Where did the Murdaugh murders happen? Details from Hulu's latest Death in the Family series, explored

The Murdaugh murders occurred at the Moselle estate in Colleton County, South Carolina. The crime rocked the country and also shook the reputation of the law family that was among the most powerful in the state.

On the evening of June 7, 2021, the bodies of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul, 22, were found in proximity to the dog kennels at the property. Both were killed with a shotgun.

The shocking case motivated Hulu's true crime series Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Among other aspects, the series presents the bloody incident, the detective work, and the hectic media interest that ensued.

Initially, the homicides were seen as a local community tragedy. The crimes, however, later became a nationwide phenomenon. Police found the family involved in scandals, financial crimes, and suspicious deaths.

The Hulu series examines the crime scene, the community, and the aftermath in close detail.

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Where were the Murdaugh murders carried out?

The Murdaugh murders went down in Moselle, a massive 1,770-acre property owned out at 4147 Moselle Road, Islandton, South Carolina, Colleton County.

On June 7, 2021, they found Maggie and Paul’s bodies at a hunting spot in the woods. The place is right by the Salkehatchie River, with fields, forests, and marshes wrapping around it.

The kennels played a crucial role in the trial against Alex Murdaugh, who was later found guilty of the double murder in 2023. The jury, during the trial, also visited the crime scene to see the property layout with the kennels, a feed shed, and a house built in 2011.

The property, subsequently referred to as Cross Swamp Farm, was sold in 2023 for $3.9 million due to civil lawsuit settlements with the Murdaugh family. Previously a peaceful hunting plantation, Moselle now represents the location of South Carolina's infamous crime.

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Explaining the Murdaugh murders: What actually went down?

The Murdaugh murders happened at the Moselle family homestead in Colleton County, South Carolina, on June 7, 2021. The estate was a retreat for the Murdaugh family, the prosecutors in the Lowcountry for three generations.

According to the report by ABC News, the night when the incident happened, the bodies of the murdered members of the Murdaugh family were found lying close to the dog houses, which were about 400 yards from the main building.

Paul was shot twice with a shotgun, once in the chest and the second in the head. Meanwhile, Maggie was shot five times with a .300 Blackout rifle, two of them were from close range and aimed at her head.

Around 10:07 at night, Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s dad and Maggie’s husband, calls 911. He says he just got back from seeing his mom over in Varnville and discovered the bodies. About an hour later, at 11 p.m., cops from Colleton County and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) show up, check things out, and verify a double homicide.

Then the forensic evidence emerged, including the 8:44 p.m. Snapchat video of Paul that captured Alex at the kennels only minutes before the killings. That refutes his account to the police. That evidence went on to form the bedrock of the prosecution.

Alex Murdaugh was indicted in July 2022 in the deaths of his wife and son. 2023 was marked by his Walterboro, South Carolina, trial, in which over 70 witnesses were heard, and a jury visited the property at Moselle during the trial.

Earlier, his brother, Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh, had said on Good Morning America:

“My brother loved Maggie and loved Paul like nothing else on this earth, just like he loves Buster. So there’s no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you.”

The public prosecutor's office supposed that the killer intended to lead the public and the police down the wrong trail, thus keeping his growing financial fraud and addiction to painkillers away from the radar.

Nevertheless, a jury after less than three hours of deliberation found Alex Murdaugh guilty of the Murdaugh murders, and the next day, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for a total of two lifetimes.

Once the legal battle was over, the Moselle estate represented a scene of downfall and deception. In 2023, it was sold for $3.9 million, which was the amount of liquidation of Murdaugh's assets after he lost civil suits.

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters was quoted as saying by NBC:

"Let this be a warning: No matter who you are, if you break the law, the truth will come out and you will be brought to justice."