Alex Murdaugh, who America watched on the stand for a week straight in the conclusion of a wild murder case, appeared shockingly different just hours after he was booked and taken to prison.
Many across social media were shocked to see that the newly-convicted murderer was in a jumpsuit and now sports a shaven head, a wildly different look from that of the courtroom.
"New Alex Murdaugh mugshot from South Carolina Department of Corrections," NewsNation's Brian Entin tweeted.
New Alex Murdaugh mugshot from South Carolina Department of Corrections. pic.twitter.com/xTZQbdrVTj
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) March 3, 2023
In a Friday tweet, the South Carolina Department of Corrections announced Murdaugh's arrival to one of its facilities.
"Inmate Richard Alexander Murdaugh has arrived at Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia. He will be assessed there before being assigned permanently to a maximum-security prison," the SC DOC tweeted.
Entin, in a follow-up tweet, reported that shaving inmates' heads are standard procedure for that particular prison system.
SC Dept of Corrections says it is standard procedure to shave his head.
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) March 3, 2023
The South Carolina Department of Corrections issued a press release regarding the details of Murdaugh's transfer.
"As a part of the intake process, like all inmates he will undergo medical tests, mental health and education assessments, and SCDC will gather other additional background information," it read.
It added: "Next, the SCDC inmate classification system will follow the same process it follows for all inmates: evaluate the results of tests, assessments and screenings administered to him, taking into account his crime and sentence, and use all of this information to assign the inmate a specific custody level and prison."
"This evaluation process takes about 45 days. After the process is complete, he will be sent to one of SCDC’s maximum-security prisons, like all new inmates serving life sentences."
"You’ve practiced law before me, and we’ve seen each other at various occasions throughout the years. And that was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go in the media from being a grieving father who lost a wife and a son to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them," Judge Clifton Newman said during Friday's sentencing portion.
The judge added: "You’ve practiced law before me, and we’ve seen each other at various occasions throughout the years. And that was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go in the media from being a grieving father who lost a wife and a son to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them."