Former S.C. House Judiciary Chairman Passes Away

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by WILL FOLKS

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Former South Carolina judiciary chairman Chris Murphy was found dead in his home on Wednesday evening (July 22, 2026).

News of Murphy’s passing was first reported by our media outlet shortly after 10:00 p.m. EDT yesterday – less than three hours after his body was discovered inside a residence in the Oak Forest Village neighborhood of North Charleston, S.C.

According to Dorchester County coroner Paul Brouthers, Murphy was found dead at approximately 7:12 p.m. EDT at his home. No information has been released at this time regarding the cause or manner of his passing. Initial law enforcement reporting on Murphy’s passing listed his death as having been “undetermined.”

Officers of the North Charleston Police Department (NCPD) were first to arrive on the scene after a woman believed to be Murphy’s girlfriend called 911 stating she had arrived home and found him deceased on a sofa in the residence. NCPD officers were followed by Dorchester County emergency management services and the coroner, who assumed control of the scene, initiated an investigation and ordered an autopsy.

Murphy, 58, was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Raised in Summerville, S.C., he graduated from The Citadel military college in 1990 and went to law school at Mississippi State University, graduating in 1995.

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Murphy worked in the office of former S.C. first circuit solicitor Walter M. Bailey, Jr. from 1996 to 2001 and then spent three years as a special assistant U.S. attorney from 1998-2001 under J. René Josey. In 2002, he was elected to Dorchester County council and in 2005 became its chairman.

In 2011, Murphy entered the S.C. House of Representatives and quickly rose through the ranks of that chamber – becoming chairman of its powerful judiciary committee in March of 2020 upon the resignation of Peter McCoy.

Unfortunately, Murphy was dogged by substance abuse issues that derailed his once-promising political career. He entered a treatment facility in the summer of 2022 after undisclosed illnesses sidelined him for much of the session that year, and shortly thereafter surrendered his chairmanship.

While Murphy appeared to be on the road to recovery, those issues sadly returned in 2025 – accompanied by a high-profile divorce from his former wife, S.C. circuit court judge Maite Murphy.

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Despite relinquishing the reins of his powerful committee, Murphy remained a member of the influential House ways and means committee until his resignation from the chamber – a decision which was announced last August and become effective on January 5 of this year.

According to our sources, Murphy had recently returned from a trip to the Bahamas with his girlfriend at the time of his passing.

Murphy’s loss was mourned by his former deskmate, first district U.S. congresswoman Nancy Mace.

“He was not only my deskmate but someone who genuinely cared about serving the people of South Carolina,” Mace said in a statement. “Chris devoted his life to public service, from his time as a prosecutor to the Dorchester County Council and the South Carolina House. He leaves behind a legacy of service which touched countless lives across our state.”

Murphy was also praised by Democrat state representative Justin Bamberg, who worked both with – and against – the late lawmaker during his tenure at the S.C. State House. In his remarks on the occasion of Murphy’s passing, Bamberg cautioned those speculating on its particulars.

“When current or former state elected officials pass away, our people are left behind to deal with the publicity that comes with it,” Bamberg said. “Death is hard enough, but public interest in death can be even harder. I’d encourage people to remember that. My prayers go out to Rep. Murphy’s family and friends, and may his untimely passing remind all of us that tomorrow is never guaranteed.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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