All language subtitles for Alex.Murdaugh.Death.Deception.Power.2021.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-squalor

‐ Tragedy
in the Lowcountry as...

‐ Their bodies were found...

‐ However, we still don't know
if there are any suspects.

‐ It is the latest turn
in an ongoing saga.

‐ Two members of
a well‐known family are dead.

‐ Both found dead
from gunshot wounds.

‐ Paul had been in trouble
with the law before,

facing criminal charges of
boating under the influence.

‐ That killed a former USC
student, Mallory Beach.

‐ Another death,
and another investigation

tied to the Murdaugh name.

‐ Stephen Smith, who was found
dead in the road,

ruled a hit and run.

‐ There's a new twist in
a story we've been following.

‐ Former housekeeper,
Gloria Satterfield,

who died at the Murdaugh home.

‐ My name is Alex Murdaugh.

‐ I've been an investigative
journalist for 28 years, and a lot of the stories
that I've done

are...are pretty cut and dry.

And this is far from that.

I have to tell you,
I...I haven't worked on a story

this complicated,
this intricate before.

For the last six months,

I've been wading through this
labyrinth of investigations.

And connected
to all of these cases

are members from one family,
the Murdaughs,

and often its patriarch,
53‐year‐old Alex Murdaugh.

It all started
in June of 2021.

‐ Maggie and Paul Murdaugh
were found shot to death

outside of some dog kennels
in their hunting lodge.

‐ A shotgun was used on him.

A semi‐automatic weapon
was used to kill Maggie.

‐ A mother and her son
were shot in cold blood.

And they are a prominent family
in this area.

The big question on...
in my mind,

and also in the minds
of...of many people was,

"What's the motive here?"

Why would someone want
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh dead?

Homicides don't happen
in Hampton County.

Tell me about this place.

‐ Hampton County...if you knew
of...of us at all,

if you knew
what Hampton County was,

you knew us
for our Watermelon Festival,

the oldest continuing festival

in the...in the state
of South Carolina.

‐ We call this the Lowcountry
of South Carolina,

and it has the most vestiges
of the old South.

People here are hardworking.

They're, you know,
basically honest people.

‐ You know, everybody here
is like family.

You can get people here
together for a cause.

‐ Good people.
They're nice and kind.

And they'd give you
the shirt off their back,

you know,
if you ever need help.

Every now and then you get
one of them bad apples.

‐ We're trying to grow
a better county.

And this comes along.

And now we're synonymous
with this Murdaugh.

Man, I was in Colombia
the other day.

And I told somebody
I was from Hampton,

and the first thing they said,

"Oh, you're the home
of the Murdaughs."

‐ I needed to dig deeper into
who the Murdaugh family is.

They're a big deal?
‐ Oh, yes.

Absolutely.
And well respected, yes.

‐ Growing up, you knew
their name?

‐ Oh, absolutely.

My family's grown up
around them all the years.

And I mean,
to hear the name was

to know
that they were respected.

‐ They work very hard.

They give back
to their community.

They will loan their property,

their, you know,
houses or whatever,

to have some type
of a fundraiser.

‐ If you're from Hampton,
you've had some type of...

of relationship
with the Murdaughs.

They're just...they're involved
in everything.

If you run into a Murdaugh
in the Piggly Wiggly

or on the street,
they're gonna shake your hand,

they're gonna know your name,

and they're going to ask you
how you're doing.

‐ The Murdaughs have
deep roots in this community.

So what happened
in the early summer of 2021

was a shock to the people
that live here.

‐ We're following
this developing story tonight.

‐ Tragedy in the Lowcountry

as two members
of a well‐known family

were discovered overnight.
‐ Found shot to death.

‐ No arrests have been made.
‐ No suspects have been named.

No persons of interest
at this time.

‐ April?
‐ Yes.

‐ Hi, I'm Troy.
‐ Nice to meet you.

‐ Nice to meet you.

Have you been able to make
any sense out of all of this?

‐ I do not understand it.

When the call came in,
that, you know,

Maggie and Paul
had been killed...

We was up all night
trying to make sense of it

and nobody could.

As far as the family
as a whole,

I never saw problems.

I loved Maggie,
a very sweet lady.

They always seemed
happy together.

They always did things
as a family.

So it was a...it was
a huge shock

for the...the whole community.

I mean, that's all anybody's
talking about now.

‐ That night, the sirens
started around 10:30.

They just...it was just
non‐stop.

Siren after siren after siren.

I think probably about
the 20th time the car went by,

I mean, I just was at this time
wide awake in bed.

My stepdad was very close
with their dad.

And then other than that,
it's just been

our families
knew one another.

So just disbelief.
Just shock.

‐ At first I was
actually just...

you know,

speechless.

Really couldn't process it.

‐ It's mind‐blowing.
I mean, there's a lot of us

that don't really know
what to say.

It's...it's very tragic.
It's...it's sad.

‐ You just don't see, you know,
a young man and a...and a mother

being killed
in a community like this.

‐ In the days following
the murders,

Alex and his eldest son,
Buster,

made no statements
to the press.

But Alex's brothers spoke out
on behalf of the family.

‐ I got a call from...from
Alex Monday night.

And as soon as
I answered the phone,

I knew something was wrong.

You know, man.

He just told me, he said,
"Come as fast as you can.

Paul and Maggie
have been hurt."

‐ It changes you as a family.

And I can't imagine the horror

that
my brother's experiencing.

‐ Can't envision who would
do something like that.

‐ You...you'll never know
the truth

about anything, you know.

There's only two people
that know.

The person that did it
and the good man upstairs.

You don't know who did what.

‐ Of course,
you can count on us

to bring you the very latest
as we learn more details.

Now reporting live,
Riley Benson down on two.

‐ I remember sitting
in our...our morning meeting

and our news director came in

and they said,
"Who wants to go to Hampton?"

I remember all the reporters,
nobody raised their hand.

I'd never even heard of it
until Alex Murdaugh

all happened.
And I got...I was the lucky one

who got sent down
to Hampton County.

Then we get out here

and it was that first day
after the double murder.

You know, SLEDs out here
and the Sheriff's right here.

And so I've been covering it
really from that point.

We came to know that,
you know, they said

that Alex was
a person of interest early on.

‐ Right.
‐ But not totally surprising

when he was the one
who found the bodies.

He was the one who called 911,
and of course, you know,

he's the husband, the father.

There's still
no real explanation behind

what happened on this
Colleton County family property

or any information
on who could be

behind the brutal shootings.

Residents say
lack of information

has many community members
drawing their own conclusions

in this high profile case.

‐ Any sign that there was
a robbery in progress?

‐ They did find her cellphone
thrown on the side of the road.

So whoever it was, appears
to have taken her cellphone.

‐ I've been to
a lot of crime scenes

and looked at
a lot of homicides.

And to me this is...it's
almost more than personal.

In some ways, it's overkill.

Two different weapons
shot multiple times

when one shot
would certainly do the job.

We have so little information.

Even the...the reports that were
released through FOIA,

they're so redacted

that you can't even read
a complete sentence.

I mean, anything right now
is possible.

The first person
you want to talk to you

is the person
that found the body.

‐ Alex Murdaugh.
‐ Exactly.

‐ Alex makes a 911 call
at 10:08.

The time of death ruled
between 9:00 and 9:30.

Alex reported to have
a "stone‐cold alibi."

He was with his dad, Randolph,

who died just
a couple of days later.

‐ Just natural causes,
but died.

‐ And he also went to see
his mother who has dementia.

