Alex Murdaugh’s Colleton County property to be auctioned

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A national auction company will take online bids next month for what it’s calling Moselle Estate, the 5,000-square-foot house and some of the acreage that once belonged to a now-imprisoned former attorney convicted for the murder of his wife and son. Bidding will start at $1.1 million.

J.P. King Auction Co., in conjunction with Crosby Land Co., said they will auction the property once owned by Alex Murdaugh, a custom-built 5,275-square-foot home and about 21 acres. At the time of the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, it was part of a 1,700-acre property in Islandton, a Colleton County community between Walterboro and Varnville.

The auction will be conducted online Feb. 9-15, according to a news release from J.P. King Auction Co.

The property sold last March to James A. Ayer and Jeffrey L. Godley.

“Both the Ayer and Godley families have land nearby,” Jeff Godley said in the news release. “We bought to expand our hunting, farming and timber. The acreage bought included the home, however, we both already have family homes. It is a beautiful, incredibly well-built house. I am a next-door neighbor, with our home about a mile from this house. We seek a new neighbor to enjoy this gorgeous house and land.”

The house has four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, located “on upland open fields and adorned with high-end finishes throughout. A two-story foyer includes heart pine floors, tongue and groove walls, and a grand staircase leading to a mezzanine balcony,” according to the release. “Vaulted ceilings extend from the foyer to a family room with custom built-ins, crown molding, and mahogany French doors that open to an expansive back porch.”

It includes a recreation room and the main floor master bedroom suite offers direct access to a covered back porch, an ensuite jacuzzi tub and a walk-in closet.

“This is truly a top-tier property, complete with everything someone would want to enjoy fine country living in a permanent residence or second home,” Trey Perman, CEO of J.P. King Auction Co., said in the release.

The Moselle Estate name comes from the road that runs by the house.

“The spacious floor plan could easily be converted into a weekend lodge or a corporate retreat with the capability to sleep up to 15 people,” Todd Crosby, Crosby Land Co., said in the release. “The 21-acre property has high topography with good loamy soil that drains well to support horse and dog training activities, and a variety of other outdoor pursuits.”

Property tours are available. Showings require an appointment, and potential buyers must be pre-approved prior to visit, the release stated. Contact J. P. King Auction Co. at 800-558-5464 to schedule a property tour. Bidding opens at 9 a.m. on the J.P. King website. Anyone wanting to participate can also register to bid at the site.

J.P. King Auction Co., headquartered in Gadsden, Ala., specializes in selling exclusive and unique properties.

Crosby Land Co. is a land brokerage that works in forestry, agriculture, wildlife management and conservation across the Southeast, with offices in South Carolina and Georgia.