What does Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction mean for the family dynasty trends now

Former disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of double murder - but what will become of his surviving son Buster now that the once prominent family dynasty seems to have crumbled? 

Buster Murdaugh, 26, had planned to follow in his father's footsteps as an attorney, the fifth generation in the family business. But instead, he watched as his last remaining immediate family member was hauled off in handcuffs. 

For six weeks, Buster sat in the courtroom listening to harrowing testimony about how his brother Paul's brains were blasted out of his head and how his mother Maggie was gunned down as she tried to flee the rampage that unfolded at the family's Moselle estate in June 2021. 

Buster, who has refused to return to the hunting estate, now lives in a modest $180,000 one-bedroom condo in Hilton Head with his longtime girlfriend, Brooklynn White, and their golden retriever. 

Last month, it was revealed that his mother's estate was settled and with the sale of the Moselle property, Buster's share will be $530,000. It is unknown if the college graduate is working at this time or receiving any kind of income. 

The Murdaugh patriarch's fall from grace ended with his sentencing on Friday. 

Alex Murdaugh, husband to Maggie and father to sons Buster and Paul, maintained his innocence, just as he did when he testified in his own defense during the six-week trial. 

But Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman wanted to know if he saw the mangled bodies of Maggie and Paul as he tried to sleep or thought about how he disgraced his family's three-generation reputation for justice through lying, stealing and - eventually - murder.

'As I tell you again, I respect this court. But I am innocent. I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son Paul-Paul,' Murdaugh responded.

'And it might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become,' Newman said.

Murdaugh faced the judge in the Colleton County courtroom on the circuit where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather tried cases as the elected prosecutor for more than 80 years. 

None of the victims of the crime - members of Murdaugh's family and the parents and relatives of his wife - wished to speak on behalf of the prosecution before sentencing. Murdaugh's brother John Marvin and surviving son Buster sat behind him in the courtroom every day.

As the convicted killer was ushered out of court and into a prison van on Friday, a heckler shouted: 'Buster's next!' He added: 'Justice for Stephen Smith!', referring to the unsolved 2015 death of a 19-year-old friend of Buster.

The question remains, what is next for Buster Murdaugh, who has lost his mother and brother to murder and his father to life in prison.    

Buster had plans to follow in father's footsteps, but was kicked out of law school 

Buster graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and had been pursuing his law degree at the University of South Carolina, but was kicked out over an alleged plagiarism incident, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

It was later reported by The Post and Courier, that 'the family had paid a well-connected Columbia lawyer, Butch Bowers, some $60,000 to help secure Buster's readmittance.'

However, he still hasn't gone back to school. 

'He has put his desire to go to law school on hold for now,' the Murdaugh's lawyer told The Post and Courier. 'There is no plan for him to start school in the fall or in the spring.'

Buster at one point worked for his father's law firm, but it is unclear what he currently does for work.  

Buster lives with his girlfriend in Hilton Head

Buster and White live at the Hilton Head condo, which is located in a complex with a communal pool, a tennis court and a gym.

White, who is originally from Rocky Hill, South Carolina, bought the condo in July 2021, records show, after landing her first job out of law school at Olivetti McCray and Withrow, where she specializes in probate and estate planning.

It is not clear how long the pair have been dating, but they both attended the University of South Carolina Law School.

White has been with Buster throughout his father's six-week murder trial and was recently seen comforting him as he visit the gravesites of his mother and brother at the Hampton Cemetery in South Carolina.

Photos captured the moment Buster kneeled down and pay his respects to his loved ones before planting a kiss on the their graves.

Former classmate says Buster was withdrawn after murders of mom and brother 

A former classmate of Buster's from Wofford previously told PEOPLE that Buster was 'not doing well at all,' adding, 'he really withdrew after everything happened.'

'Before, he'd text immediately. His phone was surgically implanted in his hand or something, like you'd send a text 24/7 and he'd respond, and he loved to chat. 

Now he doesn't respond to most texts, or if he does, it's one or two words. He has really closed off and built walls around himself,' the friend added. 

Buster will get $530,000 from slain mother's estate

Last month, it was revealed that after close to two years of legal wrangling, Maggie's estate had

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