INFAMOUS: The Murdaugh Family Murders
When Maggie and Paul Murdaugh are killed on their family’s estate in 2021, the investigation unravels a history of privilege, corruption, and suspicious deaths tied to one of South Carolina’s most influential families. But beneath the headlines and courtroom drama are stories of people who never got justice, mysteries still unsolved, and a justice system that let one family operate above the law for nearly a century. As appeals move forward and the possibility of a new trial looms, one question remains – why would a man who had everything risk it all by brutally murdering his own family?
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Top: The Murdaugh family. Bottom from left to right: Gloria Satterfield, Mallory Beach, and Stephen Smith.
Credit: Facebook / Maggie Murdaugh, Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home, Facebook / Mallory Beach, Sandy Smith
The Murdaugh family. From left to right: Buster, Maggie, Paul, and Alex Murdaugh.
Credit: Facebook / Maggie Murdaugh
Curtis “Eddie” Smith.
Credit: Colleton County Sheriffs Office via AP
The Murdaugh’s dog kennels where Paul and Maggie were found shot to death.
Credit: Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool
Alex on trial with his defense team.
Credit: Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool
Timeline:
Stephen Smith is found dead on a rural road.
Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs’ longtime housekeeper, dies after an alleged fall at their home.
Mallory Beach dies in a boat crash allegedly caused by Paul Murdaugh.
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh are shot to death at the family’s Moselle estate.
Alex Murdaugh calls 911, claiming he was shot in the head in a roadside attack.
Curtis “Eddie” Smith is arrested on charges including assisted suicide and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.
A grand jury indicts Alex for the murders of Maggie and Paul.
Alex’s murder trial begins.
A jury convicts Alex of murdering Maggie and Paul.
Sandy Run Road
The road where Stephen Smith is found dead
Archers Creek Bridge
Where the boat crash killing Mallory Beach occurs
The Murdaugh Property
Where the Murdaugh’s lived and where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were found murdered
Salkehatchie Road
The approximate location of where Alex was shot in an alledged roadside attack
Additional Info:
Stephen Smith
In 2023, South Carolina law enforcement officially declared Stephen Smith’s death a homicide, rather than a traffic accident, but still, it’s never been fully explained and no one has ever been arrested in connection with it. If you know anything about his roadside death in July of 2015, please reach out to South Carolina Law Enforcement.
Mallory Beach
Mallory’s family was eventually able to settle a lawsuit with one of the places that served Paul that night, with Maggie’s estate and with Buster. No one has ever been put behind bars.
Gloria Satterfield
Gloria’s body has purportedly yet to be exhumed. The criminal investigation into her death is ongoing.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Mallika Dhaliwal, Emily Mieure, and Nicole Kagan
- Original SLED, SCHP, and MAIT case files, police reports, and depositions
- WJCL (Savannah, GA): Bloodstains and Beer: Authorities share photos from deadly boat crash that killed Mallory Beach, by Riley Miller. Published August 17, 2021. Updated August 17, 2021. https://www.wjcl.com/article/south-carolina-paul-murdaugh-beaufort-county-parris-island-blood-stains-and-beer-authorities-share-photos-from-deadly-boat-crash-that-killed-mallory-beach/37332118
- NewsNationNow (USA): 19-year-old Mallory Beach went missing on Murdaugh’s boat, by Brian Entin and Cathleen O’Toole. Updated January 22, 2023, 08:33 PM CST. https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/murdaugh-murder-trial/alex-murdaugh-trial-mallory-beach/
- The Island Packet (Bluffton, SC): What happened the night of the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach? A timeline, by Jake Shore and Kacen Bayless. Updated January 26, 2023, 12:44 PM. https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article252925803.html#storylink=cpy
- Live 5 News (Charleston, SC): The crash that started it all: Deadly boat crash puts Murdaugh family into spotlight, by Cameron Bopp. Published January 18, 2023. Updated January 18, 2023. https://www.live5news.com/2023/01/18/crash-that-started-it-all-deadly-boat-crash-puts-murdaugh-family-into-spotlight/
- NBC News: Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murder: A summary and timeline, by Erik Ortiz. Published July 14, 2022. Updated August 14, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/alex-murdaugh-indicted-murder-charges-summary-timeline-rcna38026
- The New York Times (New York, NY): The ‘Murdaugh Murders’: What to Know About the Case in South Carolina, by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs. Published August 14, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/article/murdaugh-murders-alex-paul.html
