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Qiana Thieklin
Notorious lawyer-turned-criminal Alex Murdaugh has now spent almost as much air time on Netflix documentaries as he did taking the stand for two grueling days in his own defense during the spring double murder trial that left him a convicted family annihilator.
Season 1 of "The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal," introduced the world -- streaming in 190 countries -- to the Murdaugh family and the South Carolina Lowcountry and set the stage for a Southern Gothic crime saga of the ages in true-crime, suspenseful fashion.
Season 2 opens with a thrill and a gritty, true-crime feel: police and emergency blue lights rushing to the killing zone at the Murdaugh's Moselle estate, followed by cop body cam footage of Alex Murdaugh weeping as investigators probe the crime scene, the bloodied bodies of his wife and child blurred out for viewers.
Murdaugh's disturbing 911 call then pivots to a call from Alex in prison after waves of financial charges crash on him like the breakers on a Carolina beach: "Don't let it worry you," he tells his surviving son, Buster, before the shot of a detention center van wheeling him into the Colleton County Courthouse for the double murder trial that captivated the English-speaking world.
There is also footage taken from the the S.C. Law Enforcement Division's evidence lockers that was used in the trial, such as police interviews with Murdaugh and body cams of investigators searching Moselle.
Season 2 includes interviews with Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein, who covered every day of the murder trial and is currently writing a book on the Murdaugh crime saga; and Will Folks, founding editor of FitsNews, a South Carolina media outlet that has been all over this crime saga and broke many of the most salacious and interesting stories.
We hear from a hero of the six-week murder trial, forensic crime scene expert Dr. Kenneth Kinsey. Kinsey broke down how the shootings likely happened, and with the aid of an animated video, brought the killings home to viewers on a more emotional, visual level.
We also hear from S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Murdaugh case lead prosecutor Creighton Waters, murder trial juror Gwen Generette, Murdaugh boat crash survivors Anthony Cook and Morgan Doughty, and even glimpse a video of O.J. Simpson, the now infamous former professional football player who was acquitted in the murder of his wife.
Most of the spine narration is done by Bauerlein, who was also the print journalist chosen to go to Moselle when the jury was taken there to study the crime scene, and by Colleton County Clerk of Court-turned author Becky HIll.
Bauerlein's boots-on-the-ground experience at Moselle helps us visualize the exact details of the crime scene, as she tells us "12 normal steps" separated the bodies and there was no doubt that Paul saw the killer "who blew the brain out of his body," just as there is little doubt Maggie watched her baby boy being brutally murdered.
Hill now finds herself facing as-yet unresolved jury tampering allegations. Although Hill conducted interviews for the Netflix special prior to the allegations, she is now facing heightened criticism on social media this week for expressing her opinions on the trial on camera.
But the most popular and powerful voices we hear are speaking out for the first time on Netflix, including those of Murdaugh family caregivers Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson and Mushelle "Shelley" Smith, along with alleged Murdaugh co-conspirator Curtis Edward "Cousin Eddie" Smith.
In "The Murdaugh Murders," Cousin Eddie tells us many things. But can we believe him? Court filings suggest he gave untruthful responses to SLED polygraph tests, and he stands under multiple indictments awaiting trial.
He denies being a money launderer, despite cashing hundreds of checks for Alex. He denies having anything to do with Alex's Labor Day weekend roadside shooting, despite indictments to the contrary, and further denies being a drug dealer, despite additional state grand jury indictments and admitting that Murdaugh was his drug buyer.
Blanca and Shelley, who both have deep connections with the Murdaugh family through years of loyal employment, impressed us with their bravery in taking the stand and testifying against Murdaugh. Blanca touched us again on Netflix, as she confessed that her body was shaking on the stand, and she tried to avoid looking at her former boss while testifying.
Blanca also helps humanize Maggie, a well-to-do woman who was loved by family and friends in her social circle, but often treated like an outcast by many in the Lowcountry community after the fatal 2019 Murdaugh boat crash that left Mallory Beach dead.
Blanca reveals how Maggie was worried about her family, and confided secrets to her, and confesses that she still keeps a copy of Maggie's obituary in her Bible. Episode 1 of the new season ends with Blanca tearfully remembering the last time she spoke with Maggie.
Episode 2 of the new season opens at the Liberty Auction house in Pembroke, Georgia, as both the curious and the Murdaugh-crazed fought to be the highest bidder at an auction of Alex and Maggie's belongings from Moselle.
While the proceeds from the auction reportedly went into a receivership to potentially benefit Murdaugh's victims (as well as pay legal costs), watching people haggle and compete over a tragic family's remaining material possessions doesn't exactly leave a warm and fuzzy feeling toward humankind.
Buyers purchased furniture, home decor and dishes, and even Maggie's bicycle. 'But the worst moment? A woman who was described as a "Murdaugh enthusiast" boasted about how she purchased a camera full of photos of the family's "happier times," as well as a vacuum cleaner with a bag still full of Murdaugh dust and dirt.
During my research for the upcoming book, Fall of the House of Murdaugh, I uncovered family stories that suggest that ominous tale might not be true at all - but we won't share any more rumor or hearsay here.
Paul's former girlfriend, and boat crash survivor, Morgan Doughty revealed that despite his public silence and denial of guilt in the boating death of Mallory Beach (likely advised by his attorney father, grandfather, and other counsel), the young man felt grief and possibly remorse.
However, this kinder, pained side of Paul was balanced by another, more shocking revelation: Blanca telling us that just a week before his death, Paul and friends were heading out to engage in more boating under the influence activity when they were stopped by S.C. Department of Natural Resource officers, who seized their alcohol but allowed Paul to call his father to once again "bail him out" of trouble.
But perhaps his most interesting revelations suggest there is more to the drug ring conspiracy than has been publicly uncovered. After Blanca shared that Alex hid drugs all over Moselle, Cousin Eddie revealed that he once delivered pills to an unnamed associate in Beaufort County and even delivered opioids from Alex to people at small airports around South Carolina and Georgia.
Like the murder trial itself, "The Murdaugh Murders" leaves us with lots of little unanswered questions, such as what is the significance of the pots being covered up inside the refrigerator at Moselle, or why Maggie's pajamas were laid out on the floor.
Was Alex Murdaugh also involved with cocaine as well as pills? And considering Cousin's Eddie's shocking confessions, how much more is yet to be uncovered in Murdaugh's drug ring? Was he involved with major drug "cartels," and did this have something to do with the murders?
Boat crash survivor and longtime family friend Anthony Cook doesn't appear to think so. After hearing all the evidence, he still finds it hard to believe that Alex killed Paul, and that "at least one other person had to be involved."
As the show concludes in Episode 3, Blanca is asked point blank if Alex had help murdering his family, to which she cryptically responded, "I don't want to answer that... I don't feel comfortable answering that."
Prior to writing this review, I asked true crime fans and Murdaugh case followers to share their thoughts with me on social media. Here is what they shared on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).
In 2013, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez died as a result of horrific and prolonged abuse by his mother and her boyfriend. In the wake of the tragedy, a demand for justice and accountability exploded in Los Angeles County. This six-part documentary series from award-winning documentarian Brian Knappenberger (Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press) offers an inside look at the trial as well as an eye-opening investigation into the government systems that failed to protect Gabriel, despite multiple reports and warning signs. Along with shedding light on an important story, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez serves as a wake-up call to reexamine the structures designed to protect children in need.
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