Hulu’s true-crime spotlight turns to one of the most explosive legal sagas in recent memory with Murdaugh: Death in the Family, revisiting the murders, fraud, and far-reaching influence surrounding former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh. The high-profile case stunned the Lowcountry and captivated national audiences with its blend of family legacy, shocking violence, and financial deception.
Who Is Alex Murdaugh?
Alex Murdaugh is a disbarred attorney from Hampton County, South Carolina, who once practiced personal injury law at Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED), the prominent firm founded by his family. For decades, the Murdaugh name was synonymous with power in the region’s legal system.
From 1920 to 2006, members of the Murdaugh family served as elected solicitors for South Carolina’s 14th Judicial Circuit, an office that helped cement nearly a century of influence across the Lowcountry. That generational authority framed the public’s understanding of the family as the case unfolded.
Alex married Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh in 1993. The couple had two sons, Richard “Buster” Alexander Murdaugh Jr. and Paul Terry Murdaugh. Their family’s life on a sprawling hunting property in Colleton County later became the tragic setting of a double homicide.
The Murders Of Maggie And Paul
On June 7, 2021, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot and killed near the dog kennels on the family estate. Alex told authorities he discovered their bodies after returning from visiting his mother, placing a 9-1-1 call at 10:07 p.m. “I need the police and an ambulance immediately,” he told the operator. “My wife and child were just shot badly.”
In initial interviews, Alex said he had not gone to the kennels that night. However, a Snapchat video recorded by Paul at 8:44 p.m. placed Alex at the scene shortly before the murders. That clip became a crucial piece of timeline evidence during the investigation and subsequent trial.
Alex maintained his innocence throughout, but prosecutors argued that he killed his wife and son amid mounting pressure from years of financial misconduct. The state’s case connected the violent crime to a spiraling pattern of theft and deception that was on the verge of public exposure.
Another looming pressure point was a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a 2019 boat crash. Paul, then under criminal indictment in connection with the incident, was alleged to have been driving the boat when 19-year-old Mallory Beach was killed. The civil case against the Murdaughs—and the scrutiny it brought—was intensifying in the months before the murders, with a key hearing set for July 2021.
Financial Crimes And The Prosecution’s Motive
Investigators uncovered that Alex had been stealing from his law firm and clients for roughly a decade. According to case filings and courtroom testimony, the total ran into the millions—money prosecutors said helped fund opioid addiction and maintain an expensive lifestyle.
Authorities detailed a pattern of elaborate schemes: diverting settlement funds, setting up sham accounts, and deceiving vulnerable clients. By the time of his arrest on financial charges, the amount stolen was estimated at around $12 million.
Prosecutors argued that exposure of these crimes was imminent in mid-2021. They contended Alex feared his misconduct would be revealed in the boat crash litigation and other pending matters, presenting the murders as a desperate attempt to delay accountability.
Sentencing And Where The Case Stands
In March 2023, a South Carolina jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty of the murders of Maggie and Paul. A judge sentenced him to two consecutive life terms for the killings.
Separately, on the federal level, Alex pleaded guilty in September 2023 to 22 counts tied to wide-ranging financial schemes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He was later sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for those crimes.
Despite the federal plea and lengthy sentences, Alex has continued to insist he did not kill his wife and son. His defense has emphasized his struggles with addiction and argued that the prosecution’s narrative overstates the connection between the financial crimes and the homicides.
Meanwhile, the broader fallout from the Murdaugh scandal continues to reverberate through South Carolina’s legal community. PMPED, the family firm where many of the thefts occurred, has made public efforts to restructure and distance itself from the scandal. Lawsuits related to stolen funds and victim restitution remain part of the ongoing legal landscape.
For viewers, Murdaugh: Death in the Family retraces the case’s intricate timeline—from the family’s towering legacy to the night of the murders and the unraveling of a decade of fraud. It contextualizes the evidentiary turning points, including the kennel video and financial records, while spotlighting the human cost behind the headlines.
As the documentary revisits a saga that reshaped a legal dynasty, it also underscores the enduring questions about power, accountability, and the communities left to pick up the pieces. The story of Alex Murdaugh remains one of modern true crime’s most unsettling—and instructive—falls from grace.
