The Murdaugh Mysteries | Full Episode | Forensic Files

foreign [Music] [Music] there used to be weeks back in the good old days when I had to find something to
write about here in this quiet little town I'm Michael DeWitt Jr managing editor at
the Hampton County Guardian and then these Murdoch incidents began and things haven't been quiet since then
attorney Alec Murdock said he was shot in the head while changing a tire on this road in Hampton County South
Carolina then police arrested 61-year-old Curtis Smith police say Murdoch hired Smith to kill him he
wanted you to kill him yeah he wanted me to kill him to make it look like a suicide
may happen why did you agree to sit down with us I think people should hear my side of it
you'll hear a lot more from Curtis Smith the man accused of shooting high-profile
attorney Alex Murdoch right here on this Rural Road in Hampton County South Carolina just one incident in a bizarre
and tragic series of deadly events touching the Murdoch family the shooting of Alex Murdoch comes
nearly three months after his son and his wife were both found shot in college and County First there's the double
murder of his wife and son Maggie and Paul Murdock Alex told investigators he came home and
found him they were both shot multiple times it's not Alex Murdoch do we really know who Alex Murdoch is I
think we thought we did up until the double homicides we thought that Alex murdick was a this prominent wealthy
entitled attorney when you are from a family that has been prominent for Generations it comes with access and
connections when Maggie and Paul Murdock were found dead who were the most likely
Suspects two common theories that were going around was one Alex murder has something
to do with it did he murder his wife and son no does he have any idea who did no
solitary was this was somehow related to the boat crash that killed teenager Mal
allegedly drunk and there's six of us and one is missing okay who's missing female Mallory
bam who was driving the boat you all know Alex Murdock that's his son good luck that's what he indicated that he
couldn't be touched never set foot into jail do you feel that Mallory has gotten
Justice I don't that's just that's just hard to answer all I ever wanted was for him to
get on the stand and say I'm sorry then there's another incident with a connection to the murdochs the
mysterious death of 19 year old Stephen Smith his body was found in a roadway with a wound to the Head
the rumors were that there were several young men in a truck The Only Name that was given to me was the murder name and
of course everybody's kind of to say that out you know what I mean I don't think anybody will be charged
with Stephen Smith's homicide shot this past weekend himself of all the theories swirling around Maggie and
Paul's murders what's the lead Theory today now I'm hearing more popular theories that he was somehow involved in
this this is like a whodunit playing out in real time on the internet in the age of
social media like a John Grisham novel come to life we're now in the third act and things have gotten weird how will it
end with this story anything can happen [Music] thank you [Music] Paul Murdoch and his mother both found
shot to death the shooting of Alex Myrtle Alex Murdoch was shot in the head over the weekend disgraced lawyer Alex
Murdoch surrendered to Authority today one story practically dominated the new cycle in South Carolina's Low Country
since 2021. it's a series of cases that the locals have dubbed the Murdoch Mysteries
all somehow with the connection to a prominent and Powerful local attorney Alex Murdoch
my wife and Tommy but how did it come to this Michael DeWitt editor of the Hampton
County Guardian part of the gannet USA Today Network says Alex Murdoch came from a family that over Generations grew
Deep Roots and amassed power and influence in this part of South Carolina the Murdoch's built an Empire of sorts
here in the Lowcountry it began over a century ago when the family established a law firm three generations of Murdoch
men also held the public office of solicitor the chief prosecutor Alex didn't continue that tradition Alex
inherited the last name and the red hair and very little of the talent Alex worked as a volunteer prosecutor in
the office but primarily he made a good living in the family law firm he married
his college sweetheart Maggie and they had two sons Buster and Paul they lived the good life spending time at their
1700 acre estate and two private islands they have now generations of political power and political support and contacts
and access and with access comes power Seth Stoughton is a law professor at the University of South Carolina a powerful
legal family in small town South Carolina has a lot of levers they can pull but in sept
like someone was out to challenge that power with what appeared to be an attempt on Alex Murdoch's life according
to his lawyer Alex Murdoch told investigators he was changing a flat tire right here on this Rural Road when
