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For nearly a century, fathers of three generations of the Mordo family have wielded power as South Carolina’s chief attorney general for a group of counties in a swampy coastal region known as the Lowcountry.
But their name recognition and longstanding respect came under scrutiny two years ago, when a younger family member, Paul Mordo, was indicted and awaited trial in connection with the death of a teenage woman killed in a boat crash.
Then, tragedy unfolded last week at Murdough’s country estate and hunting lodge in Coleton County: On the night of June 7, the bodies of Paul, 22, and his mother, Margaret, 52, were found shot and left near a kennel dog on the property. The Coleton County coroner said Monday that they were beaten multiple times; State investigators classified the case as a double murder.
Paul Mordo and his mother Margaret “Maggie” Mordo via Facebook
Three days later, the family’s patriarch, Randolph Mordo III – Paul’s grandfather and Maggie’s father – died in his home at the age of 81. His law firm Peters, Mordo, Parker, Ellsworth, and Dietrick did not state the cause of death and did so. Do not immediately respond to a request for comment. A state lawmaker said last week that Murdo was in intensive care when she asked for prayers for her family on the Senate floor before his death was announced.
The rapid losses of three members of a prominent and well-connected legal dynasty have left the community reeling as investigators search for a motive as to why they are now clear targets. The South Carolina Division of Law Enforcement, which is overseeing the case, released some details, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The family’s fingerprints have been in a myriad of issues associated with the Lowcountry legal system. The State of Columbia noted in 2019 that it has helped put thousands of people in jail and sent more than a dozen people to death row, and that “year after year, the Hampton family law firm has won millions of dollars in civil lawsuits relentlessly. Prosecuting wrongdoers. in fatal collisions.”
Randolph Murdo’s third dedication to public service and family lineage was celebrated at his funeral on Sunday, including how he is; his father, Randolph “Buster” Murdo Jr.; And grandfather, Randolph Mordo Sr., had a legacy of working as lawyers and they were all elected to the same attorney’s office.
His funeral program said, according to Hilton Head’s The Island Packet, “For 87 consecutive years, three generations of the Mordo family have served as attorneys for the 14th Circuit.” “87 years of service in one office, by the same family, is the longest in US history.”
A house in rural Coleton County, near Islandton, South Carolina, on June 8. A woman and her son from a prominent legal family in South Carolina were shot dead on the family’s land. Andrew J. Whitaker / AP
Randolph Murdo III served five terms as a lawyer, unopposed, before retiring in 2005 and returning to his legal practice, which includes two of his sons.
“In three years, I will be very old,” Murdo said when he announced he was stepping down.
In 2018, Governor Henry McMaster awarded one of the state’s highest civilian honors, the Palmetto Medal, to Randolph Mordo III.
“I’m a lucky guy, there’s no doubt about it,” Murdo said during the party, which was joined by his wife Elizabeth and other members of his family. “If I have had any success in my life, it is because I have had good help and support.”
Randolph Mordo III oversaw trials for serious crimes, including rape and murder. Those who knew him said he was a loving and loyal family man.
“I don’t know anyone in my life who loved their family more than Randolph Mordo,” Retired 14th Circuit Judge Perry Buckner reportedly said at his funeral.
Buckner said Murdow once told him how much he enjoyed having his grandchildren at his house while his son Alex, a part-time attorney general in the 14th District Attorney’s office, and his daughter-in-law Margaret were remodeling their home.
The family’s strong connections and accusations of special treatment came to light in early 2019, when one of its members was accused of causing the death of a minor during a night of drinking.
Six people were on a boat owned by Alex Mordo, including his son Paul, who is believed to have been driving at one point, according to police records. The boat crashed into piles under a bridge, and passengers aged 18-20 were evicted.
One of them – Mallory Beach, 19 – was not immediately found. Her body was discovered seven days later.
A police report said the teens “were very drunk”. The Beach family sued the Mordos and the chain of stores that allegedly sold alcohol. The lawsuit was ongoing as of last week.
Local reports after the boat crash said the Mordo family initially did not cooperate with law enforcement investigations and that officers never gave Paul Mordo an alcohol breath test, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which led the investigation. Mordo has pleaded not guilty to three criminal counts of boating under the influence. He was out on personal bail of $50,000 at the time of his death.
The state law enforcement department admitted in a statement last week that “everyone has questions and rumors abound” in the deaths of Paul and Margaret Mordo, but said “we cannot and will not do anything that would threaten the integrity of this investigation. It therefore feels inappropriate to comment on the specifics during this investigation.
The Beach family’s lawyer also expressed sympathy for the Murdo family – noting how the tragedy intertwined the two families once again.
“After the family suffered the tragic loss of their daughter, they are praying for the Murdo family to find some level of peace from this tragic loss,” a statement read. “It is their sincere hope that one of them will come forward and cooperate with the authorities so that the perpetrators of these senseless crimes can be brought to justice,” he added.
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