‐ So do you have
your own theories?

‐ Everybody has a theory
in this town.

‐ Everyone has a theory
and a lot of it is just

rumors and gossip.

I mean, there are a lot of
potential enemies there

of this family.

We came across an old article
on them from 2009

where someone tried
to burn down their home.

I mean, most people
don't have...I mean,

no one's ever tried
to burn my home down.

‐ This was a twisted,
twisted tale.

We began investigating
this double homicide

at the hunting lodge.

But as we dug further,

that was just
the tip of the iceberg.

‐ The more questions you ask,
the more questions evolve.

‐ What would someone gain from
killing a mother and her son?

Revenge?

‐ Sex?

‐ Never had a case that was
shrouded in so much secrecy.

‐ Money?

‐ Do you guys know who she is?
‐ Yeah, she works for us.

‐ When you have this many
untimely deaths,

what's happening here?

‐ A lot of people
don't want to talk.

They're afraid.

‐ There's something
terribly wrong here.

‐ The motives for murder
are pretty basic. It's not surprising.

Betrayal, revenge,
sex, and money.

I've done this a long time.

And it all boils down
to those four.

In June 2021, the murders
of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh

shocked the Lowcountry.

How could the wife and son

of one of the most
prominent attorneys in town

have been murdered
in their own home?

But even more shocking were
two subsequent statements

by law enforcement.

First, they were not
naming any suspects.

Second,
the public had no reason

to fear for their safety.

‐ I think people were probably

just as perplexed
as you and I are.

But they did say that there was
no threat to public safety.

So everyone was confused of
"Okay, if there's no threat

"to public safety,

then why hasn't there
been arrests made yet?"

‐ Why do you think the law
enforcement isn't giving out

even a smidgen of information?

‐ For me, I feel
that there's a different way

to go about an investigation
of this magnitude.

I mean, when you think about
who the Murdaughs are,

they're infamous around here,
especially these parts.

Of course, it's going
to be handled differently

because they're well known.

I have faith that they're doing
what they're supposed to do.

‐ News organizations
became aware

that there was no information
being provided to the public

by the Colleton County
Sheriff's Department.

The law says
that these police reports

for the preceding 14 days

must be made available
for inspection and copying

without a written request.

The report
from the Sheriff's Office

contained no information
at all.

A reporter from
the Post and Courier

went to the State Law
Enforcement Division

and was denied access
to the building.

The judge reviewed
the original documents,

unredacted documents,

and the claimed exemptions
asserted by law enforcement

and said they were appropriate.

It shouldn't take a lawsuit
to get information.

If I'm truly cynical,

I'd say that somebody's
being protected.

If I'm merely skeptical,

I'd say it's
the Sheriff's Office

had no idea what it was doing.

‐ As an outsider
covering the story,

you have to wonder
why law enforcement agencies

would be so tight‐lipped
about a case as significant

as the double murder
of two members

of one of the most prominent
families in the area.

Tell me about the Murdaughs.

‐ 85 years, they've been
solicitors in this district.

Solicitor is prosecutor
down in this area.

‐ Randolph I, in 1920, served
until his death in 1940.

Local legend says
that he never put

a shingle out front
of his law firm

with his name on it.

Because people everywhere

knew where the
Murdaugh Law Firm was located.

Randolph Murdaugh built
the beginnings of something

that grew and grew and became
this...this powerful law firm.

His son, Randolph Jr....
Buster...

ran for election
and he became solicitor.

‐ Hell of a trial lawyer.

He could get away with things
you couldn't do now.

He'd throw evidence
across the courtroom

if he wanted to make a point.

He had a flair
for the dramatic.

‐ Then Randolph III came,

and he served
almost another 20 years.

‐ Randolph was a gentleman
as well.

Anytime he had a murder case
involving a shooting,

he made sure
to wear a white shirt.

And he would get
a red magic marker

and he goes at
the medical examiner.

You know, "Where...where did
the bullet go in?"

And the medical examiner

would put this big red dot
on his shirt

and then another one
if there was one there.

‐ They...I'd probably tell you
it's the longest running

solicitor run
in all the country.

Put a lot of people in prison
in the last 85 years.

‐ Knowing their long history
as prosecutors,

you have to wonder
if the Murdaugh family

may have made enemies
along the way.

‐ They also had a very
profitable law practice

in litigation,
mostly civil suits.

‐ They call it
the house that CSX built.

I think it made a name
for itself

because the lawyers knew

how to use the venue provisions
in South Carolina.

‐ Because of
the venue statutes,

those statutes that govern
where suits are brought,

if you had any property
in a county,

you could bring suit against
a corporation in that county,

regardless of where
the injury might have occurred.

And railroads running
throughout South Carolina

often got sued
in Hampton County

by lawyers
from the Murdaugh firm.

And they were quite successful.

‐ This law firm is huge.
I mean, they always win money.

They generally win millions
of dollars for their clients.

They just knew
that the Murdaughs

were the ones who would get you
the money that you wanted.

‐ Who was Alex Murdaugh?

‐ He works hard.

He's always been
a...a family guy.

You know, you can be
in the grocery store

and he'll come in.

If he sees you,
you turn around,

he comes over to speak.

You know, you'd think
he's a politician.

I just kind of see Alex
as a normal guy.

‐ He is very influential.
He's a...he's a dad of two.

I think he's
a very successful lawyer

and volunteer prosecutor.

‐ Alex was the one
we all thought

would have replaced
his dad as Solicitor.

Because Alex was a kind
of brash BS politician.

He'd put his arm around you,
remember your name.

I've known Alex
since he's been 18.

He's always been
a...a good guy to me.

‐ There's no great money
in being a solicitor.

If you look up the salary,
I'm sure it's...it's not

what you'd make as an attorney
at a personal injury law firm.

‐ This was a powerful family.

And Alex Murdaugh had
a lengthy list of clients.

Could it have something to do
with an old case?

Did the family have enemies?

If people in town had theories,
no one was talking.

This is Troy Roberts.
I'm a reporter.

I'm interested
in sitting down with you

to discuss
the Murdaugh family case.

When I arrived in August,

I reached out
to multiple people

who may have some information
about this case.

You're...you're not interested.

I was met with
so much resistance.

A lot of hang‐ups.

‐ He is not available
for any comments?

Investigating this story
has been extremely frustrating.

People either cancel,

or they're uncooperative,

or they ghost us.

Could you tell him
that Troy Roberts called?

Is there any way
that you could pencil me in?

I have not encountered
this kind of wall of silence

for any criminal cases
that I've covered

with the exception of
the John Gotti trial, frankly.

A neutral party will be better.

Okay, got it. Okay.

‐ I will.

‐ The unsolved double murder of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh
is making news headlines.

‐ One of the victims
of that double homicide...

‐ 22‐year‐old Paul Murdaugh.

‐ Paul Murdaugh had been in
trouble with the law before.

‐ Facing three felony charges.

‐ Before he and his mother
were murdered,

Paul was a student at the
University of South Carolina.

But trouble had a way
of following him around.

‐ I grew up in Hilton Head,
South Carolina,

which is in Beaufort County
down on the coast.

This started out
as very local story.

And now it's become national.

There's lots
of national attention.

I really didn't know
how I could help.

I'm not in law enforcement.

I don't really have any
connections to law enforcement.

But I had an idea that I could
possibly do this podcast.

I thought it would also be
a good way to draw attention

to the stories and hopefully
get resolution for the victims.

