COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (NewsNation) — A few days after Buster Murdaugh filed a police report complaining about the media, his girlfriend has made a second complaint about the press.
Buster Murdaugh, the eldest son of former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who was recently sentenced to life for the murder of his wife and younger son, Paul, contacted police after being made aware of a photo of him published in the New York Post inside his home.
He and his girlfriend were reviewing Ring camera video footage when they say a “suspicious” gray Dodge Challenger at 6:39 p.m. on March 4, NewsNation local affiliate WSAV reports.
Now, Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend is saying the reporters’ behavior has become “increasingly unsettling and frightening to her,” according to WSAV.
One March 6, the police report said, Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend left her house and saw a reporter, who she was familiar with, looking into the windows of her car. For the last few weeks, the reporter has been following Buster and his girlfriend while at the Colleton County Courthouse, the report said.
Jonathan Lee Riches, who was identified in documents as the reporter, could not be reached for comment on Saturday, but he told Court TV in an interview earlier this week that he’s done nothing unlawful, and that allegations that he was looking into Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend’s vehicle are not true.
Other reporters as well, however, have not gone unnoticed by Buster Murdaugh’s girlfriend. She told police she witnessed members of the press taking photos of her walking her dogs, among other actions, though said her main concern was Riches.
This attention from the press came as the Alex Murdaugh case made national headlines, and sparked much interest from social media. During his trial, prosecutors say Alex Murdaugh shot and killed Paul Murdaugh, 22 and Maggie Murdaugh, 52, to distract from the 99 financial crimes he is accused of.
Liz Jassin contributed to this report.