a person in a pickup truck passed by asked Alex if he was having car trouble and then shot him in the head when I
turned my back they tried to shoot me they shot me but incredibly just 12 Days Later
on September 16th Alex Murdock appeared in court for allegedly trying to plan his own death by conspiring with this
man Curtis Smith to shoot him did you shoot Alex Murdoch no when did you first meet Alex Murdoch
about 35 years ago Smith a handyman says he is a distant cousin of Murdoch but only got to know Alex well a few years
ago and says he started doing odd jobs for the family we talked on phone most days as chatting back and forth by
different things you've described Alex as like a brother to you you're like a brother Jimmy
Smith was released on Bond and now faces six felony charges in the shooting of Alex Murdoch
Murdoch will face three charges in the shooting but with several ongoing investigations and lawsuits looming many
wonder when and how this steep Fall From Grace will end Alex Murdoch's world unraveled and
unraveled quickly it all started says DeWitt back in February 2019. things began unraveling for the Murdoch
family with the boat crash we're in a boat crash on Arthur's Creek it was about 2 20 a.m six young friends
who had been partying crashed a boat into a bridge one of them was 19 year old Paul Murdock there's six of us and
one is missing another was 19 year old Mallory Beach who disappeared that morning who's missing a female Mallory
beats the business she's in the water she was just this wonderful fun-loving happy girl
and everybody loved her Lynn Revis and her niece Mallory were extremely close you always got a hug hello and a huggaba
and the last thing she told me was she loved me as investigators later learned the Fatal
night began around eight hours earlier at the Murdoch family's River home on a private island then 19 year old Paul
Murdock gathered five friends for a night of partying among them were Connor Cook Connor's
cousin Anthony cook and Anthony's girlfriend Mallory Beach all were underage say investigators and all were
drinking alcohol just before they gathered Paul Murdoch used the ID of his brother Buster to buy
beer at this convenience store and if you look at the video footage when Paul comes out of the store he's holding the
beer up he's celebrating shortly after gathering at the river home they boarded the Murdoch family's
boat and took off investigators with South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources would
later use data from the boat's Garmin navigation system to create a timeline of events that led to the fatal crash
around 8 PM the group arrived at a party at a house on the river just after midnight the six of them
boarded the boat and headed toward downtown Beaufort Paul and Connor decided to go into this
bar for a drink was very persistent not going up early dares and getting shot passenger Miley
Altman later told police in this interview that the rest of them didn't want Paul to go in
the person who he's strong they went in pounded a couple of shots somewhere around 1 30. see the video
footage of them leaving the boat dock it appeared as if a couple of them were very intoxicated
it was kind of a sad touching moment when you see Mallory and her boyfriend I think it's the last moment that
anybody captured an image of her alive it was around 1 15 a.m when they took off again on the boat I was just driving
doing donuts Miley Altman told investigators tempers were running short so Connor starts driving for a little
bit and then Paul like he like stops Connor and he's like no this is Mama like let me drop
that's all the bridge coming what Bridges Paul what bridge is this [Music] First Responders dash cam video captured
the Mayhem uh where's everybody else at the bridge at the bottom of the bridge everybody was accounted for except uh
we're still missing one what's her name everybody was crying scared shot just worried about their friend
then Beaufort County deputy sheriff Stephen Domino was one of the first on the scene Paul Murdoch wasn't saying
much but Mallory's very distraught boyfriend Anthony cook was talking to Deputy Domino
after Domino got Anthony into his patrol car Paul Murdoch came into sight he was
walking up from where the boat was right there away from me he actually tried to
rush through me to get to Paul because I guess he saw him smiling or all smiling while Anthony's girlfriend's
missing in the water correct well you funny that's when Anthony cook definitively
identified the person he said was driving the boat you all know Alex Murdock that's his son
good luck that's what he indicated that he couldn't be touched are you talking about Alex Murdoch's son good luck
foreign tell me about February 24th 2019. I had got a phone call at about five o'clock that morning and
my sister was calling to tell me that Mallory was lost that she had been in a boat crash and
they couldn't vote Lynn Revis says erniece Mallory had already been missing for nearly three
