Why was Alex Murdaugh's head shaved? Wig speculation debunked as mugshot picture goes viral 

On Friday, March 3, South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh received two life sentences for the murders of his wife and son. Amidst the sensational trial, many speculated that Murdaugh's head appeared to be shaved in his prison mugshot, while he sported a full head of hair in others, prompting theories that he may have been wearing a wig during the proceedings.

According to the New York Post, while Alex Murdaugh had hair for most of his trial, his head was shaved for a mugshot taken at the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

A source with intimate knowledge of the prison system told Fox reporters that shaving the heads of convicts is standard procedure at the institution, adding:

“He will be assessed, and we will determine what his permanent placement will be."

The source confirmed that Alex Murdaugh was never wearing a wig. Rather, his head was shaved due to a procedure at the prison set in place to prevent the spread of lice among inmates.

Murdaugh has been convicted of two counts of murder and two counts of weapon possession. His two consecutive life sentences could amount to over 700 years in prison.

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The fall of Alex Murdaugh

As per NBC, Alex Murdaugh was a formerly well-reputed lawyer known for wielding considerable influence in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. Since 2014, however, the once powerful Murdaugh family has been implicated in many crimes, including embezzlement, insurance fraud, drug dealing, and multiple murders.

According to Newsnation, while Alex Murdaugh's family dominated Lowcounty's legal sphere since 1920, they began to lose their power after the 54-year-old convicted killer supposedly had financial issues, leading him to allegedly participate in a series of illegal schemes to keep the family afloat.

To many netizens, the photo of Murdaugh's shaved head is a concrete sign of his decline from community leader to convicted murderer.

While several theories have been put forward about why Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son, prosecutors noted that he was being investigated by his law firm at the time for legal crimes. They theorized that he may have thought that their sensational killings would distract his company from the investigation, though he soon emerged as a suspect in the double homicide.

In one of his last statements, Murdaugh denied his involvement in the slayings, saying:

"“I’m innocent. I would never hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never hurt my son (Paul)."

However, the judge presiding over the case noted significant evidence of Murdaugh's involvement in the slaying. Besides the murder of his wife and son, he has also been suspected of attempting to arrange his own death to secure insurance money for his surviving son, Buster.