Hunting lodge where double murder happened gutted

The notorious hunting lodge once owned by a man whowho killed his wife and their young son on the property, is undergoing a near-total gut renovation.

The notorious South Carolina hunting lodge once owned by Alex Murdaugh, who killed his wife and their younger son on the property, is undergoing a near-total gut renovation after a local dad purchased it for far below the asking price.

The 4-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom Moselle Estate House and its 21-acre property in Islandton was sold at auction to Alexander Wallace Blair for $1 million (AUD $1.5 million) after it went on the market for $1.95 million, according to Realtor.com.

But the original Murdaugh estate contained a whopping 1,700 acres — including the kennel where the disgraced legal scion shot his wife Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22, to death in 2021, New York Post reported.

Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife and son. Picture: South Carolina Dept of Corrections

The sprawling estate was bought for $3.9 million (AUD $5.8 million) in March 2023 by two local businessmen. But the buyers, James Ayer and Jeffrey Godley were only interested in the land — to use for hunting and farming, not the house itself, according to the real estate outlet.

The pair carved up the property and put the home and the surrounding 21 acres back on the market.

It eventually went to auction where Blair purchased it under the asking bid of $1.1 million (AUD $1.6 million) and was issued the deed in May 2024. Blair’s identity was not disclosed until now.

The father of two who owns a home damage restoration business has already transformed the interior of the 5,275-square-foot home and is beginning to expand the outside with a side addition, according to photos obtained by Realtor.com.

A father-of-two has purchased the site of a double murder for $1.5 million. Picture: Crosby Land Company

“Moselle will be a completely different looking home in a few short months,” he wrote on Facebook in July with photos of the work.

The photos reveal that the original wood panelling has been whitewashed, brick walls have been installed, white tiles were put up in the kitchen and a massive new fireplace was erected inside.

On the outside, a large extension was added to the side of the home, according to photos he posted in August.

Alex Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul on the property in 2021. Picture: Facebook

It’s unclear how Blair will use the house, whether as a family home with his wife and kids or if he plans to flip it. Initial reports said he planned to transform the property into a horse farm.

The property has a dark history as Murdaugh, 65, executed Maggie and Paul on the land in an attempt to divert investigations into his slew of financial crimes. He has denied killing the pair despite a jury’s conviction.

He is serving two life terms for the double murders plus another 27-year and 40-year sentences for the financial crimes.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and reproduced with permission

Originally published as Hunting lodge where double murder happened gutted