texts, or if he does, it’s one or two words. He has really closed off and built walls around himself.”
Buster attended the University of South Carolina School of Law from 2018 to 2019, and worked at his father’s law firm. After the murders, he began slowly closing his circle of friends.
“Buster is collateral damage to his father’s situation,” says a friend who has known him since childhood. “I think he’s developed this attitude of ‘I’m gonna shut people out before they shut me out.’ His circle of friends got really small really fast.”
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“He’s really down,” the childhood friend continues. “He’s gained some weight, he’s grown a beard, as much as he can. He doesn’t make eye contact and he doesn’t really engage like he used to. He looks tired. He’s aged like 10 years in the past year. He has bags under his eyes and he just looks miserable. It’s just a shame.”
Buster was not present in court on Wednesday, when his fatherpleaded not guiltyto two counts of murder — and hasn’t told his friends whether he believes in his dad’s guilt or innocence.
“He doesn’t really talk about it,” says his childhood friend. “I don’t think he knows what to believe.”
source: people.com
