Trove of Unseen Murdaugh Photos Found on Camera Bought at Auction
A woman discovered a trove of unseen photos of the Murdaugh family after she bought a camera at an auction selling off the tragic family’s belongings.
The camera’s memory card contained hundreds of never-before-seen photos of the family which came as a surprise to its new owner who says that she “didn’t really know” what a memory card was or that the camera would contain intimate photos of the Murdaughs.
The father, Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in South Carolina for the double murder of his wife Maggie, and their son Paul on the grounds of the family’s hunting estate in June 2021. The case has gripped the nation after many other accusations were brought to light during Alex’s trial.
Liberty Auction House near Savannah, Georgia put several items from the family’s estate up for sale including a camera bag.
“I had followed the case very closely,” Dawn Martin, who bought the camera, tells WTOC. “I happened to have the day off and decided to, since it was so close, I was very surprised to have it in Pembroke, Georgia.”
Inside the camera bag was a compact camera and memory cards that belonged to the family. Martin says that she wasn’t expecting to find anything on the camera but described what is on there.
“Alex with his arm around his son driving a boat. Pictures of Paul holding up deer and hogs that he apparently had shot. Pictures of vacations,” she explains.
“I never imagined that I would be the owner of these things, I had a glimpse into a private view of their life.”
Martin says that the images “tell a story” and there are hundreds of them.
“It’s like looking at a novel and knowing the outcome and what that outcome became and how shocked I was myself.”
Martin is still grappling with what to do next with the photos and has so far only revealed two of them. She says that her own experiences with domestic abuse will help guide her on what to do next.
