All About the Family and Trial of Alex Murdaugh from 'The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal' - Where is He Now?

He's currently on trial for the death of his son and wife

Netflix's latest true crime docuseries, "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal," delves into the tragic story of two members of an affluent southern family from South Carolina who were brutally murdered. Paul Murdaugh, aged 22, and his mother, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, aged 52, were discovered deceased in their family's hunting lodge in June 2021.

However, the roots of this heart-wrenching story run far deeper. A few years earlier, Paul had been involved in a boating accident that claimed the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. At the time of his untimely death, Paul was out on bail while facing charges for felonies related to the fatal crash, as reported by The New York Times.

"Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal" commences with the tragic event that led to Mallory's demise. The teenager was thrown from the boat following a collision with a Murdaugh family vessel that was reportedly being operated by a drunk 19-year-old Paul, according to witnesses on the boat, as per The New Yorker.

The June 2021 murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, which followed the tragic event involving Mallory Beach, led to Alex Murdaugh, the husband of Maggie and father of Paul, being put on trial for their deaths. Despite maintaining his innocence, he was indicted on two counts of murder in July 2022, as reported by The New York Times.

For those interested in watching the new Netflix docuseries, it is important to understand who Alex Murdaugh is and his background. Alex Murdaugh is a member of the affluent Murdaugh family in South Carolina and is currently facing charges in the deaths of his wife and oldest son.

The Murdaugh family has a long history of serving as prosecutors in South Carolina's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit for three generations, until 2005, according to the Office of the Solicitor, Fourteenth District. This has given rise to significant wealth and influence within the family.

Although Alex Murdaugh never ran for the prosecutor position, he did volunteer as a prosecutor for the district. However, he was officially removed from this role in September 2022, according to The New York Times.

Alex Murdaugh has two sons with his late wife Maggie: Paul Murdaugh, who tragically passed away, and Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh, who is currently 26 years old. Buster recently provided testimony at his father's murder trial.

Alex Murdaugh worked as a lawyer at a family law firm in Hampton County, South Carolina called Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth and Detrick. His focus at the firm was on settlements related to fatal accidents and workplace injuries, as reported by the Associated Press.

However, in September 2021, the firm stated that Alex had taken funds from clients, according to the Associated Press. At that time, the firm estimated that Alex had stolen more than $1 million, as reported by PEOPLE.

The term "Murdaugh murders" generally refers to the tragic killings of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh at their family hunting lodge in June 2021, according to The New York Times. However, the Murdaugh family has also been linked to several other crimes and deaths.

According to PEOPLE, Paul was shot with a shotgun in the head and chest, while his mother was killed with an assault rifle during the shooting at their hunting lodge.

On the night of the murder of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, Alex called 911 and reported finding the bodies near the family's dog kennels, according to The New York Times. Alex made the call just after 10 p.m. and told authorities that his son had received threats related to the death of Mallory Beach. No arrests were made in the case for more than a year.

Alex's brothers, John Marvin Murdaugh and Randolph Murdaugh, maintained his innocence in a Good Morning America appearance shortly after the murders. They claimed that Alex loved Maggie and Paul and could not have been involved in their deaths. Alex also reported that he was not present during the murders, stating that he was visiting his ailing mother at the time, according to the Associated Press.

In September 2021, Alex was shot in the head while changing a tire on the side of the road, according to his lawyer, Jim Griffin, as reported by PEOPLE. However, it was later discovered that this was a pre-planned attack. Alex had apparently hired a man named Curtis Edward Smith to shoot him, as he was trying to make the planned suicide look like murder. The goal was to enable his living son, Buster, to collect $10 million in life insurance, according to PEOPLE. Smith admitted to the shooting in his affidavit following his arrest in mid-September 2021.

The phrase "Murdaugh murders" usually refers to the killings of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh at their family hunting lodge in June 2021, according to The New York Times. Paul was reportedly shot with a shotgun in the head and chest, while his mother was killed with an assault rifle, according to PEOPLE. The Murdaugh family has also been linked to several other deaths and crimes.

Despite maintaining his innocence, Alex is currently on trial for the murders of his wife and son, and has been charged in their deaths. Alex worked as a lawyer for the family law firm Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth and Detrick in Hampton County, South Carolina. He primarily worked with settlements for fatal accidents and workplace injuries, according to the Associated Press. However, in September 2021, the firm reported that Alex had stolen funds from clients, estimating that he had taken over $1 million, as reported by PEOPLE.

According to PEOPLE, Alex Murdaugh's gunshot wounds from the shooting were not serious, and he turned himself in after he was charged with insurance fraud following the arrest of Curtis Edward Smith, the man he had hired to shoot him. Alex's lawyer reportedly said that his opioid addiction and depression after his wife and son's deaths prompted him to create the scheme.

Alex Murdaugh was connected to another crime related to the death of the family's housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, in 2018. Satterfield reportedly fell down the stairs in the Murdaugh home and died from her injuries, and Alex represented the Murdaugh family in a settlement case with Satterfield's sons following her death. However, her sons claim that they received only a fraction of the settlement money owed to them, and Alex was later found to have stolen the remaining funds. He was indicted in September 2021 for charges related to this case, including forgery and obtaining property by false pretenses, per NBC News.

According to the docuseries, Gloria Satterfield died at the Murdaugh family home in 2018 after allegedly tripping over the family dogs and falling down the stairs. Alex Murdaugh then introduced Satterfield’s sons to a lawyer named Cory Fleming to “help them with her case,” as reported by The New York Times. Fleming is reportedly a “close friend” of Alex, which Satterfield’s sons testified to having no knowledge of in a recent lawsuit. The lawsuit also accuses Alex and Fleming of settling Satterfield's wrongful death claim without the family's consent and keeping the majority of the settlement money.

As of now, there is no reported number for Alex Murdaugh's total net worth. While he came from a wealthy southern family, his involvement in fraud and financial crimes suggests that he may have been struggling financially. Currently, Alex is in jail since October 2021, initially arrested on fraud charges related to the Satterfield family's life insurance claim. However, it has been reported that he defrauded clients out of a total of $8.8 million over the years. The prosecution is also arguing that he may have killed his family members to cover up other financial crimes.

It appears that the trial for the murders of Paul and Margaret Murdaugh is ongoing, with Alex Murdaugh maintaining his innocence. If he is convicted, he could face at least 30 years in prison, with prosecutors seeking a life sentence. Viewers interested in learning more about the case can watch Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal on Netflix.