The Murdaugh Murders series was a hit on Netflix, but what is it about? If you’re familiar with South Carolina, you might be familiar with what the Lowcountry is like. It’s an area of southeast South Carolina with marshes, highly picturesque views, dotted with homes, some very expensive. In politics, the money flows freely, as most people have a decent amount at their disposal and often invest it in various companies and business ventures. The Murdaugh family was no exception; a generational staple, and their political roots ran deep.
Murdaugh Murders: How It Started
Paul Murdaugh was the teenage son of Alex Murdaugh. In early 2019, he and a bunch of friends were going to an oyster roast one night. Paul got intoxicated, tried steering a boat, which then hit a bridge. A young woman by the name of Mallory Beach was thrown off and went missing. Her body was discovered nearly a week later, several miles downstream.
Due to many missteps in the investigation and a lack of proper procedure, teen Paul was able to avoid manslaughter charges. Some say that the Murdaugh influence tainted the investigation.
The Murdaugh Double Murder
As folks in the Lowcountry were still reeling from the boating incident, a double murder was reported in June 2021. At the family’s estate in Moselle (now called Islandton), Alex Murdaugh called in a double murder of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on the grounds of the large property. The two had been shot near the dog kennels.
As the investigation was ongoing, Alex Murdaugh maintained his innocence. He said that because he was a prominent attorney and people in town were angry at his son, Paul, it could’ve been a hitman. Inconsistencies were discovered within his story, finally leading to murder charges in July of 2022.
Murdering for Money: Murdaugh Embezzlement
While Alex was awaiting trial, multiple investigations revealed that there was a lot more going on than meets the eye. He was embezzling money from clients from his law firm and became a suspect in not one, but two other murders.
Gloria Satterfield spent over two decades as a housekeeper for the Murdaugh family. In February 2018, she had apparently fallen down the stairs at their estate. Badly banged up, she never regained consciousness and passed away at the hospital several weeks later. Promising her family he would handle the estate and Gloria’s insurance payout, Alex withheld around $4 million from them.
Stephen Smith: A Murdaugh Victim?
Rewinding back to 2015, Alex’s older son, named Buster, was friends with a young man named Stephen Smith. Smith was a promising nursing student and openly gay. His body was found, fatally injured from a supposed hit-and-run in July 2015. After years of investigation, it was determined that Stephen Smith was most likely murdered when he was walking home from work. Perhaps Dad Alex didn’t approve of Buster‘s relationship with Smith?
Murdaugh Murders for Money?
With the body count possibly being five, things were not looking good for Alex Murdaugh. Further examination into his finances shows that he had been profiting off other people‘s money for quite some time. In fact, the total was close to $11 million when investigators were coming to the close of their inquest.
Sadly, people around the Lowcountry had trusted Alex as he often put forth a can-do attitude and a sunny disposition. In reality, he was a true sociopath.
The Netflix documentary, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, is available for streaming. It was produced by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason. This documentary delves a little deeper than the previous ones.
