The new three-part documentary will tell the story of the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, a prominent South Carolina family whose lives were turned upside down by a devastating boating accident.
But, when murders, revealed secrets, and untrustworthy figures emerged in the years that followed, it became evident that this was a web more convoluted than anybody could have imagined.
We’ve all the details you need on the Murdaughs and their unusual circumstances.
Official trailer of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, a notable legal family who has played an essential role in criminal trials for over 80 years, are the primary characters in this story. Alex Murdaugh was the rightful heir to the Murdaugh family dynasty in 2021.
Alex, his wife Margaret, and their two boys, Buster and Paul, were living the high life owing to their family money, which included yachts, a beach home, private islands, and a nearly 2,000-acre estate. But not everything was fine in the Murdaugh household. Because of their reported drug and alcohol addictions and wild lifestyles, Alex and his two kids’ private lives were under scrutiny. When their son Paul cheated on them in 2019, everything came to a head for the Murdaughs.
Unfortunately, the boat crashed into a bridge, and several people were pushed overboard, killing Mallory Beach, 19. According to witnesses, Paul, drunk at the time, insisted on driving the boat before the incident.
Mallory’s death, as predicted, resulted in lawsuits and investigations of Paul Murdaugh for boating under the influence, for which he pled not guilty. That’s why his death was so shocking, so close to the trial. Paul and his mother, Margaret, were discovered dead in 2021.
The excitement for Paul’s future trial was growing, and Maggie, divorced from her husband Alex at the time and residing in the family beach house, was considering divorce. Margaret was persuaded to visit Alex at their family estate on June 7. She met Paul in the family’s dog kennels when she arrived.
Both the mother and son were shot and murdered before they could enter the house. Alex arrived on the scene shortly after and called 911. Alex quickly became the primary suspect in the two killings. Almost immediately after resigning, Alex called 911 from the side of the road, stating that a stranger had stopped to assist him with a flat tire but shot him in the head. That, as many had predicted, was not what followed.
Alex and his accomplice were eventually arrested for conspiracy to conduct insurance fraud, and Alex was, predictably, barred. Alex was also charged with the double murder of Margaret and Paul last year, for which he has pleaded not guilty. And now we’re almost up to date, with Alex’s trial starting next week.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is set to release on Netflix on February 22.