How many Murdaugh murders documentaries are there? Where can you watch them?
The trial of Alex Murdaugh has shocked the nation and spawned a number of true crime series investigating the tragic events.
The nation has been gripped by the unfolding courtroom drama of the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, which sees the prominent former lawyer tried for the homicide of his wife and son.
For more than a century the Murdaughs have been a legal dynasty in the South Carolina Lowcountry and the case has uncovered a huge number of astonishing details. Earlier this week the defence concluded its case in the sixth week of trial and the jury will now deliberate on what it has heard.
In that time jurors have heard tales of corruption, drug abuse and a failed hitman suicide plan. If you have been following along with the developments but want to dive deeper into the case, there are a number of easily accessible documentaries that go further into the Murdaugh murders…
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
(Netflix)
This three-part series was released on Netflix in late February and covers the boat crash, the double homicide and the attempted murder/suicide plot. Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, the documentary is built around fascinating interview scenes with subjects closely connected to the family.
Their testimony brings home the human cost of the tragedy and gives their perspective of the events.
Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty
(HBO Max)
If you want a broader understanding of the Murdaughs’ prominence in the region and its influence on the law, this HBO documentary may be the one for you. As well in-depth interviews with Mallory’s boyfriend Anthony Cook and other close observers, Low Country looks at the pattern of rule-breaking that characterised the family’s past and how it affected the local community.
American Greed: “The Decline of a Dynasty” and “A Legacy of Fraud”
(NBC.com, Peacock)
This two-part investigation offer greater insight into the financial issues that serve as the backdrop to the tragic incidents. The use of re-enactments may not be to everyone’s tastes but these two episodes provide unparalleled understanding of the 99 financial charges currently levelled at Alex in response to the alleged $8.8 million in stolen money.
Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty
(Discovery+)
This chronological exploration starts with the 2019 boat crash and utilises never-before-seen footage from that day, including audio taken from the immediate police response. The documentary aims to outline the “complex labyrinth of corruption” that was weaved by Alex Murdaugh and goes into further detail on the attempted roadside shooting.
The three-part series was released in June 2022, a month before Alex Murdaugh was charged with homicide, meaning that the documentary is only able to loosely speculate about his involvement in the killings. However it offer a different perspective on the events leading up to the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.