hours when her family finally learned the news but not from police one of my cousins had called our mom and wanted to
know if she knew about the boat crash that Mallory had been in it everybody's on their way they all went
to where it happened and I just couldn't go the search went on for days there was
people from other states that came and they wanted help on the eighth day two volunteers
Brothers found Mallory's body about five miles down the river from the crash site
I was at home and someone called and said they had found her and I fell apart many in Hampton County were grieving
says Michael DeWitt hundreds of people attended her funeral there were so many people
it took like four hours to greet everybody I've never seen so many people Lynn says even the murdochs were there
Paul was at Mallory's funeral and they even went to the to the cemetery when we buried her at the end of the weeks after
that we're just waiting is someone going to make an arrest is there going to be a
admission of guilt or responsibility they might never happen to Mallory the beach family filed
a wrongful death suit against members of the Murdoch family now the beach family
could depose the survivors about what led to the Fatal boat crash Paul was allegedly acting rash and Reckless those
children say that They begged for him to stop and They begged just let us out and he refused
and Mallory said she was scared yes and that hurts my heart then she was so terrified
in her deposition Paul's then girlfriend Morgan Doty said Paul and I got into an
argument because I didn't take his side he slapped her and spit on her she said and kept leaving the boat's wheel to
fight with her whenever it was done she said he would go back and take over again authorities believe all that
movement explains the last moments recorded by the boat's Garmin device at 2 20 am the Garmin recorded the boat
slowing down and then speeding up seconds later the Garment shows the boat coming to an abrupt stop when it struck
up piling over here at archers Creek Bridge in his deposition Connor Cook said that
the morning of the crash he held back from telling investigators that Paul was driving the boat because he was afraid
and while at the hospital being treated for a broken jaw he says he was told by Alex Murdoch that he didn't need to tell
anyone who was driving Alex reportedly went from room to room to try to communicate with the other boat crash
passengers and get them all on the same page a hospital security guard said he overheard Alex Murdoch on his cell phone
say she's gone don't worry that hurt when I read that because we were asleep did not know
anything what's going on instead of worrying about who's driving the boat let us know
I think that from day one Ground Zero the effort was what can we do to get Paul out of this in fact in a
recent lawsuit Connor Cook claims Alex Murdoch tried to frame him as the driver of the boat not Paul how can we create a
cloud of confusion and say can you prove who was driving the boat at the hospital
Paul Murdoch's blood alcohol level was tested by doctors treating him several hours after the crash the 19 year old
was three times over the legal limit and was allegedly still acting out he was getting belligerent with the the nurse's
staff according to court records just being loud and Troublesome but that morning and for weeks to come many felt
that Paul Murdoch was not treated like a suspect in a crime we didn't think he was going to be charged
why because it was taken so long we just didn't think we'd see that day and then for it to happen on our
birthday nearly two months after the boat crash on what would have been Mallory's 20th
birthday Paul was charged with three felony counts including boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs and
causing the death of Mallory Beach he pleaded not guilty an officer of the Court came forward with handcuffs to a
formerly arresting fingerprinting and they were waved away like we don't need that you know so he was never handcuffed
in his booking photograph Murdoch is wearing his street clothes were you surprised that Paul Murdock never spent
a day in jail I don't know how it happened um my personal opinion yes Bond was set at fifty thousand dollars
and we see from news reports after this that Paul continued to live his lifestyle
how you doing sir about a year later Paul got a speeding ticket while towing a boat the reason I pulled you over you
were booking it yeah okay I got you at 78. 78 yes two years after charges were filed there
was still no trial date set when on June 7th 2021 Alex Murdock called police and
said he'd found his wife and son Paul shot dead Maggie and Paul Maggie is her name yes ma'am and please hurry
[Music] June 7th 2021 as Paul Murdoch was awaiting trial in the death of Mallory
Beach a fuselad of gunfire erupted on the Murdoch Family Estate at 10 07 PM a panic sounding Alex
Murdoch called 9-1-1 saying he had just arrived home to find his wife of nearly 28 years Maggie and their son shot is he
