The Big Picture
- The Murdaugh family’s power and influence in Hampton County, South Carolina granted them privileged treatment and made them seemingly untouchable.
- The tragic death of Mallory Beach exposed the Murdaughs’ dark secrets and led to a cascade of events, including the double homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
- Alex Murdaugh’s involvement in financial crimes, manipulation, and attempted suicide highlight the extent of his corruption and the fall of the Murdaugh family legacy.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The scandalous saga of the Murdaugh family, one that has already gained much attention, thanks to its twists and turns that will leave the even hardcore true crime follower a little bamboozled, breathes life to this age-old proverb. After HBO Max’s Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty and ID’s The Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty, Netflix has decided to wet its paws with the twisted story of Alex Murdaugh and his family that has attracted the world’s attention to Hampton County in South Carolina. Picking up from the accidental death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal traces the series of events that made the suspicious history of the powerful Murdaugh family of South Carolina national news.
The latest Netflix docuseries, now streaming three new episodes, focuses on the series of events that led to the fall of the Murdaugh family legacy, starting from the death of Mallory Beach. What started out as an unfortunate accident at the hands of the scion of the powerful Murdaugh family, turned out to be just an isolated dot in a line of deaths and financial frauds. At the core of all the events was the name of Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted on murder charges for the death of his own wife and son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
Mallory Beach’s Death Was the Beginning of the End For Murdaughs
The Murdaugh family were undoubtedly the biggest names in small Hampton County where everyone knew everyone — a point reiterated quite a few times throughout the Netflix docuseries in a possible attempt to justify the numerous perspectives that were available on the central events being discussed. Three members of the family had served as district attorneys since 1920. The Murdaughs also ran a big law firm in the area. In prestige terms, it all translated into unparalleled authority for the Murdaughs, who were sometimes even above the law if the interviewees of the Netflix series are to be believed. In all honesty, the events that unfold tend to prove the point.
The fall from grace began for the respected and somewhat feared Murdaughs when on a fateful February night in 2019, the actions of Paul Murdaugh, the younger son of Alex Murdaugh, leads to the death of Mallory Beach. As per the testimony and interviews of Paul’s friends, who became surviving victims of the accident that took Mallory Beach’s life, Paul drove the boat that they were riding on into the Archers Creek bridge. While Mallory’s friends — Miley, Morgan, Anthony, Connor, and Paul — all survived, Mallory never made it out of the water. Paul was driving the boat under the influence of alcohol and had just slapped his ex-girlfriend Morgan moments before the accident.
The group was returning from an oyster roast that Paul had planned. The nights that followed witnessed the search for Mallory. But the more devastating reality behind this unfortunate incident is that another rescue attempt was going on at the same time. Alex Murdaugh was trying desperately to save his son’s name. While Mallory’s boyfriend Anthony stayed back at the scene of the incident to wait for his girlfriend to be found, the others in the group witnessed Alex’s manipulation at work as he tried to pin the blame on Paul’s friend, Connor. Later, Connor’s father was also contacted by Alex in an act of intimidation. Eight days after the accident, Mallory Beach’s body was finally found.
Everyone knew that the Murdaughs were not to be messed with. But despite the many attempts, Paul ended up being charged with the death of Mallory Beach. The charges against him had varying effects on Paul as per varying accounts of his friends. But Mallory Beach’s death was a tragedy waiting to happen at the hands of Paul, who was known for his violent behavior under the influence of alcohol. Moreover, the lapses in the immediate investigation by the local investigators, the Department of Natural Resources, exposed the workings of a powerful network that the Murdaughs had woven over years. Evidence was not gathered and testimonies were not recorded properly.
Double Homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh Opened A Can Of Worms
Mallory Beach’s death brought enough bad PR to the Murdaughs to bring them under scrutiny, but a greater tragedy was waiting to strike them. Paul Murdaugh could not make it to the first day of trial in relation to Mallory’s death as he was brutally murdered, along with his mother Maggie, on June 7, 2021. The first to appear at the scene was Alex, who called 911 to report the shocking homicide.
On the call, Alex reported that he had arrived at his house and found the bodies of his wife and son. As per Alex’s testimony, he was not present at the scene when the crime happened. However, this was proved false when a video found on Paul’s mobile clearly suggested that Alex was with Maggie and Paul just moments before the time of their deaths. Alex’s voice could be heard in the background of a video with that of Paul and Maggie.
Life became particularly messy for Alex soon afterward as a row of financial crimes that he committed also came to the forefront. He was found guilty of duping people of millions of dollars, and was accused of misappropriating funds to the tune of $9 million by his former partners at his law firm. Often, Alex did not pass on the money that he won from financial settlements to the kin of the deceased after suing the insurance companies. Consequentially, Alex was forced to resign from the law firm, which is now known as Parker Law Group.
Amidst this ruckus, on September 4, 2021, Alex called 911, claiming that he was shot in the head while changing a tire on the side of the road. Days later, Alex confessed to scheming his own suicide with the help of an associate, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested Alex’s associate, Curtis Edward Smith, for his attempt to assist in a suicide schemed by Alex himself to help his son, Buster, claim $10 million from the insurance company. Alex Murdaugh was again charged with various crimes for leading the conspiracy. Interestingly, Smith has denied his role in the shooting.
Death Follows Those Connected With the Murdaughs
In an eerie fashion, the docuseries also explores the other deaths scattered over the years that were connected with the Murdaughs. The first one was that of Stephen Smith, who was found dead on the side of a road in 2015. A classmate of Alex’s elder son Buster, Stephen was rumored to have been in a gay relationship with Buster, a pill that was, allegedly, too bitter for the Murdaughs to digest. Days after the death of Paul and Maggie, the investigation into the death of Stephen was reopened. Although many in Hampton County claim the existence of a deeper connection between Stephen’s death and the Murdaughs, there is not much evidence to back it up.
Another ominous death was that of Gloria Satterfield, who worked for more than 20 years for the Murdaughs. Her death, which occurred in 2018, was attributed initially to a trip-and-fall incident while working at the Murdaughs’ home. The case was reopened when a coroner found that the medical report stated the reason behind Gloria’s death to be a natural one, eliminating the need for an autopsy at the time. Later, Gloria’s sons also filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh after discovering that Murdaugh had claimed nearly half a million dollars for Gloria’s death. However, not a penny showed up at the doors of Gloria’s family. This is in line with Alex Murdaugh’s history of financial crimes. As part of the reopened investigation, there were plans to exhume Gloria’s body to carry out a proper autopsy. In May 2022, Murdaugh made a settlement with Gloria’s family.
In July 2022, SLED informed Alex’s younger brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, that they have decided to charge Alex for the double homicide of his wife and son. The same month, Alex is disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. On July 14, 2022, Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. Before the beginning of the murder trial on January 23, 2023, a lot more charges were brought against Alex Murdaugh as a result of the financial fraud he had continuously committed over the years. In court, Alex admitted to lying about his alibi on the night of the murder but denied any involvement in the deaths. Meanwhile, the prosecution has assembled its witnesses and pieces of evidence, including bodycam footage from the night of the murders, to prove Alex’s alleged crimes. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21 to shed light on his father’s loving treatment of his family.
Alex Murdaugh also took the stand in his own defense on February 23, and claimed that he did not shoot his wife and son. However, a jury took just three hours to convict him of both murders. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Most recently, in September, Murdaugh pled guilty to 22 counts of federal financial fraud and money laundering. He will be sentenced for those crimes at a later date.
