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A prominent South Carolina lawyer who faced public scrutiny after his wife and son were slain in unsolved shootings this summer was shot hours after resigning from his job at a public law firm last week.
Alex Murdaugh, 53, released a statement obtained by NBC News on Monday (September 6) hours after being shot in a roadside attack.
In the statement, Murdaugh revealed that he resigned from his position in order to enter rehab after he "made a lot of decisions that I truly regret," which included allegedly "misappropriated funds."
"This is disappointing news for all of us," the law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick, said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There's no place in our firm for such behavior."
The firm, which was founded by Murdaugh's great-grandfather, said a forensic accounting firm planned to undergo an internal investigation and had already notified law enforcement and the South Carolina Bar of its plans.
NBC News reports the amount of money Murdaugh is accused of taking and how it was used has yet to be determined and the law firm declined commenting on the situation.
The latest events add to a strange situation surrounding the family as questions continue to be raised regarding the fatal shootings of Murdaugh's wife, Margaret, 52, and their son Paul, 22, in June, three days after Murdaugh's father, prosecutor Randolph Murdaugh III, had also died.
Monday's statement was Murdaugh's first he was shot two days prior in Hampton County.
"The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life," Murdaugh said. "I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret," he added without elaborating, instead acknowledging his decision to enter rehab "after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders."
"I am immensely sorry to everyone I've hurt including my family, friends and colleagues," Murdaugh said. "I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships."
Margaret and Paul Murdaugh were found dead from apparent gunshot incidents on June 7 near dog kennels on the family's hunting property in Colleton County, South Carolina, which is located west of Charleston.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has released few details surrounding the shooting deaths claiming it does not want to compromise the investigation by making the information public.