Murdaugh Lead Prosecutor Creighton Waters to Headline 2025 Samuel C. Waters Lecture at Presbyterian College
March 4, 2025
Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor in the high-profile Alex Murdaugh trial, will deliver this year’s Samuel Calvin Waters Lecture in Political Science at Presbyterian College.
His lecture, “State Grand Jury Corruption Prosecutions and the Investigation and Trial of Prominent Lawyer Alex Murdaugh,” will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, in Edmunds Hall.
Waters serves as senior assistant deputy attorney general and chief attorney for the South Carolina State Grand Jury within the state’s Attorney General’s Office. Over the past two decades, he has prosecuted major cases involving public corruption, white-collar crime, narcotics, and homicide, shaping legal precedent in South Carolina and beyond.
Best known for leading the prosecution of Alex Murdaugh, Waters played a central role in securing the disgraced attorney’s conviction for the double murder of his wife and son in 2023. He also spearheaded the financial crimes investigation that revealed Murdaugh’s decade-long scheme to defraud clients and manipulate the legal system, resulting in hundreds of additional charges.
“Creighton Waters’ work has demonstrated the importance of accountability in the justice system and the fact that no one is above the law,” said Dr. Justin Lance, professor of political science and public policy. “His lecture will provide students and community members with a behind-the-scenes look at how these landmark cases unfold.”
Waters has argued cases at every level of the judicial system, including before the South Carolina Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. His expertise in grand jury investigations and high-stakes litigation has made him a respected voice in legal circles nationwide.
Throughout his career, Waters has been honored for his contributions to law enforcement and the legal profession, receiving the Ernest F. Hollings Award for Excellence in State Prosecution, the Attorney General’s Award of Excellence, and recognition as one of Columbia Business Weekly’s 50 Most Influential People in 2023.
His lecture at Presbyterian College will explore the challenges of prosecuting corruption cases, the role of the State Grand Jury in holding powerful figures accountable, and lessons from the Murdaugh investigation and trial.
The Samuel Calvin Waters Lecture Series was established by Waters’ father, Samuel C. Waters, a 1966 Presbyterian College graduate, to bring prominent legal and political scholars to campus. This year’s event is co-sponsored by the Waters Lecture Series and the college’s Russell Program.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