I started the podcast

after the double homicide
of Maggie and Paul,

but that's not when I first
became interested in the story.

I actually first became
interested in the story

back in 2019.

‐ Do you know much
about Paul Murdaugh?

‐ He was privileged.

‐ Paul was...
‐ Not a good reputation.

‐ Does not have
a good reputation.

‐ Paul was...all accounts
seemed to be,

I guess, the wild child.

‐ Their party spot was Moselle.

They'd go there and party.

‐ I've been to parties
at their home.

‐ Parties at the Murdaugh home?
‐ Yep.

Always a fight, period.
There is always a fight.

Seems like he had
a lot of anger.

‐ Paul had a alter ego
named Timmy.

That when he became
intoxicated,

he became this Jekyll
and Hyde kind of character.

‐ Could Paul's murder
have been an act of revenge?

What happened that night

when Paul and his friends
were on the boat?

‐ They had been drinking.

They bought alcohol
with his older brother's ID.

‐ These kids
all kind of grew up together.

Connor and Anthony
are cousins.

And then there was Paul,

Morgan, Mallory, and Miley.

‐ Everybody went to school and
everybody socialized together.

These kids were a band
of brothers and sisters...

to use a hackneyed phrase,
I guess...

with a very special
relationship

that's forever been torn up.

‐ Who as teenagers has not
drank before you're of age?

I mean,
I can't think a lot of us

could say
that we haven't done that.

A lot of us were
just lucky enough

that, you know, somebody
didn't get killed or hurt.

‐ Teenagers drinking
and partying on a boat

is not that unusual.

But the events
of February 24, 2019,

would change the lives
of these six kids forever.

‐ They had made plans
to go to a Oyster Race.

They decided to travel by boat

because there
was reportedly a DUI stop.

So they go
to this Oyster Race,

they have the beers.

After that,
Paul really wanted to go

to downtown Beaufort
and do some shots.

Most of the other group
didn't want to go,

But Paul and Connor
go into the bar.

The rest of them
did not have IDs.

No one was 21.

They go to a local park
and just hang out.

Paul and Connor do
a few shots.

Paul, at this point,
has a conflict

with one of the patrons.

So they quickly shuffled Paul
back to the boat.

‐ At the end of a very long day
of underage drinking

and nightfall, fog,
late hours,

it appears Paul Murdaugh
was not only angry,

but very, very intoxicated.

‐ Paul is insisting on driving.

No one really wants him
to drive

because he's intoxicated.

I think he became
kind of an angry drunk

and this is from depositions.

They called him Timmy.

‐ Timmy did something
with his hands

or some sort of hand motions.

And so when they said
that on the boat,

they started seeing him
do these hand things,

they're like,
we know Timmy is here.

‐ It's dark and foggy.

And an angry person
at the wheel of the boat.

‐ They did not have lights.

They were navigating
with a small flashlight.

He was driving in circles,
not really getting anywhere.

They're all starting
to get mad at him.

They're yelling at him.

He goes up and he has
a confrontation with Morgan,

who was
Paul's then girlfriend,

where he pushes, spits on,
and hits her.

At that point, Connor,
who was standing next to him,

takes over the steering.

And I think this happened
a few...few times?

‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ They're all again yelling
and then somehow,

the throttle gets pushed.

‐ How fast was he going?

‐ 35 miles an hour, I believe.

‐ He went at a high rate
of speed under the bridge

which is a bit dangerous,
anyway.

It's narrow.

And the boat struck
the pilings at the bridge.

‐ Thrown out of the boat
were Paul Murdaugh,

Anthony Cook,
and Mallory Beach.

Who is missing?

‐ Female, Mallory Beach.

On the early hours
of February 24, 2019,

more than two years
before his brutal murder,

Paul Murdaugh
and five friends crash

into the Archers Creek Bridge.

‐ What followed was total chaos

as one of the passengers,
Mallory Beach,

was nowhere to be found.

‐ Connor is the one
who called 911.

Morgan had
some sort of hand injury.

‐ She was bleeding a lot,
they said.

Now Anthony's
had a shoulder injury.

‐ But he was swimming
and swimming

and trying to find Mallory.

‐ Knowing the extent of
injuries that Connor Cook had,

I mean, he had a broken jaw,

I was surprised that
he was able to be that calm

while talking
to the 911 operator.

‐ Can you hurry?
‐ What did you say?

‐ There was a lot of chaos.

Anthony Cook, Connor's cousin,

Paul Murdaugh, to some extent,

were both in the water.

You have to envision swimming

in the middle of the night
with fog.

It's cool.
People are screaming.

But it's a tidal creek,

so the water
is constantly moving.

‐ Now, Anthony's...
he's fired up,

He definitely blames Paul.

‐ You had lots of
law enforcement there.

So people who were injured
were capable

of being attended to before
they left for the hospital.

You had officers who were able
to engage in the immediacy

of the search
to try and save Mallory Beach,

to locate her and save her.

‐ Anthony refused
medical attention

because he wanted to stay
and look for Mallory.

But the other four
go to the hospital.

Paul,
who had to be restrained,

had to have a police officer
ride with them.

‐ When they went
to the hospital,

they were separated
and taken into different rooms.

‐ Paul reportedly called
his grandfather.

‐ Why?

‐ Because his grandfather
was a lawyer,

and he felt like he needed
to be there to help him.

‐ He had called
his grandfather,

I think thinking maybe
his grandfather

would be a little nicer
to him than his dad.

Turned out, that wasn't
necessarily the case

when they got to the hospital.

‐ They met him at the hospital.

‐ Security had to be called in

because Paul was
acting up again.

And he says to one of
the nurses about her butt,

how he likes it.

And she says, "I'm going to
have to get a urine test."

And he says,
"Will you hold it?"

He...just very rude.

‐ There was a failure to
administer blood alcohol tests.

‐ There was by
law enforcement, yes.

At the scene, they did not.

However, the hospital did.

‐ He was acting so bizarre
that they thought

he might have a brain injury,
and so that is actually

why his blood alcohol
was tested at the hospital.

‐ And?

‐ It was over three times
the legal limit.

And this was quite some time
after the boating accident.

‐ While hospital staff was
trying to treat Paul,

rescue crews were searching
the nighttime waters

for any sign of Mallory Beach.

Meanwhile, Paul's father,
Alex, was now

at Beaufort Memorial Hospital
springing into action.

‐ This whole scene
in this hospital,

according to
the hospital staff,

nurses and security,
is...is insane.

They report that Alex
was moving from room to room.

He was trying to find out
where they were.

He even got Connor as Connor
was going to get his CAT scan.

He was trying to get into
Paul's girlfriend's room.

‐ He's outside of her room
saying, "I need to get in

so I could tell her
what to say."

‐ And the girlfriend's like,
"I don't want them in here."

‐ They say he was...seemed like
it was a plan to orchestrate.

The charge nurse goes
as far as saying that,

"You need to stay
in your son's room,"

and had a security guard
looking out to make sure

that he did, in fact,
stay in his son's room.

‐ Paul starts to talk.

And Paul's grandfather
steps in and,

"He's not giving
any statements," they say.

‐ "You're talking to us now."

‐ Police always want to talk
to the suspects

before they have a chance
to lawyer up.

Before they have a chance
really to think

through the...what they might
say to a police officer.

That's just generally
good police work.

‐ Unless you are the lawyer
for those people,

I think there's no reason
for you to go into their room

and tell them not to talk
to law enforcement.

It reminded me of a story
my first senior partner

used to tell on getting
witnesses ready for a trial.