moving at all your son I know you said that she was shot but what about your son
nobody's they're not neither one of them First Responders rushed to the Murdoch family hunting lodge a sprawling
1770 acre property in Colleton County but it was too late 52 year old Maggie and her 22 year old son Paul were dead
this place of Refuge where the family had spent their free time hunting and enjoying the outdoors where Paul had
honed his shooting skills alongside his father and brother was now a gruesome crime scene
describe the reaction of the community after the double homicide shock a lot of people know them so there was
grief and and dismay from a lot of people Mallory Beach's aunts Lynn Revis was one
of those people the thought of the horror that they went through I cried who would want to kill a mother and son
that's what I can't stop thinking that we've thought about it too things like that shouldn't be happening in our
little community but what happened in this little Community soon became vocational
investigation into this double homicide continues and an international news a series of family tragedies began in June
the South Carolina law enforcement division known as sled the state's top investigative agency took over the case
the Colleton County coroner estimates that they were killed between 9 and 9 30 PM they were found fairly close to one
another on the ground near the dog kennels was said to have spent a lot of time at
the kennels with the hunting hunting dogs sources tell media that Maggie was killed with some type of automatic rifle
like an AR-15 of some sort and Paul was killed with a shotgun and they were both
shot multiple times Prime the South Carolina law enforcement division hadn't named any suspects but
that didn't stop social media sleuths from espousing theories one Alex murder has something to do with
it secretary was this was somehow related to the boat crash somebody wanted Justice that they didn't think
they would get in the courts in relation to the boat crash I Alex claims to have
an airtight Alibi he was at the hospital visiting his sick father when the shootings took place
but Alibis can be deceiving says Professor Stoughton sometimes the person behind the murderer is not the same
person as the one who pulls the trigger you think there could be a Hitman possibly
we've certainly seen other cases where there are hired Killers Hired Guns I wouldn't want
to suggest that is the case here but sometimes people are smart about how they do bad
things some are asking if Alex hired the man now accused of shooting him did Alex ever try to hire you as a
hitman no did you kill Maggie or Paul Murdoch no at a recent hearing I questioned the
Murdoch family attorney dick harputlian about the double murder did he murder his wife and son no does he have any
idea he did no recent reports about The Murdoch marriage have raised questions about a
possible motive People magazine which cited unnamed law enforcement sources claimed it Maggie and Alex did
not have a good relationship and they were going to get a divorce and she was Consulting with the Allentown attorney
trust me I was with them for almost two years always affectionate always courteous you just a picture of a
domestic Bliss and what about the oldest motive in the book money they didn't have any insurance they did
not have they had no insurance they had no insurance okay getting to the truth in this case will
be a challenge says Professor Stoughton investigators are going to have a hell of a time sorting through all of the
possible explanations and motives given the different contacts and connections here I do not envy them that job
as investigators were attempting to untangle the snarls of evidence in the double murders they came across yet
another case with the connection to the Murdoch's the mysterious death of Stephen Smith
foreign just 15 days after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdock sled made a stunning
announcement they had found information while investigating the double murders that led them to open a new
investigation into an old case the mysterious death of 19 year old Stephen Smith tell me who is Steven Smith
Steven Smith was a young man living in Hampton County he had a sister they were twins
openly gay and well-liked Stephen attended the same high school as Buster Murdoch they were in the same class but
apparently traveled in different circles neither friends nor enemies after graduation Buster went to college to
study government and international Affairs Stephen went to a community college to pursue his dream of becoming
a nurse but all those dreams came to a sudden halt here on this two-lane Country Road sometime in the early
morning hours of July 8 2015. what happened to Stephen has been the subject of rumors and speculation ever since
Hampton County 911 where's your emergency uh passerby calls 9-1-1 I see somebody laying out and is it in the
road or on the side of the road yeah somebody boy he didn't talk Stephen Smith was found dead at the
scene from blunt force trauma to the Head Steven's yellow Chevy was found roughly
