Certain crimes capture public attention and these fascinating stories are often made into television series. Whether it’s the recent Hulu The Twisted Story of Amanda Knox or that of Netflix Monster: The Ed Gein Storythese shows dive deeper into the real-life cases they’re based on, and we just can’t turn away. However, most television adaptations have to take certain liberties when telling their stories, and it can sometimes be difficult to discern what is entirely fact and what is fiction. Hulu’s new miniseries, Murdaugh: Death in the Familydelves into the shocking real-life story that gripped the nation. Here is everything you need to know about the real facts of this twisted case.
‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’ tackles two shocking murders
The Murdaugh family once dominated Hampton County, South Carolina, where generations of patriarchs had been successful lawyers, but an impressive legacy established over several decades came to a screeching halt when Alex Murdaugh’s (Jason Clarke) wife, Margaret “Maggie” (Patricia Arquette), and their son Paul (Johnny Berchtold) were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in their home on June 7, 2021.. Alex reported that he discovered the bodies. He and his remaining son, Buster (Will Harrison), has put up a $100,000 reward for information regarding the murders. In a major twist, Alex called 911 on September 4, claiming he had been shot in the head. However, the injury turned out to be minor and Curtis “Eddie” Smith (Marc Pellegrino), Alex’s distant cousin, was arrested shortly after for helping Alex orchestrate the shooting. Investigators would learn that Alex had a habit of constructing tragic events in his life to distract from his troubles.
Alex seemed to be falling further into the abyss when the investigation into the murder of his wife and son brought him right back to himself. Law enforcement believed that the motivations for his murder may have revolved around the fact that his family had potentially discovered that he had embezzled money and was extremely in debt. Alex turned himself in to the police on September 16, and with a slew of other charges (including fraud and tax evasion), it became clear that the Murdaugh family legacy had ended in disgrace. Alex was ultimately convicted of the murders of Maggie and Paul on March 2, 2023.after the jury deliberated for just three hours. The next day, he was sentenced to life in prison, with life served consecutively for each murder. But that wasn’t the end of Alex’s legal problems. He was also sentenced to another 27 years in prison on financial charges against the state. A federal judge later sentenced Alex to an additional 40 years in prison on additional financial charges.
The Murdaugh family was linked to other mysterious deaths
For years before the murders, the Murdaugh family used their impressive wealth to live rather lavishly. Maggie prided herself on her designer clothes and handbags, and they had expensive homes, where they threw extravagant parties. Many people in Hampton County observed that the oldest son, Paul, had a substance abuse problem and often found himself in destructive situations. He had crashed several cars, which his parents had just replaced without consequences. He also became violent and aggressive during these drinking binges. This uncontrollable behavior would eventually lead to a tragic accident. On February 24, 2019, Paul and his friends took a boat for a night ride. Paul, then 19, was heavily drunk and the boat ended up crashing. The children were thrown into the water and were seriously injured. Mallory Beach, 19, was killed. The parents of the teens involved believed that aspects of the accident were covered up because of the Murdaughs’ influence in the city. Paul was charged with several crimes in April 2019 and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Just two months later, Paul would die at the hands of his father.
Increased scrutiny of the Murdaugh family after the murders also led to investigations into two other deaths.. In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found dead on the side of the road in Hampton County. His death was ruled a hit-and-run, but some investigators believed Stephen was actually murdered and left on the road. Although nothing has been proven yet, many believed that Buster was responsible for Stephen’s death. The case still remains open today. To add to the intriguing Murdaugh family mystery, in 2018, the Murdaughs’ housekeeper, Gloria Satterfielddied after suffering a fall at the Murdaugh home. There were already suspicions about her death, but her two sons ended up suing Alex for cheating them into receiving a sum of money totaling $4 million for their mother’s death. His sons ended up making impactful statements at Alex’s sentencing, explaining how Alex had deceived them.
‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’ explores fascinating themes of wealth and privilege
After Maggie and Paul’s murders, Alex’s world quickly collapsed around him. He was found to have stolen millions of dollars from his legal clients. These people were often victims of horrible accidents and were looking for money for settlement. He didn’t just defraud them; he ruined many of their lives. Alex was eventually disbarred, but his damaging behavior left a lasting wound on many people who had crossed his path. Murdaugh’s story has already been explored on television, such as in the Netflix documentary, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal and HBO Netherlands: The Murdaugh Dynastybut Hulu’s latest miniseries will further explore the fascinating tale of the family’s tragic yet captivating story. How did a family that had everything fall so completely from grace?
Murdaugh: Death in the Family is an eight-episode series that not only explores this stranger-than-fiction story, but also shows the true scale of the number of victims of the Murdaugh family’s misdeeds. With an impressive cast and propulsive storytelling, the series effectively illustrates the disastrous effects of addiction, privilege and sociopathy – it was all part of this very real story.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family is available for streaming on Hulu in the United States. New episodes are available every Wednesday.
- Release date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Hulu
