"He's definitely talking in code": Alex Murdaugh jailhouse calls surface as attorney appeals double murder conviction 

On Thursday, March 9, the legal team of 54-year-old convicted killer Alex Murdaugh filed a notice of appeal in his double homicide conviction.

In the aftermath of the sensational trial, many netizens probed the recorded jailhouse calls between the disgraced lawyer and his surviving son, Buster, speculating that they may be speaking in some sort of code.

Trigger warning: This article refers to homicide

In the recorded conversations, Alex Murdaugh can be heard talking to Buster about a series of seemingly innocuous topics, such as sports games, gambling and eventually, hunting. While the conversations do not refer to anything explicitly illegal, one netizen speculated that they may be speaking to each other "in code."

Alex Murdaugh is currently serving two consecutive life sentences for two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

---

Internet users try to decipher conversation between Alex Murdaugh and his son in surfaced jailhouse calls

In the section of the recordings where Alex Murdaugh mentioned hunting to his son, Buster, the former asked if he should send lawyers down to 'hunt' in the Moselle property, where Maggie and Paul were fatally shot.

Alex went on to ask Buster if he would be willing to hunt on the property, and in response, the latter stated that he had no interest. This left a netizen wondering if this was Alex Murdaugh attempting to send Buster to take part in some sort of illicit activity, such as clearing up evidence.

The netizen's guess made them wonder if this meant Buster was comfortable carrying out crimes, something that seemed particularly relevant in light of the Murdaugh scion having been a person of interest in the 2015 murder of Stephen Smith.

Another netizen was curious that while it may appear strange for the Murdaughs to be discussing hunting, there may be little else for them to discuss.

In another recorded jailhouse conversation, Alex Murdaugh can be heard telling his son not to pay attention to the public uproar that came from the numerous accusations against their family.

Buster responded by saying that unlike his father, who is in custody, he must constantly encounter people who speak ill of their family, adding:

"Well, it's easier for you. You don't run into these people in public."

Buster then told Alex that he is approached by strangers who supposedly verbally abuse him, adding:

"I don't really talk to them. I just kinda escape the situation."

At one point, after Buster said that one of his alleged harassers had claimed that radio station WTOC was "looking" for him, Alex became silent for a brief moment. This sparked more speculation among netizens, one of whom believed it was the moment the Murdaugh patriarch realised that the family's power and influence could never return.

Additionally, netizens stated that ultimately, Buster would have his day in court. While no indictments have been announced, South Carolina authorities have re-opened the investigation into the 2015 murder of Stephen Smith, which allegedly went cold due to the influence of Murdaughs.

In addition to the killings of Stephen Smith, Paul, and Maggie Murdaugh, the family has also been linked to the deaths of Mallory Beach and Gloria Satterfield. Alex Murdaugh has also been implicated in a slew of white collar crimes.