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Based on the podcast by Mandy Matney, "Murdaugh: Death in the Family," a true crime drama series, premiered on Hulu on October 15, 2025. Created by Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr, Murdaugh: Death in the Family features Jason Clarke, Patricia Arquette, Johnny Berchtold, and others.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family is based on the reporting and findings of Matney, who followed the infamous Murdaugh family, who used to be respected for their legal dynasty in South Carolina, but soon found themselves connected to murders, embezzlement, and fraud.
Jason Clarke plays the role of Alex Murdaugh, and Arquette plays the role of Alex’s wife, Maggie Murdaugh. The real-life family’s problems started in 2021 when Alex found his wife Maggie and his son Paul, shot outside their home.
Soon, a number of deaths were ruled suspicious, and Alex also admitted to embezzlement charges. As viewers tune into Hulu to look at the dramatized version of the Murdaugh family in Murdaugh: Death in the Family, here’s a look at the real-life tragic turns of events that led to the downfall of the once-reputed family.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family - Details about the 2021 murder and associated deaths
Murdaugh: Death in the Family will primarily focus on Alex Murdaugh, a former South Carolina attorney from a family with a long-standing history in the legal profession. However, things took a turn on June 7, 2021, when Alex found his wife Margaret and son Paul shot dead outside their Islandton home. Alex was soon caught in connection with a host of financial crimes, but he denied being the murderer of his family.
However, he was indicted in July 2022 with two counts of murder and two weapons charges. He pleaded not guilty, and his defense team attempted to portray Alex as a loving husband and father. However, the prosecutors argued that Alex killed his wife and son so that investigations into his financial misdeeds would receive a distraction. Soon, Alex admitted that he had taken millions of dollars from his clients and his law firm.
Ultimately, the jury gave their result on the basis of a video where Alex’s voice was heard at the scene of the killings, even though he had said that he was visiting his mother when the murders happened. Therefore, he had lied about his whereabouts. He has since been found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison, though he has appealed the convictions.
Interestingly, other deaths have also been connected to the Murdaugh family. One of them was Stephen Smith, who was found in the middle of a road on July 8, 2015. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, or SLED, decided to open the investigation into Smith’s death on June 22, 2021, while investigating the deaths of Margaret and Paul Murdaugh.
Earlier, Smith’s death was ruled a hit-and-run case, but SLED informed CNN that his death was now being seen as a homicide, as there was no indication of his death being due to a hit-and-run. There was no vehicle debris or skid marks, and Smith’s family could not believe that he would walk in the middle of the road.
Another death to be tied to this ordeal is that of Mallory Beach, who was killed due to a boat crash on February 24, 2019. She was in the boat along with Paul Murdaugh, and according to a doctor who treated Paul after the crash, he was intoxicated. While some testified that Paul was the driver, another passenger named someone else. However, at the time of his death, Paul was facing charges for boating under the influence and causing death.
Another death tied to this whole saga is that of Gloria Satterfield, who was the longtime housekeeper of the Murdaughs’. She died on February 26, 2018, and her death was ruled a “trip and fall accident” at the Murdaugh home. However, SLED opened an investigation into her death in 2021, as there were inconsistencies in the ruling of Satterfield’s manner of death, and other investigations into Alex were also being conducted around this time.
Satterfield’s death was not reported to a coroner, and an autopsy was also not performed. Furthermore, her injuries did not appear to be consistent with a trip and fall incident. In December 2021, Murdaugh agreed to a $4.3 million settlement with Satterfield’s family, as there had been a misappropriation of funds that they should have received. A $500,000 wrongful death claim was filed against Alex.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family on Hulu will therefore be a riveting watch as the real-life family went through a lot of twists and turns.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family - More details about the Murdaugh family.
Things took a serious turn when Alex was confronted by the chief financial officer of his firm about the missing $792,000 in funds on June 7, 2021. Interestingly, this is the same day when Alex reports the deaths of his wife Maggie and son Paul.
On June 22, 2021, SLED reopened the investigation into the death of Stephen Smith, who was found in the middle of the road, and his death was ruled a hit-and-run, even though the evidence suggested otherwise.
Things turned bizarre when, on September 4, 2021, Alex reported that he was shot and had to be taken to the hospital to tend to his wounds to the head. During this time, Alex resigned from the law firm as it was discovered that he had misappropriated funds. On September 14, 2021, court documents allege that Alex hired a former client to kill him so that his surviving son could get a life insurance policy of $10 million.
On September 15, 2021, SLED also reopened an investigation into the death of Gloria Satterfield. And on September 16, 2021, Alex was arrested for his involvement in financial crimes. Afterwards, Alex was indicted for a series of crimes, and on November 28, 2023, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Furthermore, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison on April 1, 2024, for the financial crimes to which he pleaded guilty.
The Hulu series Murdaugh: Death in the Family will therefore uncover the complicated secrets and layers within the infamous family.
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Murdaugh: Death in the Family is available on Hulu.
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