And he would get the witnesses
out behind the horse shed

to get the story straight.

So it sounded to me
like the Murdaughs

were going around trying
to horse shed the witnesses

before the police
had a chance to interview them.

‐ This family is
a legal dynasty.

And whenever one of them
gets into trouble,

they seem to be
treated differently

from most other people.

Did law enforcement have
a cozy relationship

with the Murdaugh family?

‐ I mean,
they worked hand‐in‐hand

with law enforcement
as prosecutors.

‐ For a long time.

‐ The Murdaughs have built
a relationship

with law enforcement.

And it hasn't been an illegal
type of relationship.

You're working side‐by‐side
to win cases,

but you're also hunting
and fishing together.

You're enjoying
some good barbecue together.

Now, put yourself in the mind
of a police officer

in Hampton County.

Let's just speculate
and say something comes up

and the Murdaugh name
is mentioned.

Very few
law enforcement officers

would be brave enough
to raise their hand and say

"Hey, I've got a Murdaugh
over here doing something."

It'd be career suicide.

‐ In the Mallory Beach case,
one of the officers...

‐ I think he was possibly
a groomsman in his wedding.

‐ Yes.

‐ There were definitely
connections.

‐ One of the brothers
of Alex Murdaugh

brought around a boat trailer

and was allowed access
to the crime scene.

Another interesting piece
of a very disturbing puzzle

of an investigation

that didn't seem to be
full throated and enthusiastic.

‐ By all accounts, events
at the hospital were chaotic.

And the media and the public
have focused

largely on the alleged actions
of Alex Murdaugh that night,

sometimes losing sight
of the fact

that a 19‐year‐old girl
was missing

in the chilly Beaufort waters.

‐ Sunrise, crews are
continuing to search

for a former USC student

who went missing
over the weekend.

‐ Department of Natural
Resources says it wasn't clear

who was driving.

The cause of the crash
remains under investigation.

‐ Inconsistencies
in the investigation

are one thing,

but the core of the inquiry
into Mallory Beach's death

centers around
one single question.

Who was driving the boat
that fateful night?

‐ That is the...that is
the million...

‐ Million dollar question.

‐ Yes, the question is because

Connor and Paul were both
in the captain's seat area.

And some of the boaters...
there was a blanket

over one of their heads.

Anthony was down on the floor
with his girlfriend.

‐ There's a lot of curious
things about this.

A, there's missing evidence.
So that is part of the problem.

‐ Paul Murdaugh's
clothing...because

when the police arrived,
he had stripped down,

but his clothing
was never found.

And then there's the problem

of the biological evidence
on the boat itself.

We know the biological
evidence was gathered

under the watchful eye
of a DNR officer.

And much of that
are now unaccounted for.

‐ There was only actually
one recorded statement.

‐ Well, they think that
Anthony Cook's was recorded,

but there's no...

But they can't find it.

‐ We do have dash cam audio.

‐ The night of his treatment
at the hospital,

Connor Cook's folks
were directed to a lawyer

named Cory Fleming

who they've hired to defend
Connor Cook's interests.

And their ultimate
determination to discharge

the services of Mr. Fleming
were because they learned

that he had a very
special relationship

with the Murdaugh family,

including being the godfather
of Paul Murdaugh,

the other potential suspect.

‐ It seems like
steps were taken

to protect this young man.

‐ You can draw
your own conclusions.

‐ Three days of searching,
still no sign of 19‐year‐old Mallory Beach.

‐ In the days after the crash,
speculation continued

about whether Paul Murdaugh
was driving the boat...

a boat owned
by his father Alex...

and while the controversy
about whether Alex might have

interfered in the
investigation was beginning,

closure on what happened
to Mallory Beach

was about to come.

You learned that Mallory
was missing in the river?

‐ Right, Mm‐hmm.

‐ So were you hopeful
that she would be found alive?

‐ I was very hopeful.

Obviously, as time goes on,

you realize that the chances
are a little slimmer.

‐ How do you know Mallory?

‐ Mallory's sister, Savannah,
is married to my nephew.

She was a very sweet,

very fun‐loving,
just full of life.

Just sweetest person
you'd ever meet.

‐ While Mallory's family wish
for a miracle,

law enforcement
and local volunteers

continue to search
the waterways

hoping to find Mallory.

‐ This is the Battery Creek.
It's the marshes of Beaufort.

The tide here fluctuates
in height,

six to eight feet,
roughly every six hours.

So right now you're looking
at low tide

and in six hours from now on,
the tide'll be

all the way up
almost to the top of the grass.

‐ You told me you spoke
to Mallory Beach's family

before agreeing
to meet with me.

What did you say to them?

‐ I just want...I just wanted
to get their permission

because I had not spoken
to anybody.

It was a great conversation.
Just the sweetest people ever.

And...and he said,
"No, you're...you're welcome

to tell your story
and how you play into this."

Because they want
Mallory's story told, you know?

‐ How did you hear
about this boat accident?

‐ So it was...
as you can imagine,

that accident was front page
of the paper.

Everybody seemed to know
somebody involved in it.

I knew the whole community
was out there looking

that they would find her.

And as time went on,

that didn't turn out
to be the case.

I was working all week,

working night shift
at the hospital.

And it just led up
to that Sunday morning.

And I got home,
and I was laying there,

and I said,
"You know what?

I...I think I'll go out
and look today."

I just took off my hat
and said a quick prayer.

And I said, "Lord,
let this girl be found today."

And so we went down, probably,

I don't know,
400 or 500 yards.

And it's just like
what you see around here.

There are creeks everywhere.

We worked our way right up
in the small creek.

And we instantly found her.

The boat didn't turn one time.

We could have gone
in 100 creeks.

And we drove right up on her.

Within 12 minutes
of being on the boat,

she was right there.

But I...I can honestly
say and...and

I...I mean this
with all sincerity,

I really feel like
I had nothing to do

with finding Mallory.

If you're a man of faith,

you'll understand
what I'm saying.

I was just thankful
for the family

that that closure had come.

‐ The body of Mallory Beach
was found in a marsh

one week after the boat
that she was riding in

late at night crashed...

‐ When did you give up hope?

‐ You know, for the...I prayed

for the family
the whole entire time.

A day or two goes by,
you know,

you definitely do start
to have this fear,

but you just continue
to pray for them.

It was absolutely tragic.
You know, what happened then.

I know it's, you know,

hard for them
because of the murders,

now they're having to relive
all this all over again too.

‐ What was the community's
reaction to this case?

‐ They were outraged
that it was taking forever.

What they deemed forever.

They take two months to indict
Paul or indict anybody.

They're thinking
it's the Murdaughs.

It's...nothing's gonna ever
come of this.

‐ We have new developments
in the Beaufort County case.

Charges have been filed.

‐ Paul Murdaugh was indicted

on boating
under the influence.

‐ If Murdaugh is convicted,

he faces up to 15 years
for each BUI charge

and up to 25 years
for the fatal BUI charge.

‐ A lot of the community
was upset

that he was not
in an orange jumpsuit

and that he got to take
his mug shot in the courtroom.

‐ That he was getting
special treatment.

‐ Yes.

‐ I saw a state
law enforcement agent

walk in with an old style
wooden box with a handle on it.

It was a fingerprint kit.

That was arranged
from minute one,

that kid was not gonna take
50 steps over into the jail

from the courthouse.

That's arrogance.

‐ Well, Paul Murdaugh
had great lawyers.

‐ He's pleading not guilty.

