We previously saw in episode 2 of “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,” that Mallory had been discovered dead seven days after the incident. Investigation revealed that, despite Paul’s denials and his constant attempts to blame Connor, Paul was more likely to have been behind the wheel than Connor. Upon being detained and brought before the court, Paul pleaded that he was not guilty of the charges agaisnt him. Unfortunately, Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were fatally shot in their Moselle home on June 7, 2021. Although Alex Murdaugh was the one who called the police, the investigation revealed that Alex Murdaugh actually possessed the murder weapons used in the crime. As a result, it is possible to infer that Alex Murdaugh was involved in the killing of his family.
Episode 3 opens with yet another highly suspicious murder case that occurred in 2015 when a young boy called Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of the highway. A bystander who called 911 was the one who discovered the dead body first. Will People was a journalist working on the murder case of Paul and Maggie when he received information about this 2015 case. Sandy Smith, the mother of Stephen Smith, hired an investigator who also received numerous tips about Stephen’s death from other sources. A recurring name in all of these tips was that of Buster Murdaugh. The hearsay revealed that Paul’s older brother, Buster, had had a sexual relationship with Stephen, which the Murdaugh family had looked down upon. So, there may be a strong possibility that the Murdaughs were complicit in Stephen Smith’s murder. In addition to the news of their relationship, there was also a tip about Stephen’s encounter with Buster prior to his murder. According to an informant, Stephen had met Buster on the highway the night before he was slain. Despite the fact that all available evidence pointed to the Murdaughs, none of these informants stepped forward to make a formal statement because they were wary of the Murdaughs and their unbridled ability to harm anyone who stood in their way. The Murdaughs had never been interviewed by the investigating team regarding the murder of Smith. Therefore, the case just naturally faded away.
The topic of Gloria’s passing came up. Gloria was the housekeeper who raised Paul like her own child. She passed away in 2018 after being knocked down the stairs by the Murdaugh family dogs. Gloria was admitted to the hospital after suffering a severe head injury, and two days later, she passed away. As theories about Maggie or Paul being involved in Gloria’s death started to circulate, Anthony was of the opinion that Paul was not to blame because he was the one who loved Gloria the most. Alex Murdaugh had been charged with stealing money from the legal practice in the interim. Instead of practicing law, Alex was more engaged in lining his own pockets. Alex Murdaugh had misused about 4.3 million dollars from the law firm, which led to his resignation from the firm. In addition to taking money from the law firm or various clients, Alex also took a sizable quantity of money in the name of compensation to provide for Gloria Satterfield’s family; however, none of her family members ever received the funds. Alex Murdaugh, who was at his parents’ home at the time of the murder at his Moselle home, was not entirely truthful in his testimony. Last but not least, the video footage obtained from Paul Murdaugh’s phone, which was recovered from Paul’s dead body, showed that before they were murdered, Alex was heard talking to his wife, Maggie, which clearly indicates that Alex was very much present in Moselle at the time of the murder. An attempt was made to assassinate Alex Murdaugh in the middle of the highway three months after the Murdaughs’ double homicide. Alex contacted 911 and reported having been shot in the head, but the police knew right away that it was all a setup. Alex had been committed to rehab at the time and was being drowned in opioids. Even Alex’s lawyer admitted that everything he did was an attempt at suicide motivated by his profound grief over losing his family. But as the inquiry went on, Curtis Edward Smith, the assassin who was also Alex’s drug supplier, was apprehended and charged with assisted suicide. But it wasn’t a suicide, and it was obviously staged to suggest that Alex was also the intended victim. Later, it emerged from the inquiry that Alex had paid money to Curtis both before and after the double homicide in his family. In this regard, Valerie said that Curtis might have been involved in both the attempted murder of Alex and the murders of Paul and Maggie, which Alex might have planned himself.
Alex Murdaugh was accused of murdering his own son and wife and was charged with insurance fraud because of which he was put under arrest, but he pleaded not guilty and rejected all charges during the court hearing. While Alex was incarcerated, his son Buster was frequently seen playing in the casino with his uncle John Murdaugh. Buster was accused of using the legal firm’s lost money, although Buster vigorously refuted all of those claims.
Alex Murdaugh was a prime suspect in the deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, and the inquiry was still ongoing. Despite having entered a not-guilty plea, Alex would be imprisoned without the possibility of parole if found guilty. After Paul Murdaugh passed away, the Mallory Beach investigation was still pending, and the Murdaugh family continued to deny any involvement in Stephen Smith’s murder. When the crime docuseries came to a close, Mallory’s friends and families reflected on her memories and discussed how Paul Murdaugh’s viciousness caused them to lose a significant portion of their hearts on February 24. They all want justice to be served for the families that have been harmed due to the scam and that Alex Murdaugh will receive the proper sentence for the crimes he committed.