three miles away his wallet inside the gas cap unscrewed initial reports by the highway patrol claimed Stephen ran into
car trouble and was likely walking when he was struck and killed by a vehicle but recently released audio interviews
shows some officers on the case did not agree with that hit and run Theory nothing at the scene appeared that it
was a vehicular accident this is the voice of Trooper David Rowell walk both shoulders of the Highway East down West
looking for any evidence didn't see anything that appeared to be vehicular involved there was no vehicle debris no
broken headlight or or paint scrapes or anything when someone is hit by a car they're
very frequently knocked out of their shoes Steven Smith's Shoes were still on when he was
found they were still on and they were loose it certainly raises questions as to whether hit and run is the right
conclusion [Music] I believe the hit and run scenario either the only damage to his body
was his head when someone is struck by a car going at speed and I don't mean 70 miles an hour
I mean even something like 25 30 35 miles an hour you fly bodies get pushed a long way the body rolls and moves and
there's there's Road burn there's rash marks there's evidence often on the road Sandy Smith told Michael Dewitt's
newspaper she believed her son was murdered she believed it was a hate Crown related in some way to his
sexuality and in our interviews with her she pleaded to the public if anybody knows anything
please I want answers investigators like Trooper Todd Proctor spent months talking to Steven's friends
family and possible love interests trying to get those answers that I've talked to so far about
kept coming up over and over again Steven's sister Stephanie heard that name multiple times I went into the
store and a bunch of people kept coming up to me and they're like did you know the Murdock boys are behind it
neither brother has ever been named a suspect and the Murdoch family attorney has not responded to 48 Hours request
for comment on the Smith case but Smith family attorney Andy Savage said publicly the focus on the Murdoch family
may be unfounded quote there are suspects we have in sight that are unconnected to Murdoch
the pathologist ruled the blunt head trauma that killed Stephen could have possibly come from contact with the side
view mirror of a passing truck former Trooper Todd Proctor told Fox News he didn't believe it then and he
doesn't believe it now it looked like it was more staged um like possibly the body had been
placed case was never solved and went cold until the house of Murdoch came crumbling down
one brick at a time and it's almost been a case of episodic television where tune
in this week and we'll see what's next from Hampton County home of the murdochs [Music]
foreign [Music] on September 6 2021 two days after being shot Alex Murdoch found himself once
again making front page news when he stunned the World by releasing this statement I have made a lot of decisions
that I truly regret he said and announced he was leaving the law firm Alex Murdoch put out a statement saying
he's going into rehab Alex Murdoch was now saying he has been addicted to opioids for two decades a surprise to
many the idea of a 20 year old serious opioid addiction does not seem consistent with Alex Murdoch's
successful practice as an attorney it wasn't only claims of drug abuse now staining Murdoch's reputation
Murdoch has also been accused of stealing Millions from his own law firm and was asked to resign the day before
he was shot Friday the law firm has a come to Jesus meeting with him we know you're
allegedly stealing money you're out Saturday the reported shooting Monday Alice releases the statement
saying I'm going into rehab [Music] then came Murdock had allegedly hired Curtis Smith
he says it was to make his suicide look like murder so his son Buster could collect a 10 million dollar insurance
payout I believe one of the initial statements was that because he did not know whether
his life insurance would pay out in the event of a suicide he's a lawyer who is perfectly capable
of reading his insurance policy Murdoch's confession Send Curtis Smith to jail for two days and until he posted
a 50 55 thousand dollar bond for his alleged role in the shooting and another five thousand dollars for possession of
methamphetamine found in his home when he was arrested they just arrested me based on what he said according to
Curtis higher Curtis says he found a desperate man holding a gun he's then it would like this
he said yeah you got to take care of this and I said well I can't do it he told me he turned his head I just
grabbed his arm put it by his head to the gun for me Curtis says the gun went off in the
struggle but he managed to take it from Alex and dispose of it then he got out of there as fast as he could why did you
leave the scene I didn't know anything else do he was alive he was alive and the gun was out of his