And as a result,

he should be released
on his own recognizance.

‐ He got out on bail.

And he petitioned
to be allowed to go back

to USC, South Carolina...
go back to college,

which caused some problems
in the community

that he was able
to go about his life.

‐ We just need...want
to accommodate any concerns

the AG's Office had.
He's not leaving this state.

He's not gonna
leave the country.

So...and he waived extradition.

Those are normal conditions.

So, no, we did exactly
what's normal.

This is being handled
in a very normal fashion.

‐ I think that most people
who would have found themselves

as defendants
in that circumstance

would have been treated
dramatically differently.

‐ Who was responsible
for Mallory Beach's death?

That question
does remain unanswered.

‐ The Beach family still
has a wrongful death lawsuit

pending against
the Murdaugh family.

‐ They named Alex...

Who was the owner
of the boat.

They named Buster,
who had provided his ID

to his brother.

They named Parker's, who is
where they bought the alcohol.

Actually, Paul was never named
in the civil lawsuit.

‐ Right.

‐ So what might all of this
have to do

with the murder
of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh?

‐ The first hearing
on this civil lawsuit

was supposed to be three days
after Paul was murdered.

Timing was rather odd.

‐ Who stands to gain the most
with Maggie and Paul gone?

‐ If it's a monetary gain,
then you could think of someone

in the family
who stands to inherit things.

Or if it's because someone was
angry at something they did.

‐ And if it was
a revenge thing,

who's to say
that they didn't think

Alex was gonna be there?

‐ By the end of the summer,
Alex Murdaugh was facing

civil lawsuits
in the death of Mallory Beach,

and he was reeling from the
homicides of his wife and son.

But what happened to him next,
no one could have predicted.

‐ It can't get
crazier than this.

‐ One story is that
she tripped over the dogs

and fell down the stairs.

‐ It was declared
natural causes.

‐ There's nothing natural
about falling downstairs.

‐ $4.3 million.

I have no idea
where the money is right now.

‐ With Stephen Smith,

it was a disaster
from the start.

‐ This is murder?
‐ In my opinion.

‐ The primary question

is who killed
Paul and Maggie Murdaugh?

‐ There's a lot more
twists and turns to come

in the saga of Alex Murdaugh.

‐ Two weeks, and still
no one has been arrested after two members
of a South Carolina family

were found dead in their home.

‐ As law enforcement
investigated the murders

of Paul and Maggie,
they made a shocking discovery.

Today, authorities have refused
to reveal what they found.

Whatever it is,
this discovery prompted them

to reopen the investigation
into the 2015 hit‐and‐run death

of 19‐year‐old Stephen Smith,
found dead on a quiet road.

What's even more
surprising to me

is that the local community

didn't seem shocked
by the connection.

‐ Okay.
‐ All right.

‐ Stephen Smith's body
was found

in the middle
of the rural road.

He had a large gaping wound
on his head.

And his vehicle was parked
down the road

several miles away
with the gas cap open.

‐ His wallet was
still in the car as well.

‐ His wallet was still
in the car?

‐ Yes.

‐ And why wouldn't you
take your wallet?

If you ran out of gas
or anywhere you're out of gas,

no one just would leave
their wallet in the car.

‐ In the Lowcountry, the
South Carolina Highway Patrol

continues to investigate
what they think is

a fatal hit‐and‐run.

‐ With that Stephen Smith case,
I was the executive officer

of the coastal unit,
which is MAIT,

the Multi‐Disciplinary
Accident Investigation Team.

My responsibilities
were to oversee

everything about
any investigation.

‐ I've worked on
very high profile cases.

And I've never had a case
that I feel like was shrouded

in so much secrecy.

It was a disaster
from the start.

‐ Stephen Smith was
on his way from college

when he ran out of gas.

What happened after that
isn't clear.

‐ According to statements
from Stephen Smith's sister,

her father received two calls
the night of Stephen's death.

‐ Stephen's father's
first call,

the guy was from the coroner
telling Stephen was dead.

The second Call was
from Randy Murdaugh,

who said "I'll represent
you for free."

‐ Where his body was found,
no evidence was really gathered

what you would be looking
for...for an accident.

Usually, if you have some type
of injuries from an accident,

you're going to get some type
of splatter no matter what.

Nothing
out at the scene there.

If I'm not mistaken,
there was no chain of custody

done with the clothes.

We were never given
the opportunity to see the car

in its original state
where they found it.

I examined that car a few
days later in an impound lot

that sat there
pretty much open.

‐ So it could have
been contaminated.

‐ Yes.

It was a what I call trying
to piece a puzzle together

when you don't have
a whole lot of pieces.

‐ The initial coroner thought

it was potentially
a gunshot wound.

But pathologists ruled it
a hit‐and‐run.

She really was the only one
who said

that it was a hit‐and‐run.

‐ Apparently, there were
divergent views

over potential cause of death.

I don't think it's unusual
that doctors could disagree.

It seems kind of strange

that the disagreement
would be so dramatic.

‐ What was Stephen Smith's
cause of death?

‐ Blunt force trauma.

‐ So he was killed
by a...a heavy instrument?

‐ I would say so, yes, sir.

‐ That struck him in the head?

‐ Correct.

‐ This was murder?
‐ In my opinion.

‐ Investigators say Stephen
Smith was struck by a car,

but his mother
doesn't believe that story.

‐ He called his sister
one night.

He ran out of gas.

And he hid in the woods
and would not come out

till he was sure it was her.

And so we know for a fact
that it was not a hit‐and‐run.

Stephen would not have been
in the highway.

‐ Whether it was foul play
or a hit‐and‐run,

Sandy wants the person
who's responsible

for her son's death
to know something.

‐ I just want to say, you know,
I mean, I forgive you.

I don't hate you.

There's just answers.
I want some answers.

‐ I commend Stephen's mother.
Because a mother knows.

And she never gave up
on...on her son.

And I do commend her for that,

for wanting answers
that she deserves.

‐ I had questions
from day one.

There was a rape kit done,
which, to me, is unusual.

‐ Why?
‐ Exactly.

If it was a hit‐and‐run,
why...why are we doing

a rape kit?
Yeah.

‐ Did anyone explain to you
the reason behind it?

‐ No, sir.

Typically,
you're not gonna do that

unless you think
somebody's been raped.

‐ Stephen Smith was well‐liked.

He was gay.

We don't have
any concrete information

other than Stephen Smith's mom,
Sandy, says

he was involved with someone
in an influential family

but never goes on to name...

‐ Names.
‐ Names.

‐ When did Stephen come out?

‐ I feel like he came out
maybe eighth grade.

‐ To you or to everyone?

‐ Generally, everyone, yeah.
‐ Really?

What kind of reception
did he get?

‐ There were mainly guys
that called him names,

picked on him.

From our town in general,

it's not a thing
that they accept.

It...you...the amount of kids

who have been shunned
and abused

because they're a part of
the LGBT community in Hampton,

you'd be shocked.
It's really sad.

When he passed away,
it definitely broke my heart,

you know?

He really made me happy.
He was a good friend.

He wasn't like other people.

When you talk to Stephen,
it was like,

you know you were safe.

You knew you were cared
about and respected, you know?

You don't find that
in a lot of people.

‐ Did you speak
to any of Stephen's friends?

‐ Yes.

But it was just
a bunch of rumors

that we could not
confirm or deny.

‐ They would say, "I've heard
this from...I heard this from."

And it was always, you know,
going in a circle.

