Murdaugh Murders Podcast creator reveals what didn’t get covered in the original series

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The true crime documentary Murdaugh: Death in the Family explores the disturbing case of Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Their bodies were found at the family’s property in 2021.

For over a century, the Murdaugh family was a prominent legal force in Hampton, South Carolina, largely due to their family law firm’s dominance in the area. Alex Murdaugh, a once-respected attorney with considerable influence, stepped down in 2021 following accusations of improperly handling money from his clients.

For generations, the Murdaugh family – including the current man’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather – served as the area’s top prosecutor. This long history gave the family significant influence and power within the local courts and legal community.

In a six-year period, five people connected to the family died in a series of troubling and unexplained events: Mallory Beach, a friend of Alex’s son; Stephen Smith, who was close to Alex’s other son; the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield; and Paul and Maggie themselves. This period of difficulty ultimately led to an alleged attempt on Alex’s life.

Before the popular Netflix series ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,’ investigative journalists Liz Farrell and Mandy Matney thoroughly covered the family’s story on their Murdaugh Murders Podcast, which aired from June 2021 to May 2023.

Now, Mandy Matney is bringing her skills and experience to the Hulu and Disney+ documentary series, Murdaugh: Death in the Family, where she serves as an executive producer.

Her connection with Paul was lovely, and their personalities really came through on screen. The show also effectively highlights the importance of remembering those who were most affected by the events – the victims.

Brittany Snow, known for her roles in movies like ‘Pitch Perfect’ and ‘Hairspray’, commended the show for giving a platform to those whose stories often go unheard.

The story generated a lot of sensational headlines due to how surprising it was. However, it also offers a revealing look behind the scenes, giving us a deeper understanding of the people involved – particularly those who were harmed.

I really appreciate how Erin Lee Carr and Michael Fuller centered the series around that key idea.

Jason Clarke, known for his roles in films like “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Mudbound”, plays Alex in the series. He explained that using talented actors and a compelling script helps show the people involved as a genuine community and family, making their story more relatable.

Despite creating over 90 podcast episodes, Matney believes there’s still plenty left to cover.

We barely scratched the surface of many important things – like what was happening within the family and my own personal struggles. Thankfully, the show’s creators were able to take these core ideas and transform them into a fantastic television series.

Patricia Arquette, who portrays Maggie, shared her thoughts on how she worked to understand the actual person the character is based on.

I talked with Mandy, and she managed to find out everything I wanted to know about Maggie – things like her makeup preferences and what she liked to eat for breakfast. It was important to me to celebrate her life, especially since she never suspected Alex would harm her or their son. She quietly supported everyone from behind the scenes, always helping others but never seeking the spotlight herself.

It’s common for people to crave the spotlight, but Maggie’s subtle power was just as important. As an actor, I found it really captivating working with Jason and watching him portray a character with such charisma, vulnerability, and manipulative behavior. It was a thrilling role to explore.

I’m completely hooked by the premise of this new series! It centers around Maggie and Alex, who seem to have it all – a beautiful life and a powerful family name in South Carolina’s legal world. But everything changes when their son, Paul, is caught up in a tragic boating accident, and they’re forced to deal with a crisis that threatens everything they’ve built. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!

With each new discovery and obstacle, the family’s link to a series of unexplained deaths creates problems that could destroy everything Maggie and Alex care about.

Joining the cast are Johnny Berchtold, known for his role in Reacher, as Paul Murdaugh, Will Harrison from Daisy Jones & The Six as Buster Murdaugh, and J Smith-Cameron, who starred in Succession, as Marian Proctor.

You can now watch ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’ on Disney+. A Disney+ subscription starts at just £5.99 per month.

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2025-10-28 13:41