hand Curtis Smith's defense attorney Johnny McCoy some people would think call the police call someone well Alex
Murdoch is the police he's a prosecutor Curtis didn't report anything because there's no crime if he saved his life
on September 16 2021 facing charges of insurance fraud conspiracy and filing a false police report Alex Murdoch turned
himself in no plea has been entered yet the fact that a Murdoch sat in a chair in a jumpsuit with handcuffs is
something I've never seen in my lifetime despite the serious charges against him
Alex Murdoch was released on twenty thousand dollars Bond and allowed to go back to rehab in Florida
while there investigators were looking into all of his business dealings when the list of missing money and suspicious
deaths orbiting Alex Murdoch's World grew longer and now included this woman Gloria
Satterfield Gloria was the housekeeper for the Murdoch family for more than 20 years Ronnie Richter is an attorney for
the she literally helped raise Alec murdaugh's Sons Paul and Buster in 28 2018 the 57 year old died after a
trip and fall accident at the Murdoch estate the very same property where Maggie and Paul would be found dead in
2021 what's been reported is that she was at the house that day on the front steps the dogs got a little rambunctious
and gave her a push and she fell down the stairs back then satterfield's death was not
questioned instead it was ruled natural and no autopsy was ever performed there's nothing natural about a 57 year
old woman falling down a flight of steps and dying from head trauma at Gloria's funeral Murdoch did
something very odd says Richter he recommended satterfield's son's file a wrongful death lawsuit against him
Alex even steered them toward an attorney his former college roommate and Paul Murdoch's Godfather Corey Fleming a
lot of trust was placed in both Alec and in Corey to do the right things and it really went South from the outset court
documents show a 4.3 million dollar payout by Alex's insurance company but none of the money ever went to Gloria's
family where did that money go well allegedly it went into Alex Murdock's pocket
[Music] on September 15 2021 sled announced they were opening a criminal investigation
into satterfield's death and the handling of her estate then on October 14th another twist in
the Alex Murdoch case the new criminal charges the disgraced lawyer is facing Alex Murdoch then faced two felony
charges Four's alleged role in the Satterfield insurance fraud no plea was entered in this case either
but this time a judge ordered Alex Murdoch to be held without bond he's been in Richland County jail since
October 16 2021 and the family of Mallory Beach hope Murdoch is investigated for obstruction of justice
in the investigation into Mallory's death [Music] this is where Mallory is buried
foreign of Mallory Beach there's just days where you just want to cry all day long The
Grieving continues what would Justice possibly look like for your family now suit would be settled
so we can get on with their lives because Mallory died almost three years ago and every time these stories come out
like it happens all over again [Music] thank you charged with the murder of his new
wife's two children did your father Chad dabel play any role in killing JJ and Tyler
his children speak out together if he didn't kill them then why were their bodies found buried in her father's
backyard 48 hours Saturday on CBS

On March 2, 2023, a jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul. He was sentenced to life in prison. "The Murdaugh Mysteries" originally aired on CBS on July 16, 2022. The latest "48 Hours" episode on the case, "The Trial of Alex Murdaugh" is now available. Watch now: https://youtu.be/yj8pFxSQBks

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

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Brief Summary

The episode discusses the Murdoch family's tragic events, including double homicide, a shooting, and a mysterious death, with insights from key figures involved.

Key points

Curtis Smith's Confession. Curtis Smith reveals Alec Murdoch's chilling request for a staged suicide.
The Murdoch Mysteries. A series of tragic events surrounding the Murdoch family, including double homicides and a mysterious boat crash.
The Boat Crash Tragedy. The fatal boat crash involving Paul Murdoch and Mallory Beach sets off a chain of events.
Double Homicide Shock. The shocking murders of Maggie and Paul Murdoch leave the community in grief.
Investigating the Murdoch Family. Authorities delve into the complex web of the Murdoch family's tragedies and legal troubles.
The Mysterious Death of Stephen Smith. Investigators uncover connections between Stephen Smith's death and the Murdoch family.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I don't think anybody will be charged with Stephen Smith's homicide.

Comment on the investigation into Stephen Smith's death.

3:33WatchFeb 24, 2023

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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