As the fifth week of the double murder trial of accused family killer Richard “Alex” Murdoff continues in Walterboro, South Carolina, Netflix on Wednesday released its three-part documentary, “The Murdoff Murders: A Southern Scandal.” ,

The project, directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, the team behind Amazon’s “Lularich” and Netflix’s “The Pharmacist,” takes center stage. The scandals and criminal charges involving the ousted lawyer and the downfall of his infamous family dynasty.

Gannett/USA Today Network reporter Michael DeWitt Jr., who has covered this story for years, says in the trailer, “For more than a century, Murdoff was law and order here in the 14th Circuit.”

Here’s what to know ahead of your “Murdoff Murders” binge.

What is included in the “Murdaff Murders”?

While other true-crime documentaries have explored the Murdaugh saga, Netflix’s series explores the deadly February 2019 boating accident involving Murdaugh’s young son, Paul; the unsolved 2015 murder of Hampton County teen Stephen Smith that has been linked by state police to the Murdoff family; and the June 2021 murder of Paul and his mother Maggie, for which Alex Murdoff was charged with over 100 other crimes.

The Murdaughs were one of South Carolina’s most prominent families, but the death of teenager Mallory Beach in a drunken boating accident began to unravel their legacy. When the boat’s alleged driver – Paul Murdo – and his mother, Maggie, are brutally murdered two years after the accident, a century of corruption, power and cover-ups is brought to light.

Here’s what the documentaries say about Maggie and Paul’s murders:

The deaths of Richard Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and their son Paul are addressed in the second episode of the documentary, “Murders at Moselle”. Alex Murdaugh told investigators that he woke up from a nap at home on June 7, 2021, at 7:31 p.m., and did not see any members of his family. He then messaged his wife and son that he was going to meet his ailing parents.

Murdaugh says he returned just after 10 p.m. to find that his 52-year-old wife and 22-year-old son had been shot near a dog house on their property. Murdaugh, crying, called 911 to report his death. Some wondered whether the killer might have been motivated by a desire To avenge the death of Beech.

The third episode of the documentary presents evidence that Alex Murdoff was at the home at the time of Paul and Maggie’s deaths. The presence of high-velocity impact spatter on Murdoff’s clothing indicates that he was with one of the victims at the time of their death. And a video taken on Paul’s phone at 8:44 p.m. captures the voice of Alex Murdoff about 15 minutes before the murders are thought to have occurred. Although this does not prove that Murdo is responsible, it disputes his account of the evening.

In July 2022, Alex Murdoff was indicted on murder charges. That month, he pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. Murdoch did not respond to requests for interviews from the filmmakers.

Update on the Alex Murdaugh trial

Murdaf’s double murder trial in the death of his wife and son began on January 23 and is expected to last for a week or two.

Buster, the surviving son of Alex Murdoff, took the stand for the start of Tuesday’s session. While her testimony was emotional at times, it offered no real insight or new evidence.

Buster, whose surname is named after his great-grandfather, who was a longtime 14th Circuit solicitor, said June 7, 2021, was a normal day with normal conversations and text messages between family members, until That his father didn’t call him around 10:30 p.m. At night he was told that his mother and brother had been shot dead.

After testifying in that trial, Alex Murdo will face trial on more than 100 other criminal charges. Trial dates and locations in these cases have not been set.

Along with the criminal charges, several civil court cases have been filed against the ousted South Carolina attorney. Murdaugh has already signed a $4.3 million judgment in a lawsuit involving the Gloria Satterfield estate. Mallory Beach’s wrongful death lawsuit could go to trial as early as this summer, according to The State newspaper.

Trial dates have not been set for the remaining civil lawsuits against Murdo.

More specifics about the Murdagh saga

Last fall, HBO Max and CNN aired specials on the tragedies.

HBO Max debuted its three-part documentary, “Low Country: The Murdoff Dynasty,” in November. In October, CNN aired “The Murdaugh Murders: A Twisted Tale of Power and Money” featuring roundtable discussions with journalists, lawyers and Murdaugh’s alleged victims. It is available on CNN.com and on the CNN apps.

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