- Bluffton Today (Bluffton, SC): Updated full story, Mother of slain H.C. teen states possible “hate crime”, by Matt Popovich. Published November 24, 2015. https://www.blufftontoday.com/story/news/local/hampton-county-guardian/2015/11/24/updated-full-story-mother-of-slain-hc-teen-states-possible-hate-crime/984843007/
- WSAV (Savannah, GA): Beaufort County authorities recover body of female near boat landing, by WSAV. Published March 4, 2019. https://www.counton2.com/news/south-carolina-news/beaufort-county-authorities-recover-body-of-female-near-boat-landing/?ipid=promo-link-block2
- Count On 2 (Charleston, SC): Mallory Beach death investigation: Why was no one breathalyzed after crash?, by Stassy Olmos. Published April 3, 2019. https://www.counton2.com/news/south-carolina-news/mallory-beach-death-investigation-why-was-no-one-breathalyzed-after-crash/?ipid=promo-link-block2
- Count on 2 (Charleston, SC): Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office recuses itself from Mallory Beach death investigation, by Andrew Davis. Published April 4, 2019. https://www.counton2.com/news/south-carolina-news/beaufort-county-sheriffs-office-recuses-itself-from-mallory-beach-death-investigation/?ipid=promo-link-block3
- The State (Columbia, SC): Powerful SC family faces scrutiny following boat crash that killed 19-year-old woman, by John Monk and Cody Dulaney. Published April 05, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190406023649/https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article227456544.html
- Count on 2 (Charleston, SC): 20-year-old indicted in death of Mallory Beach, by WSAV. Published April 18, 2019. Updated May 31, 2019. https://www.counton2.com/news/local-news/20-year-old-indicted-in-death-of-mallory-beach/
- WSAV (Savannah, GA): Murdaugh mother, son each shot multiple times, by Molly Curley. Published June 14, 2021. Updated June 15, 2021. https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/officials-murdaugh-mother-son-each-shot-multiple-times/
- WSAV (Savannah, GA): SLED releases initial timeline in Murdaugh double homicide investigation, by Tim Renaud. Published June 15, 2021. Updated June 16, 2021. https://www.wsav.com/crime-safety/sled-releases-initial-timeline-in-murdaugh-double-homicide-investigation/
- AP News: South Carolina police release timeline of mother, son deaths, by Associated Press. Published June 15, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-shootings-de9b3d3907b0548812320ceeb5fc4ee6
- The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC): SLED releases redacted reports in murder case of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, by Olivia Diaz. Published June 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210621212928/https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sled-releases-redacted-reports-in-murder-case-of-paul-and-maggie-murdaugh/article_b303166c-d2ca-11eb-a6e5-73a0a55fa5b1.html
- The Island Packet (Bluffton, SC): The Stephen Smith case: 2015 documents show disagreement over how Hampton teen died, by Lana Ferguson, Kacen Bayless and Jake Shore. Published June 23, 2021. Updated July 13, 2022. https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article252313493.html
- NBC News: Murdaugh housekeeper’s heirs were never paid millions after she died from fall, lawyer says, by Erik Ortiz and Catie Beck. Published September 22, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/murdaugh-housekeeper-s-heirs-were-never-paid-millions-after-she-n1279855
- NBC News: South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh suffered ‘superficial’ injuries in shooting, authorities say, by Tim Stelloh. Published September 5, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/south-carolina-lawyer-alex-murdaugh-suffered-superficial-injuries-shooting-authorities-n1278550
- NBC News: South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh accused of misusing his law firm’s funds, by Erik Ortiz. Published September 6, 2021. Updated September 7, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/south-carolina-lawyer-alex-murdaugh-quits-law-firm-will-enter-n1278570
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Lawyer Shot After Wife and Son Were Killed Had Been Pushed Out of Law Firm, by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs. Published September 6, 2021. Updated October 14, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/us/alex-murdaugh-murders-law-firm.html
- The New Yorker (New York, NY): The Lingering Mystery of the Alex Murdaugh Murder Trial, by James Lasdun. Published March 7, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-lingering-mystery-of-the-alex-murdaugh-murder-trial
- NPR: Alex Murdaugh denies killing his wife and son — but admits he lied about his alibi, by Bill Chappell and Emma Bowman. Updated February 23, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1158972090/murdaugh-testifies-murders-trial
- CBS News: The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, by Emma Steele. Published August 26, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/alex-murdaugh-convicted-crime-scene-evidence/
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