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Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for stealing from clients and his law firm
For maybe the last time, Alex Murdaugh, in a prison jumpsuit instead of the suit he used to wear, shuffled into a courtroom Monday in South Carolina and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.
Murdaugh was punished – this time in federal court – for stealing from clients and his law firm. The 55-year-old disbarred attorney is already serving a life sentence without parole in a state prison for killing his wife and son.
A report by federal agents recommended a prison sentence between 17 1/2 and just under 22 years.
The 40-year sentence will be insurance on top of insurance. Along with the life sentence, Murdaugh pleaded guilty and was ordered to spend 27 years in prison in state court on financial crime charges. The federal sentence will run at the same time as his state prison term and he likely will have to serve all 40 years if his murder convictions are overturned on appeal.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel said he sentenced Murdaugh to a harsher punishment than suggested because Murdaugh stole from “the most needy, vulnerable people” like a client who became a quadriplegic after a crash, a state trooper who was injured on the job, and a trust fund meant for children whose parents were killed in a wreck.
“They placed all their problems and all their hopes on Mr. Murdaugh and it is from those people he abused and stole. It is a difficult set of actions to understand,” Gergel said.
The 22 federal counts are the final charges outstanding for Murdaugh, who three years ago was an established lawyer negotiating multimillion-dollar settlements in tiny Hampton County, where members of his family served as elected prosecutors and ran the area’s premier law firm for nearly a century.
Murdaugh will also have to pay nearly $9 million in restitution.
Prosecutors are asking to give Murdaugh a harsher sentence because FBI agents think he is not telling the whole truth about what happened to $6 million he stole and whether a so-far unnamed attorney helped his criminal schemes.
Andrew J. Whitaker / AP
Murdaugh’s largest scheme involved the sons of his longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. She died in a fall at the family home. Murdaugh promised to take care of Satterfield’s family, then worked with a lawyer friend who pleaded guilty on a scheme to steal $4 million in a wrongful death settlement with the family’s insurer.
In all, Murdaugh took settlement money from or inflated fees or expenses for more than two dozen clients. Prosecutors said the FBI found 11 more victims than the state investigation found and that Murdaugh stole nearly $1.3 million from them.
Murdaugh again apologized to his victims at his sentencing Monday, saying he felt “guilt, sorrow, shame, embarrassment, humiliation.”
Just like at his state sentencing, Murdaugh offered to meet with his victims so they can say what they want to say and “more closely inspect my sincerity.”
“There’s not enough time and I don’t possess a sufficient vocabulary to adequately portray to you in words the magnitude of how I feel about the things I did,” Murdaugh said.
Murdaugh blamed nearly two decades of addiction to opioids for his crimes and said he was proud is has been clean for 937 days.
Gergel scoffed at him blaming drugs.
“No truly impaired person could pull off these complex transactions,” the judge said of the maze of fake accounts, juggled checks and money passed from one place to another to hide the thefts for nearly 20 years.
Murdaugh was convicted a year ago of killing his younger son Paul with a shotgun and his wife, Maggie, with a rifle. While he has pleaded guilty to dozens of financial crimes, he adamantly denies he killed them and testified in his own defense.
Evidence at the trial included bloody crime scene images, Murdaugh’s interviews with investigators, details about Maggie Murdaugh’s autopsy, cell phone evidence and testimony from a forensic engineer.
There will be years of appeals in the murder cases. In January, a South Carolina judge denied his bid for a new trial after his defense team accused a clerk of court with tampering with a jury.
The case has captivated true crime fans, spawning dozens of podcast episodes and thousands of social media posts. It continued its odd twists in the days before Monday’s sentencing hearing.
Lawyers for Murdaugh said an FBI agent who conducted a polygraph test asked Murdaugh if he could keep a secret, then confided he had just examined notorious Dutch killer Joran van der Sloot.
Murdaugh flunked that polygraph test, according to prosecutors who want a harsher sentence. Each of the 22 counts Murdaugh pleaded guilty to in federal court carried a minimum of 20 years in prison. Some carry a 30-year maximum.
The defense said the alleged odd behavior and unusual questions from a FBI agent caused Murdaugh to fail the test.
Prosecutors want to keep many of the FBI statements secret, saying they are still investigating the missing money and who might have helped Murdaugh to steal it. They say making the information public would jeopardize an ongoing grand jury investigation.
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Walmart’s 2024 Top Toys List is out now: The best Christmas gifts for kids according to Walmart
Walmart
Walmart has announced its 2024 Top Toys List, a curated collection of the toys and games the retail giant thinks will be the hottest of the 2024 holiday season. This year’s list features 66 of the hottest toys of Christmas and Hanukkah 2024, with 25 of them priced under $25. It includes brands like Disney, Lego and Hot Wheels, perfect for kids of all ages.
Because many of the hottest toys of the holiday season sell out early every year, you’ll want to shop Walmart’s best list now while the store still has quantities on hand. If you try and wait until Black Friday 2024, the best toys may be sold out by then.
The best Christmas gifts for kids of all ages at Walmart in 2024
Check out some highlights from the Walmart 2024 Top Toys List, broken up by age group. Read on to peruse our top choices, or tap the button below to head straight to Walmart’s list.
Looking for more Christmas gift ideas for kids? Check out our coverage of the 2024 Amazon Toys We Love List, with more great Christmas and Hanukkah gifting options for kids.
Top Christmas gift ideas for young children at Walmart
Play-Doh and Bluey are widely beloved by toddlers, so it’s no surprise to see them on Walmart’s 2024 Top Toys List. The following gifts are appropriate for children ages three and up.