‐ Investigators continue
to chase rumors

that the Murdaughs
were somehow involved.

‐ Because the Murdaugh's name
was brought up so much,

we wanted to gather
as much information we can

so if we get the opportunity
to interview them,

we can confront them
with this information.

‐ Did you ever have
that opportunity?

‐ No, sir.

‐ We were told
to hold off on that

until we found
further information

that could lead us
more towards that family.

If we're gonna
confront somebody,

you're only gonna get
one opportunity

with a household name
like that.

‐ Frustrating?
‐ Yes, sir.

‐ Was this a hit‐and‐run,
an accident?

‐ There is no way
it was a hit‐and‐run.

There is no way.

Murder.
It had to be murder.

I hate to say
that it would be murder

because the thought of him
going through the things

that he went through,
I hate that.

I hate that thought.

But I think, yeah, that
he was definitely murdered.

‐ In all of my years
of reporting,

when the same name is repeated
over and over again,

it's usually not
a coincidence.

‐ Their family's name come up
in reports multiple times.

‐ The last name of that family
came up all the time.

‐ This is the spot where
19‐year‐old Stephen Smith died. His car was found about
three miles from this location.

And no one really knows
where he was going

or why he left the car behind.
It was...it was very curious

that...that this young man's
body was found here.

Why here?

And we still
don't have answers.

Could a Murdaugh
have been involved

in the death of Stephen Smith?

Why would their names appear
so many times in police reports

related to the investigation?

‐ In the Lowcountry,

the South Carolina
Highway Patrol continues

to investigate what they think
is a fatal hit‐and‐run.

They say they need
the public's help

with information
on this incident.

‐ The Highway Patrol say

that there are
no suspects in custody

and they do not have
a description of the car.

‐ Thanksgiving of that year,

we called
Stephen Smith's mother, Sandy,

into the "Guardian" office.

And we told her
we wanted to hear her story.

We wanted to reach out
to the community,

touch people's hearts,

and, hopefully, compel someone

to come forward
with some information.

She told us that she knew
who killed her son,

that she was hearing
these same rumors.

‐ She said she believed Stephen
was killed for being gay

by some Hampton County youths.

‐ We wrote that story
and published it

in our Thanksgiving edition.

And I sat and I waited.

Unfortunately,
no one ever came forward.

‐ The final ruling was that
Stephen Smith was killed

in a hit‐and‐run?

‐ Yes.
‐ Correct.

‐ There is the frustration
of why did this young man

not get any attention
at the time?

What happened there?

Why did it take this many
years to be a story?

‐ Law enforcement isn't saying
why they reopened

the six‐year‐old
Stephen Smith case.

But the timing,

just weeks after the murder
of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh,

was a coincidence
not lost on many.

‐ It was tragic the way
he passed away.

I liked Stephen, he...he seemed
like a pretty laid back,

you know, outgoing young fella.

You know, he had a lot of life
left ahead of him.

I hope they figure out
what's going on

and figure out the truth,
and I say,

bring peace and comfort
to the family and loved ones.

‐ Stephen Smith,
who died back in 2015,

had some sort of connection
to the Murdaugh family,

most prominently,
Buster Murdaugh,

the son and brother...

Buster has remained
very quiet

and kind of in the shadow
during all of this.

Not a lot of stories
about Buster.

Because Buster, seems to be,
was the one

who was closest
to Stephen Smith in the family.

When we looked through
the documents provided by,

you know, SLED

and...and Buster's name
and the Murdaugh name

pops up as being
in association,

being a friend of
Stephen Smith.

But nothing that directly said,
you know,

Buster was with him
that night in July.

‐ By the end of summer,

the double murders of Maggie
and Paul remain unsolved.

A new lawsuit centering
on Alex Murdaugh's actions

have been filed

in the Mallory Beach
fatal boat crash.

And the investigation into
the death of Stephen Smith

was also underway.

And the Murdaughs
were somehow connected

to all of these cases,
in one way or another.

What has this done
to the Murdaugh legacy?

‐ What it has done is exposed
a division in Hampton County

and other parts
of the Lowcountry

that you either hated them and
suspected them of manipulation,

or you love them because of
the results they could obtain.

‐ You know, and anytime
you got a fiefdom,

you have people
you take care of.

And if you take care of them,
they take care of you.

You know, it's like
there was this nice,

neat package
for about 90 years,

then someone pulled a thread
on the Emperor's suit

and that just started
dropping off in pieces.

‐ This mom has waited
six years for justice,

and now she's starting
to get it

because an investigation
is open,

and it all has to do with
the death of those two people.

‐ There's a lot of speculation
in the community

and law enforcement.

You know, maybe were
the Murdaughs

involved in his death?

‐ I know it's complicated, but,
man, it is really mystifying.

‐ Now, for another development
surrounding former lawyer Alex Murdaugh...

‐ Paul and Maggie Murdaugh
were murdered in June.

And shortly after,
Alex is dealt another blow.

A new petition to file
a lawsuit

is brought by Connor Cook,

alleging a conspiracy
to frame him

as the driver of the boat
that killed Mallory Beach.

‐ Over the last three months,
I think, more than once,

lawyers on the opposing side
of these...this case have said,

"Gosh, we still don't know
who was driving the boat."

If that lawyer doesn't know
who was driving the boat,

he's the only person
on the planet

who doesn't know
who was driving the boat.

‐ There was an effort made
to shift the blame

and focus from Paul Murdaugh
over to Connor Cook.

The strategy may not
have been necessarily

to pin it on Connor Cook.

Remember,
these people are attorneys.

They're trying to create
confusion at the scene,

after the scene.

‐ There's a lot unusual
about this investigation,

almost as if there was
an effort to do

as little as possible

and take as long as possible
to not do it.

Connor Cook was a 19‐year‐old
with a jaw broken

in three places
awaiting medical treatment,

having lost one of
his childhood friends.

In the midst of this chaos,
and being told

by a very prominent member
of the legal community,

"Don't talk to the police.

We're gonna take care
of things."

In this lawsuit, I think
Connor's goal is to make sure

that everybody knows he was not
responsible for this accident.

It's also to hold
Alex Murdaugh accountable.

‐ Even though Paul
was deceased,

this new petition was filed

shortly after
Maggie and Paul's murder.

‐ It just seemed almost
cruel and unusual

with developments in this case,
to file a lawsuit.

There's never a good time
to sue anybody.

But with this case,
with shoes dropping

left and right like a
caterpillar losing its shoes,

there was never a good, perfect
time to bring a lawsuit,

but we just did.

‐ But what is
even more shocking

is what happened next.

‐ Welcome back, everybody.

Things have been lighting up
our inboxes and our phones

or whatever the last few days.

Saturday,
phones start blowing up,

Facebook starts
blowing up, etcetera.

Take us to that time.

‐ Well, I was actually
getting ready to leave

to go to
the South Carolina game.

So I was packing the cooler,
and all of a sudden,

I...my phone is ringing off
the hook and, like,

"You're not gonna
believe this."

‐ Crazy.

‐ And I really honestly thought
maybe this is more fake news.

‐ Alex Murdaugh,
whose wife and son

were shot
to death back in June,

was shot in the head himself
while changing a tire today.

‐ Murdaugh stopped to change
a tire on Salkehatchie Road

near Varnville, when...

‐ Alex Murdaugh called 911

shortly after 1:30
Saturday afternoon

to report he'd been shot.

‐ He was air‐lifted to a
hospital in Savannah, Georgia,

with what authorities called
a superficial gunshot wound

to the head.

