The disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh, whose story features in the Netflix documentary Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, has been found guilty of murdering his wife and son to distract from his multi-million dollar financial crimes. The evidence that Alex Murdaugh, 54, committed two counts of murder was so strong that the jury deliberated for less than three hours.
What is the Alex Murdaugh Netflix documentary?
The Murdaugh case first attracted global attention when Netflix and HBO released a documentary chronicling the downfall of a family born to power and privilege. The documentary came out in February and is split into three parts.
Murdaugh used to be an influential personal injury attorney in South Carolina, and for decades until 2006 his family members had served as the leading prosecutors in the area. The jurisdiction became known as "Murdaugh Country" because of their influence.
The trial heard that for years he had been stealing from his law partners and clients to feed his painkiller addiction and an extravagant lifestyle. He killed his wife and children in an attempt to cover up his financial corruption.
Investigators say he stole millions from clients and colleagues, including $3.7m (£3m) in 2019 alone. At trial, the former lawyer admitted to wide-scale theft.
Can I still watch the Alex Murdaugh documentary?
Yes, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is still available to watch on Netflix and has joined the platform's top five most watched TV programmes of the day following the court's verdict. The streaming service describes the show as a series of 'shock tragedies [that] shatter a tight-knit South Carolina community and expose the horrifying secrets of its most powerful'.
The series has proven extremely popular for Netflix but has been met with mixed reviews, many of which focus on the fact that there hadn't been a verdict. Now that Murdaugh has been convicted of murder, it is likely that the show will receive another surge in views from true-crime fans and those who followed the story in the news.
What is the Alex Murdaugh verdict?
He faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge. Murdaugh's wife Maggie and son Paul were shot dead at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate on 7 June 2021.
The former lawyer is said to have 'stood impassively' as he heard the verdict in Walterboro. Some of the most incriminating evidence came from his son's Snapchat, as Murdaugh had previously said he didn't go near the dog kennels where his wife and son were shot all evening. However, in a video taken minutes before their death, Murdaugh's voice can be heard in the background of a video taken at the kennels.
On the stand at trial, he admitted that he lied and blamed his addiction to painkillers for making him paranoid. Alex even tried to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme just three months after he murdered his wife and son by hiring a hitman. But the hitman missed his shot and the bullet only grazed Murdaugh's head.