When Margaret “Maggie” Branstetter Murdaugh and her younger son Paul Terry Murdaugh were found shot to death on June 7, 2021, no one ever expected her long-time husband to be involved. However, as profiled in Netflix’s ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,’ once-attorney Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh is, in fact, the once accused of this double homicide on evidentiary grounds. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about the loudest voices hoping to attain some justice in connection to this matter — Maggie’s immediate family — we’ve got the essential details for you.
Who Are Maggie Murdaugh’s Parents and Sister?
It was back on September 15, 1968, that Maggie was born to Terry Lee Branstetter and Kennedy Hubbard Branstetter in a cozy, happy, healthy, loving, stable household in Wilmington, North Carolina. Though despite the fact she did have a sibling in Marian Branstetter (June 5, 1963), they were never really close owing to their 5-year age gap as well as their differences in core passions/interests. Things did change for the duo once they grew up, completed their studies in South Carolina, and actually settled down, but alas, they eventually had to part ways in one of the worst ways imaginable.
Marian still remembers having a lot of fun with her younger sister, just bringing their families together for years, only to then talk on call nearly every single day when they became empty nesters. “Maggie was sweet,” she said. “She was kind of a free spirit; she was always up for anything that was going on. She loved her family. She loved her boys; Buster and Paul [Murdaugh] were her world. She loved our parents, you know, we joked how we would grow old together and take care of them. She was just a really, really good person.”
Therefore, the night Marian, Terry, and Kennedy received the call of 52-year-old Maggie alongside 22-year-old Paul’s shooting deaths inside their own estate, it utterly shattered their hearts. The fact the former’s husband, Alex Murdaugh, never spoke of possible suspects yet claimed “he felt like whoever did it had thought about it for a long time” also made things worse for them. After all, this odd statement, combined with his getting fired by his family’s law firm amid accusations of embezzlement mere three months later, led them to begin questioning his entire theory of there being a target on Paul’s back.
Paul had reportedly caused a boat crash resulting in the death of Mallory Beach owing to his careless intoxication in February 2019, but it being the reason for two ruthless killings didn’t make sense. Alex’s behavior in the aftermath of losing a majority of his family also led Marian to suspect him, especially because his primary goal seemed to be self-preservation as well as restoring the Murdaughs’ community status. “He said that his No. 1 goal was clearing Paul’s name” in the boat case, she said. “And I thought that was so strange because my No. 1 goal was to find out who killed my sister and Paul.”
What Happened to Maggie Murdaugh’s Family?
From what we can tell, Maggie’s parents Terry and Kennedy, have preferred to keep their distance from the limelight ever since the tragic 2021 incident because they wish to heal as privately as possible. Even her sister Marian initially followed in their footsteps to stay well away from the public eye, but she did finally break her silence to testify against Alex during his ongoing two-count murder trial. She honestly revealed everything she could remember without a beat of hesitation, giving the media, the audience, and of course, the jury a lot to consider before a final verdict comes in.
As for Marian Proctor’s personal standing, she currently resides around Charleston, South Carolina, alongside her loving, long-time husband and the father of her three children, Barton “Bart” Proctor. He’s actually the CEO as well as Managing Partner of a leading fire protection services and equipment company called Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, making it clear they’re pretty well off. We should even mention that it seems like their three kids are now all adult, married women; Marian Elizabeth “Libby” Proctor Miller, Hannah Hubbard Proctor Bennett, and Katherine Kennedy Proctor Ross.
Read More: Where is Buster Murdaugh Now?