‐ I couldn't believe
what I was learning

after Alex was shot.

There was just
a...a series of events

involving this man that just
didn't seem to make sense.

‐ When the call came in
where he was shot,

I didn't know...well, why would
he go on the side of the road?

You know, I just didn't know.

And then everything
started coming out.

And, um...

it...it was just
one thing after the other.

‐ Tonight, several new twists

in the Murdaugh murder
mystery.

‐ Alex Murdaugh was pushed out
of his powerful law firm

over claims he misused funds
the day before he called 911

to say he'd been
shot in the head.

A member of the firm said

the amount was
in the millions.

‐ Without saying too much,

I know one person
that works for the firm.

It's just been heartbreaking.

‐ Murdaugh's lawyer says
he voluntarily checked himself

into an inpatient
substance abuse rehab center.

‐ These reports
that your client

stole millions of dollars
from...from the law firm,

did he use all of that money
to buy drugs?

Or did he use some of the
millions for...for other things?

‐ The vast majority of it,
as I understand it,

was used to buy drugs.

‐ That's a lot of...that's
a lot of oxy.

‐ I'm not really buying
the drug addiction angle.

‐ Why is that?

‐ Anytime I ever had
an interaction with Alex

in the courthouses
and things like that,

I saw no discernable
problems that he was having.

And I've had clients
who have been on hydrocodone

and those type of things.

And it wears you down,
you know?

I mean, I don't see how
you can...you can function.

I mean, lawyers typically
have to think most of the time.

How you can function with those
type of drugs in your system.

‐ There's a new twist in
a story we've been following.

Police say
that a prominent lawyer

who you may have heard about

enlisted a hitman to shoot him
in the head and kill him.

‐ He was suicidal.

So he went to his drug dealer
and asked him to shoot him.

‐ Curtis Smith, also charged
with assisted suicide

and insurance fraud.

An affidavit
in that case claims

Murdaugh told Smith
to shoot him in the head

so Murdaugh's son
could collect

his $10 million
life insurance policy.

‐ What Eddie Smith says
is there was a struggle,

you know, for the gun.

‐ The gun went off?

Did it hit him?
Did the bullet hit him?

‐ No.

‐ So that...that story
where you got...

‐ There's no blood on me.
There's no blood on him.

‐ Eddie Smith says
he didn't see any blood

or anything like that
when he left the scene.

ER doctor that we had
on our podcast said

he absolutely did sustain
some injuries.

‐ We may never know what
happened on Salkehatchie Road.

But what we do know

is that Alex Murdaugh is
at the center of these events.

This was a man who was
spiraling out of control.

It...it was actually quite sad.

People resent all the attention

that this case has brought
to this quiet community?

‐ They're struggling.

They're stressed,
they're heartbroken.

We need closure.
The whole community does.

And I just hope we get it soon.

This really is a tale

that has
a lot more twists and turns.

‐ State investigators now
reopened another inquiry

into the death of Murdaugh's
housekeeper,

Gloria Satterfield.
‐ Of Gloria Satterfield.

‐ The Murdaugh's housekeeper.

‐ Of Murdaugh's longtime
housekeeper,

Gloria Satterflield.

‐ By September 2021,

Alex Murdaugh's world appeared
to be closing in on him.

His wife and son
had been murdered.

He was named
in an additional lawsuit

in connection with the death
of Mallory Beach.

And the investigation into
the death of Stephen Smith

had been reopened
based on something found

in the double homicide
investigation.

But that wasn't all.

Less than two weeks
after Alex's shooting,

yet another suspicious death

connected to the Murdaughs
surfaced.

‐ 911, what is your emergency?

‐ On the day of the incident,
tension was clearly high.

Tell me about
Gloria Satterfield.

Who...who was she?

‐ She was their housekeeper.
The Murdaughs's housekeeper.

‐ Gloria was
a religious woman.

Has two children,
and spent most of her life

being either a housekeeper
or raising children.

And she happened to do it
for the Murdaughs for a period

in excess of 20 years.

She helped raise
Buster and Paul,

and she felt like she was part
of the fabric of that family.

‐ And what happened
to Mrs. Satterfield?

‐ The story is
somewhat confusing.

The one story is that
she tripped

and fell down the stairs.

‐ She stayed in the hospital
for 24 days, nearly a month.

‐ Yes.

‐ And died there.

‐ Yes, but she was never able
to make a statement.

‐ The circumstances surrounding
her death are questionable?

‐ I believe they are.

‐ There was not
an investigation at the time

because the death certificate
said natural causes.

‐ There's nothing natural
about falling down the stairs.

It should say she died
of a, you know, brain bleed,

subdural hematoma,
but not natural causes.

‐ Why wasn't
an autopsy ordered?

‐ I don't know that the coroner
was even notified in this case.

It...it could have been
a natural death

had she had a heart attack

and then fallen
down the stairs.

But the only way to know
that is to do an autopsy.

And initially,

it certainly appears
much more like an accident.

Or perhaps something
more sinister.

‐ I don't think there's
anything suspicious

if it were a standalone event.

But when you have
this many untimely deaths

connected to one family,
then it starts to become like,

okay,
maybe what's happening here?

‐ And so,
on September 15, 2021,

at the request of
the Hampton County Coroner,

a criminal inquiry was opened

into the death
of Gloria Satterfield.

‐ The Hampton County Coroner,
Angie Topper,

she noticed that some things
just weren't jiving.

It was deemed a wrongful death
for this lawsuit,

but the...the death certificate
said natural causes.

‐ Natural causes.

If it wasn't intentional,
it certainly is lazy

and creates more questions
than answers.

And you should never
have questions

with a death certificate.

It should be clear
and succinct.

But again, like everything
with the Murdaughs,

it just opens up
another can of questions.

People just don't understand
the power of the Murdaughs

in this Hampton County.

I cannot begin to tell you
the mystique of this family

and the mystique
of that law firm.

‐ SLED said
they're relaunching

this criminal investigation
due to new evidence.

‐ And the crime that set off
these legal troubles,

the death of Murdaugh's wife
and son, is still unsolved.

‐ What's
your client's involvement

in Gloria Satterfield's death?

‐ Well, first of all,
he has no involvement

in Gloria Satterfield's death.

That was a case that was
litigated...not litigated,

but examined thoroughly.

It was an accident
that she tripped

and fell down the stairs.

‐ When I began
investigating this case,

I...I thought, tragically,
Mrs. Satterfield had

a suspicious accident
at...at the house.

But I didn't think
there was a financial element

to that particular case.

‐ Prominent Lowcountry
attorney, Alex Murdaugh,

facing more charges today.

He was arrested in Florida
in connection

to the investigation
into the death

of his family's former
housekeeper,

Gloria Satterfield.

The State Law Enforcement
Division accused Murdaugh

of misappropriating funds

related to
her wrongful death settlement.

‐ Alex Murdaugh breached
their duties to their clients,

to the Satterfield family.

‐ In what way?

‐ Well, for starters,
by being lawyers for her sons

in a suit against himself.

After Miss Satterfield's
funeral,

Murdaugh apparently approached
her sons and said,

"I'm gonna sue myself.

"Come meet my friend,
Cory Fleming.

"He's gonna sue me, and
we are going to get you money

from my insurance company."

He brought them
to his best friend,

his college roommate,
the godfather of his child,

without explaining the extent
of their relationship.

That's just the first thing
they did wrong

was not explain
their relationship,

and Cory Fleming's potential
loyalty to Alex Murdaugh.

