Murdaugh Murders: Condensed Timeline of Events!

Here’s a condensed timeline of events involved in Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.

Netflix‘s documentary series, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, lives up to its moniker by being both captivating and frightening in every way. This is because it accurately portrays the titular family’s decline from notoriety by combining archive film with first-person accounts from people who were there.

The fact that their image as a formidable family law company, the numerous deaths associated with their brand, and some serious accusations of fraud and drug use all take center stage here should not come as a surprise.

The docu-series is the ideal way for beginners to learn about the Murdaubugh case, particularly the case against Alex Murdaugh, the accused family killer. After all, despite being audacious, dark, and twisted, it avoids sensationalizing the truth to the point that it leaves us with more questions than answers about the most important South Carolina episodes.

A Complete Condensed Timeline of Events: Murdaugh Murders!

The Murdaugh family.
Image Source: Netflix

Season 2 of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal just arrived on the streaming platform. With its continuous popularity, we’ve found that many people, especially Reddit users, have been curious to know the timeline of events involved in this case. Well, here’s a condensed timeline:

July 8, 2015

Stephen Smith, a friend and classmate of Buster Murdaugh, was discovered dead on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina. His own vehicle was parked a distance away. Although a trooper shown in the documentary said that the man’s injuries conflicted with a hit-and-run, head trauma was eventually proven to be the cause of death.

Although a private detective hired by Smith’s mother discovered allegations that he and Buster were linked (Smith was openly gay), Smith’s death remains unexplained to this day.

February 2, 2018

The Murdaugh family’s maid, Gloria Satterfield, suffered serious injuries while performing her duties on the premises of the family. It reportedly fell down the stairs, probably after tripping over the dogs, and “hit her head violently.” She was taken to the hospital, where until her death on February 26 her siblings said she was mostly unresponsive. However, the coroner was never notified of her death, and an autopsy was never carried out.

In the documentary series, Morgan Doughty, Paul Murdaugh‘s ex-girlfriend, and her parents claim that Gloria “knew too much” about the secrets of the family and that she had discovered drugs in Alex’s bedroom just before she passed away.

February 23, 2019

Paul Murdaugh, who according to interviews in Murdaugh Murders had a pattern of acting angrily and abusing while drunk, drove himself and five friends home after a night of partying on his boat with his then-girlfriend Morgan Doughty, Connor Cook, Miley Altman, Anthony Cook, and Anthony‘s girlfriend, 19-year-old Mallory Beach.

Mallory allegedly fell into the sea after the boat struck a pier due to Paul’s erratic conduct. She did not surface. Seven days later, authorities discovered her dead body many miles upriver. Her death was ruled to be caused by drowning as a result of blunt-force head injuries.

Paul was accused of two counts of causing harm to others and one count of operating a watercraft while intoxicated which resulted in death. He had entered a not-guilty plea and was waiting for trial when he died.

June 7, 2021

On their farm, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were both shot to death: Maggie in the chest and back, and Paul in the chest, neck, and skull. According to Alex Murdaugh‘s account of what happened, he found Maggie and Paul’s deaths next to the dog kennels after he got home from visiting his sick parents, “a short drive” away from the main house.

September 4, 2021

In Season 2 of the Netflix program, we discovered that Alex Murdaugh contacted 911 after being shot at the side of the road after his car got a flat tire, three months after his wife and son were killed. He said that a pickup truck turned around after passing him, and someone inside fired shots at him.

September 6, 2021

Alex Murdaugh announced in the media that he would be leaving his law firm and entering rehab. The same day, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrickhe issued a statement of their own alleging that Murdaugh had misused business funds.

September 8, 2021

The South Carolina Bar suspended Murdaugh‘s right to practice law.

September 14, 2021

Curtis Edward Smith, 61, was detained in connection with the roadside shooting, according to the investigators, who claim Murdaugh bribed Smith to kill him so that his son Buster could collect a sizable life insurance policy. Smith was accused of helping someone commit suicide, violence, and insurance fraud.

September 15, 2021

Richard Harpootlian, Murdaugh’s lawyer, claimed that on September 15, 2021, Murdaugh hired Smith to take his life because he was mourning, unhappy, and struggling with an opiate addiction. Smith was accused by Hartpootlian of “taking advantage” of Murdaugh when he was weak.

Authorities also reopened their inquiry into Gloria Satterfield, a housekeeper, who died in 2018.

September 16, 2021

After turning himself into the authorities, Alex Murdaugh was accused of making a fraudulent police report and engaging in insurance fraud. He was subsequently given bail and started going to a rehab center for treatment.

October 14, 2021

Murdaugh was taken into custody after leaving treatment and was charged with two felonies for obtaining property under false pretenses in relation to the unpaid payment for Gloria Satterfield’s death. Later, the judge rejected his request for bond and ordered that he get a mental health evaluation.

13 December 2021

After being accused of 48 different financial offenses, a judge set Murdaugh‘s bond conditions at $7 million.

July 12, 2022

Murdaugh was officially banned from the practice of law.

January 25, 2023

Alex Murdaugh was on trial for the murders of Maggie and Paul on January 25, 2023, and his eldest son Buster testified in his support. The trial lasted six weeks and featured numerous expert witnesses as well as testimony from Alex himself.

March 2, 2023

Alex Murdaugh was announced guilty of the murders of his parents and son.
Image Source: AP Photo

After around two hours of deliberation, the jury immediately returned with their decision. The jury convicted Alex Murdaugh guilty of both murders as well as two counts of having a weapon while committing a violent felony.

March 3, 2023

Judge Clifton Newman gave Murdaugh two consecutive life sentences following the jury’s decision. Despite the sentencing, Murdaugh persisted in claiming his innocence.

March 21, 2023

The death of Stephen Smith, which was previously determined to be the result of vehicular manslaughter, is reportedly currently the subject of a new investigation as a homicide.