Alex Murdaugh ‘Living it Up’ in Prison as Appeal Nears

Alex Murdaugh doesn’t seem to be having all too bad of a time in prison after he was convicted of murdering his wife and son—state records show he is playing chess and working in the prison, according to a new report from NBC .

Murdaugh’s attorney Jim Griffin told NBC that Murdaugh is at the chessboard “all the time,” adding “he said ‘there are really good chess players in there.’”

Murdaugh is also working as a ward keeper’s assistant, which earns him work credits that go towards reducing his sentence, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections .

“Alex is an affable guy. I am sure he has made friends,” Griffin added, although Murdaugh is “totally locked in his cell with no freedom of movement,” from Friday to Monday.

Attorney Aimee Zmroczek who is representing Murdaugh’s long-time friend Curtis Eddie Smith who he allegedly paid to try and kill him, told the Surviving the Survivor podcast on Wednesday that Murdaugh is “living it up” in prison.

“I was actually in prison yesterday… Let me tell you, he is running that place,” she told the podcast. Zmroczek claimed that Murdaugh is running a “side gambling system.”

Griffin responded to Zmroczek’s comments saying, “she doesn’t know what the hell she is talking about,” adding “the Murdaugh economy rolls on. It’s just noise, it doesn’t matter.”

The newest report of Murdaugh’s life behind bars come after his former dorm-mate spoke to the media last year, telling 11Alive News , “This guy, man, you would not believe the way they treat this guy.”

Murdaugh reportedly was gifted a tablet on his first day on the recreational yard despite other inmates taking 60 days to get theirs, which the dorm-mate recounted, don’t come new, unlike Murdaugh’s.

“The guy (Murdaugh) gets up in the morning and plays chess for a couple hours with an inmate, then he has a guy who does his laundry. I mean everyone caters to him,” the dorm-mate added.

Murdaugh also spends big in the commissary, buying others whatever they wanted, maxing out the $150 weekly limit.

Last week, the South Carolina Supreme Court agreed to hold an appeal hearing for Murduagh. His attorneys argue Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill tampered with the jury after she told them not to trust Murdaugh’s testimony, according to the Associated Press .

Read more at The Daily Beast.