Play-Doh pizza delivery scooter playset
Amazon
This Play-Doh pizza delivery set comes with a non-electronic scooter and a pretend play kitchen. Kids can make Play-Doh pizzas, box them and place them on the scooter for transport.
All of the Play-Doh fun can be stored in the scooter’s seat when not in use, and there’s a checkout station on the side of the scooter so customers can pay with a pretend card or cash.
This pizza delivery scooter playset comes with 16 tools and ten Play-Doh colors. Find the 4.9-star-rated playset at Walmart for $95.
Bluey 3-in-1 transforming plane playset
Walmart
Bluey fans will love this plane that transforms into a resort and a boat. It’s rated 5.0 stars at Walmart.
It has more than 25 sounds and phrases and comes with two exclusive figures: Bluey in her pilot’s hat and sunglasses and Bingo with her sunglasses on. You’ll find 15 play pieces, including an Australian passport and a sticker sheet.
This transforming Bluey plane playset is meant for ages three and up. Find it at Walmart for $60.
Looking for more gifts for a Bluey fan? Check out the no-spill Bluey tumblers available at Sam’s Club this month.
Top Christmas gift ideas for kids at Walmart
Shopping for a school-aged child? Choose from kids’ fan favorites like Lego, Barbie, Spider-Man and more.
Lego Disney Stitch toy building kit
Walmart
If the kid in your life is obsessed with “Lilo and Stitch,” pick up this 730-piece Stitch Lego set for ages nine and up. This Lego Stitch wears a Hawaiian shirt. He has movable ears and a turning head. Plus, he comes with a buildable ice cream cone and flower.
“The building experience was great, and I just love the bright colors,” a reviewer says. “My favorite function is that his ears are functional and you can move it up or down.”
“This was an item that sold out in stores immediately and was popping up online for crazy prices within days of its release,” another reviewer says.
Find this 4.9-star-rated Lego set at Walmart for $63.
Barbie World game room set (19 pcs.)
Walmart
Barbie can enjoy hours of play with this game room set. It comes with a foosball table, bean bag, checkers, TV set up and snacks. A shelf, heart pillow, plant and two pets complete Barbie’s game room.
This 4.9-star-rated Barbie play set is for kids ages three and up. Find it at Walmart for $25.
Buy some Barbies to give along with these accessories to complete the gift.
Hello Kitty sleeping plush
Walmart
A stuffed animal is a classic gift. They’ll be nap-time ready with Hello Kitty sleeping alongside them. This 18-inch plush wears tie-dye pajamas and a sleep mask. Kitty is perfect for cozying up with — she’s made with a sherpa material.
“These are so incredibly cute, soft and well made,” a reviewer says.
“The plush was a lot bigger than I expected, and I love it!” another reviewer says.
Find this 4.8-star-rated plush at Walmart for $35.
Marvel Spider-Man Super Web Slinger
Walmart
They can channel Spider-Man with this Super Web Slinger. It shoots webs or water with the press of a button. It comes with a can of web fluid that you can restock or simply switch to water once it’s out.
“My grandson received 24 gifts and he played with this one the most,” a reviewer says of this Marvel gift for ages five and up.
“My 5-year-old definitely enjoyed this product!” another reviewer says. “When he ran out of the web foam he was still able to use it using water.”
MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Birthday mini collectibles
Walmart
Mini collectibles are still trending. This birthday set for ages eight and up has decorations and food for a mini-party. Each package is a surprise, but the kid in your life could receive one of three party themes: rainbow, dino or tropical. They can glue together their set with resin to create a scene. Just allow the replica to set under the sun to harden.
“I love miniatures and these are the cutest I’ve ever bought,” a reviewer says. “Although they need to be handled with care due to the resin, they are easy to use.”
“I liked the overall theme — how the different items go together — like a real birthday party,” another reviewer says.
MrBeast Lab Mutators Golden Panther action figure
Walmart
This DIY MrBeast action figure for ages five and up is a super cool find for young fans of the YouTuber.
Just add some mutation liquid to the chamber it comes in, press the fingerprint scanner and watch the panther action figure reveal itself. The Golden Panther is one of four MrBeast Lab Mutators to collect. He stands at 5.5 inches tall and has over 20 points of articulation.
“The quality is great for the price, all the limbs move easily and no paint issue(s),” a reviewer says.
Find this and more MrBeast Lab Mutator toys at Walmart for $20.
Top Christmas gift ideas for teens at Walmart
Give teens the gift of no screen time with some good old-fashioned games this holiday season.
Monopoly GO! board game
Amazon
This is an IRL version of the beloved Monopoly GO! phone game. It’s for ages eight and up and two to four players. You can play it in just 15 minutes.
To play, players roll dice and move their tokens around their own mini-board at the same time. If you’re the first to stack four matching-colored blocks on a color space, you win. You can sabotage rivals with bank heists and shutdowns. There are four double-sided mini-gameboards with locations like New York City, the Roaring ’20s and Unicorn Land.
This game comes with a code for a free exclusive digital token to use in the Monopoly GO! app. Find the 4.8-star-rated game at Walmart for $20.
UNO Teams card game
Walmart
This 4.6-star-rated card game is easy to take on the go for some good old-fashioned fun.
Uno Teams is like regular Uno, but players team up in pairs of two to win by matching colors, numbers and symbols. There are special cards and rules to help teammates work together. Both players must get rid of all the cards in their hands to win and yell “Uno!” when they are down to their last card.
This card game is for ages seven and up. Find it at Walmart for $6.
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Walmart’s 2024 Top Toys List is out now: The best Christmas gifts for kids according to Walmart
Former Secret Service agent on apparent Trump assassination attempt
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