Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, Netflix's latest true crime series, is slated to be released on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, and will be available for streaming from 3:01 am. Helmed by Emmy nominees Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, the three-part docuseries revolves around a string of deadly crimes in South Carolina and an affluent family at the heart of it.
The official synopsis of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal reads:
In South Carolina’s Lowcountry, the Murdaugh family dynasty began to crumble after a series of events over the course of six years caused the deaths of five people — Mallory Beach (a friend of Alex’s youngest son), Stephen Smith (a friend of Alex’s oldest son), Gloria Satterfield (Alex’s housekeeper), Paul Murdaugh (Alex’s youngest son), Maggie Murdaugh (Alex’s wife) — and the alleged attempted murder of Alex himself.
It continues:
And a lot of the evidence points to one man’s suspected involvement in either the deaths or the attempts to cover them up. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal tells the story of the Murdaugh family, their rise to power and sway with law enforcement, and details the suspicious deaths that have destroyed their family legacy.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal follows the fall of a dynasty
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal will attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding the tragic deaths of Mallory Beach, Maggie, and Paul Murdaugh. Having stated that, let's look more closely at the Murdaugh family and its past before their demise, which started about 2015.
Considered one of South Carolina's most prominent legal families, three members of the dynasty (Randolph Murdaugh Sr., Randolph Murdaugh Jr., and Randolph Murdaugh III) served as solicitors (district attorneys) from 1920 to 2006. Prosecuting all criminal cases in Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, Beaufort, and Jasper counties, the Murdaughs wielded enormous power in the region for nearly a century.
The region was known as the "Murdaugh country" because of the family's extensive power and influence. However, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker revealed that many thought the legal system under their supervision was "rigged." Controversies surrounding the family include corruption and other allegations such as insurance fraud, defrauding clients, theft of insurance payouts, and drug-related charges.
Netflix's Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, apart from focusing on the deaths of Mallory, Maggie, and Paul, will also touch on the passings of Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield. While Stephen, a classmate of Alex Murdaugh's son Buster, was found dead from blunt force trauma in 2015, Gloria was the Murdaugh family's longtime housekeeper who died from a severe head injury in 2018.
Trailer
The official trailer for Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal was released on YouTube on January 17, 2023. The description reads:
The Murdaughs were one of South Carolina’s most prominent families, but the death of teenager Mallory Beach in a drunken boating accident began the unraveling of their legacy. When Paul Murdaugh – the alleged driver of the boat – and his mother Maggie are found brutally murdered, a century of corruption, power, and cover-ups in the Low Country is brought to light.
It continues:
The three-part series will feature first-hand accounts from those on the boat that fateful night, many of whom have not spoken about the crash or double homicide of Maggie and Paul until now, including: Paul Murdaugh’s longtime girlfriend, Morgan Doughty; Mallory Beach's childhood friends, Miley Altman and Connor Cook; Mallory's boyfriend, Anthony Cook; and, several others.
Distributed worldwide by Netflix, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal will be available for streaming from Wednesday, February 22, 2023.