The Shocking Truth Behind the Murdaugh Family Tragedy

Netflix's second season of "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal" continues after the recent conviction of Alex Murdaugh, a prominent attorney and head of the Murdaugh family, for a double homicide. The haunting question lingers: what drove him to commit such a tragic act against his own wife and son?

When the first season of Netflix's true crime documentary series premiered in February, the Murdaugh dynasty took center stage, captivating viewers as the case unraveled in real time. This initial chapter of "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal" delves into the devastating impact of five deaths that shook a local community in South Carolina's Lowcountry, including the heart-wrenching double murder of Alex's wife, Maggie, and their youngest son, Paul.

In Season 2, the case is revisited, providing firsthand accounts from individuals who were present in the days leading up to and following the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. This includes Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, the former housekeeper of the Murdaugh family, and Mushell 'Shelly' Smith, who used to care for Libby Murdaugh. These two individuals played crucial roles as witnesses during the trial.

Now that the latest installment is available for streaming, many viewers are left wondering why Alex Murdaugh would have killed his wife and son. Here's what information we have.

Why did Alex Murdaugh kill his wife and son?

Despite Alex's persistent denial of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, prosecutors put forth a compelling argument during his trial. They contended that Alex, who had stolen millions of dollars, feared that his secret would soon come to light. In an attempt to buy more time, he resorted to the tragic act of ending their lives.

Although Alex pleaded not guilty to the devastating shooting incident involving Maggie and Paul, his once-respected position as a former attorney in South Carolina now tainted, the jury ultimately deemed him guilty. In March, he received a sentencing of two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

In South Carolina's US District Court on Monday, September 18, a plea agreement was filed stating that Alex has agreed to plead guilty to 22 federal charges related to defrauding his personal injury clients and laundering over $7 million in funds. The plea agreement is subject to the approval of a federal judge. The financial aspect of his crimes has been allowed to be presented as evidence in his murder trial. Prosecutors argued earlier in the day of his wife and son's murders that Alex had been confronted about $782,000 in fees that were missing from his law firm's account.

According to AP, prosecutor Creighton Waters asserted to the jury that by killing Maggie and Paul, the defendant aimed to generate sympathy and buy time to conceal the financial issue. Waters stated, "The pressures on this man were overwhelming, and they were all coming to a head on the day he murdered his wife and son."

The motive is explored in Season 2 of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, along with the defense's arguments. Valerie Bauerlein, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, clarifies that the defense proposed the possibility of the murders being an act of revenge. Alex himself testified that his son and wife might have been targeted due to Paul's fatal boat crash in 2019, which resulted in the death of his friend Mallory Beach.

Other defense arguments suggested that the murders were connected to drugs or carried out by unknown individuals. Bauerlein emphasized that in a case primarily relying on circumstantial evidence, there were inconsistencies that needed to be addressed.

One plausible theory presented was the boating incident, which could explain why Alex had a motive to kill Paul. Waters himself appears in the docu-series and states, "From the very beginning, it was crucial to establish that the boat case was the main event that triggered the entire unraveling of events."

Morgan Doughty, Paul's former girlfriend involved in the boat crash, explains that Mr. Alex mentioned the boating accident in order to redirect blame away from himself. She believes that he would go to great lengths to shift responsibility onto others. According to Morgan, the incident on the boat has shed light on all of the wrongdoings committed by this man.

Read more about the location of the Murdaugh Murders, the story of Morgan Doughty, and explore our other true crime coverage:

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