That disloyalty to his own
clients later manifested

when he started writing checks
to Alex Murdaugh.

‐ What was the most egregious
thing that you discovered?

‐ The bottom line,
stealing $4.3 million.

‐ How did Murdaugh
hide those assets

from Mrs. Satterfield's boys?

‐ In two ways.

First, they got
Chad Westendorf from the bank

to take over
as the representative

of Gloria Satterfield's estate

so that her son,
Tony Satterfield,

wouldn't be a part
of the proceedings anymore

and wouldn't be aware
of the settlement.

They just said,
"This is complex stuff.

"We're going to get
this other guy

to take care of it for you."

And so, Satterfield went down
to Murdaugh's office

and signed over paperwork.

And the next day,
they went to the court

and asked for a settlement

that they never told
the Satterfields about.

Then they funneled the checks

through Murdaugh's
personal bank account

in the name of Forge.

‐ Forge?

‐ Apparently, he had opened it
in the name

of Alex Murdaugh
DBA Forge.

And by writing Forge
on the check,

it would make it appear
that the settlement funds

went to Forge Consulting,

which is a legitimate
settlement funding company.

‐ And is that account
still open?

Has it been cleaned out?

‐ I have no idea.

I have no idea
where the money is right now.

‐ When that case came to me,
I did not believe it.

When I hear
that all the money was stolen.

And you say to yourself,

"Well, why didn't the clients
question him?" you know.

Nobody had been involved
in the legal system before.

They're just hardworking,
God‐fearing people.

They trusted Alex.
He abused that trust.

‐ I can't figure out why
these insurance companies,

based on their lawyer's advice,
paid out all this money.

To me, that's just insane,

without even
a basic investigation.

I mean, there's not even
a police report

that talked about
Ms. Satterfield's death.

‐ I just couldn't believe it.
I was...I thought who would...

who is the type of person
who would do this?

I mean, this is a person

who had helped them
raise their children.

‐ Have you seen something
like this before?

‐ No.

He appears to regard himself
as above the law.

‐ Alex Murdaugh waived
an extradition hearing in Florida this morning.

He'll return to South Carolina
and face felony charges.

‐ The bond hearing
for Murdaugh

is scheduled in
a Richland County Courthouse.

‐ I'll never forget when
we were in the bond hearing.

You know, the door opened
and Alex walked out.

You know, everybody's like...

You know, there's OJ,

you know,
OJ kind of thing.

He sat down and I watched him.

And he was looking out
like this.

Looking for anybody.
Looking for a friend.

Looking for family,
looking for a law partner.

‐ When I first started
covering this case,

I had real sympathy for Alex

after losing his wife
and youngest son.

But I had no way of knowing
that, six months later,

he would be under arrest

and indicted on 27 charges
related to financial crimes.

There's no other way
to describe it.

This prominent lawyer
has suffered a fall

from grace few can fathom.

‐ Your Honor,
we're here today

in the case of State vs.
Richard Alexander Murdaugh.

He is cleared
for a bond setting

on two Hampton County
arrest warrants.

‐ But we would ask you
to consider

a personal recognizance bond.

‐ Well, my partner Ronnie
and I got up and said,

"Lock the guy up."

He does not deserve bond.
He forfeited that right.

He stole.
He's a liar and a cheat.

Thank you, Your Honor.

‐ The reaction
in the courtroom,

Murdaugh's attorneys
seemed to be shocked.

A surprising verdict,
Judge Clifton Newman

moved to deny that bond
based on Murdaugh's ability

to flee and his mental state.

‐ He needs to get treated
for his addiction

so that he can
focus clearheaded

on how to resolve
any issues he might have.

‐ The justice system
is now recognizing

that he's a clear
and present danger with a pen

and he's being treated
accordingly.

‐ It was surprising that Alex
didn't make bond.

This is a man
who had strong ties

with judges and attorneys.

It suggests that his influence
has weakened.

‐ 12 seconds ago,
judge orders Murdaugh assets

to be frozen.
‐ Wait, what happened?

Did that just come through?
‐ Yeah.

‐ What is it?

‐ "Judge orders Murdaugh
assets to be frozen.

Appoints receivers."
‐ Okay, wait.

‐ Judge ordered Murdaugh
family's be frozen

and controlled by people
appointed by the court.

It's everywhere.
‐ Where are you reading this?

‐ News Two Charleston.

Ready?
I'm good. Are you good?

‐ I'm good.
‐ Rolling.

‐ Hello, friend.
Welcome back to the podcast.

As we're recording this,
a new thing has popped up.

A break that Alex Murdaugh
is not going to be happy with.

Alex and his son Buster's
assets were frozen.

So there will be attorneys

taking over Buster
and Alex's finances.

‐ Alex owes a lot of people
a lot of money.

Parker, who was one of
Alex's former law partners,

is suing Alex.

Randy, Alex's brother, has
also filed suit against him.

‐ There's about to be
a long line of people

that Alex owes money to.

‐ We have breaking news
as we come on the air.

A Hampton County grand jury
has indicted

former South Carolina
lawyer Alex Murdaugh...

‐ On a different set of
insurance fraud charges.

Those come from a botched
attempt to have himself killed.

‐ New at noon,
a judge has decided

to keep Alex Murdaugh in jail

after reviewing
his psychiatric evaluation.

‐ The judge called him a danger
to himself and the community.

‐ And there's a second
grand jury investigation

that was just opened.

And allegedly,
he was writing checks

to get drugs
from this drug gang.

It's strange as...as

almost everything
involved in this case.

‐ We're not
at the tail end of it.

It's just starting.

He's sitting alone in a cell.

So the only thing
that he can broker

to get himself
some kind of life

or a life for his son

is information.

Or maybe he just takes it
with him to his grave.

‐ Clearly, there are
a lot of questions

that still need
to be answered.

What happened to Stephen Smith
on that quiet country road?

Will Alex be held liable for
influencing the investigation

into the boat crash
that killed Mallory Beach?

Was there anything criminal

in the death
of Gloria Satterfield?

Who killed
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh?

One thing that's certain,

there's a lot more twists
and turns to come

in the saga of Alex Murdaugh.

‐ At first,
I thought obviously,

he's a very successful person

who grew up
with a lot of privilege.

Looking at social media posts,

I thought
he did look like a loving dad.

I wanted to give him
the benefit of the doubt

with the boating accident

and wanted to give him
the benefit of the doubt

with the death
of his wife and son.

But then, I also didn't think
at the time

that it was possible
that Alex was somebody

who would allegedly steal
millions of dollars

from a former housekeeper,
from his law firm.

And the more that comes out,
the more it's not possible

to give him
the benefit of the doubt.

‐ It's bizarre
that all roads seem to lead...

‐ Correct.
‐ To one family.

‐ I pray that it's not.

But I have to wait and see
what the outcome's gonna be.

‐ What questions do you
have about this case?

‐ Well, the same
question you have.

What's gonna happen before
we walk out of this room?

‐ I want closure to this.

And that peace comes
to the family of Alex.

And I want the ones
that's passed on

before us to be at peace too.

‐ The primary question

is who killed
Paul and Maggie Murdaugh?

We pretty much know

what the future looks like
for Alex Murdaugh.

He's lost everything.
He has truly lost everything.

‐ What has this done
to the legacy of this family?

‐ Straight to the ground.

‐ I guess you could say
that this happened

because of hubris.

Some people are able
to not lose sleep

over the obvious reality

that one day there will be
a knock at the door,

and the devil's due.