20/20 Reports on Murdaugh Case October 31 2025
ABC’s 20/20 returns on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 9/8c with a gripping episode on The Murdaugh Case, diving into one of the most shocking legal dramas in recent memory. This primetime special offers a comprehensive look at the rise and fall of a once-powerful Southern legal dynasty and the brutal double murder that shattered a family and captivated a nation. Featuring exclusive interviews and previously unseen footage, this installment explores the unraveling of Alex Murdaugh’s carefully built public persona and the shocking discoveries that led to his downfall.
The Murdaugh family once held deep roots in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where generations served as top prosecutors and wielded influence across legal and political circles. But behind the prestige was a web of corruption, financial crimes, and ultimately, murder. This 20/20 episode aims to lay bare how a man born into privilege became the central figure in a criminal saga involving deception, drug addiction, embezzlement, and cold-blooded murder.
Contents
The Murdaugh Legacy and Southern Power
The Murdaugh family’s legacy in South Carolina dates back nearly a century. For three generations, members of the family served as solicitors (local prosecutors) for the 14th Judicial Circuit, covering five counties in the state’s Lowcountry. The name carried weight, and the Murdaughs were seen as untouchable pillars of the community. Their connections extended into law enforcement, politics, and civil litigation.
Alex Murdaugh, a personal injury lawyer with the prestigious Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick law firm (PMPED), inherited both the power and influence of his lineage. He was seen by many as the natural continuation of the family tradition. However, behind the respectable façade, serious cracks were forming—allegations of financial impropriety, drug use, and unethical legal practices were beginning to surface.
The Night That Changed Everything: June 7, 2021
The case took a horrifying turn on the night of June 7, 2021, when Alex Murdaugh called 911 to report the discovery of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, shot to death near the dog kennels on their rural Colleton County property. The murders sent shockwaves through the state and drew national media attention. Who would target the Murdaughs?
Paul Murdaugh had been awaiting trial for a 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach, an incident that had already brought intense scrutiny on the family. Law enforcement initially said Alex was not a suspect, but as the investigation deepened, inconsistencies in his account emerged, and new evidence began to point in his direction.
Unraveling a Web of Crimes
While the double murder investigation gained momentum, a series of other allegations began to surface. Prosecutors accused Alex Murdaugh of stealing millions of dollars from clients and his law firm. The extent of the fraud was staggering—over 100 financial crimes, involving embezzlement, insurance fraud, and money laundering, were eventually filed against him.
One of the most bizarre turns came in September 2021, when Alex survived a roadside shooting he initially claimed was a murder attempt. It was later revealed he had orchestrated the shooting with a former client in an attempt to secure a $10 million insurance payout for his surviving son, Buster. The botched suicide-for-hire plot confirmed that Alex was spiraling and desperate to escape his mounting legal troubles.
Investigators also reopened two other mysterious deaths with ties to the Murdaugh family: the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a classmate of Buster Murdaugh, and the 2018 death of the Murdaughs’ longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. In the latter case, Alex admitted to pocketing millions from a wrongful death settlement meant for Satterfield’s sons.
The Trial of Alex Murdaugh: A Stunning Conviction
In March 2023, Alex Murdaugh was put on trial for the murders of his wife and son. Prosecutors laid out a case built on circumstantial evidence, motive, and damning digital proof, including cellphone data and a Snapchat video taken by Paul that placed Alex at the scene of the murders minutes before the killings—despite his claims to the contrary.
The state argued that Alex committed the murders to distract from his financial crimes, which were on the verge of being exposed. The defense maintained that the investigation was botched and relied on assumptions. After weeks of testimony and national attention, the jury delivered a swift verdict: guilty on all counts.
Murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. The conviction marked the downfall of a man once seen as a symbol of Southern power and exposed how privilege and legacy had concealed decades of deceit.
Aftermath and Lingering Questions
Even after the murder conviction, legal proceedings continued. Murdaugh later pleaded guilty to 22 counts of financial crimes in federal court, admitting to defrauding clients, including the Satterfield family, out of nearly $9 million. Additional state charges remain pending.
The community continues to grapple with the implications of the case. The South Carolina legal system has faced criticism for allowing the Murdaughs to operate unchecked for so long. Multiple lawsuits and investigations are ongoing, and questions linger about other potential victims and whether others in the family’s orbit may have been complicit or turned a blind eye.
The Beach family’s civil lawsuit against the Murdaugh estate and others involved in the 2019 boat crash remains active. Gloria Satterfield’s sons have received part of their settlement, and efforts to reform how wrongful death claims and estate matters are handled in the state are underway.
A Family, a Dynasty, a Reckoning
The 20/20 special revisits this shocking saga through exclusive interviews with those closest to the case, legal experts, journalists, and victims’ family members. It paints a vivid picture of how one man’s actions destroyed a family and forced a reckoning in a community long shielded by power and tradition.
By exploring the depth of Alex Murdaugh’s crimes and the fallout that followed, this episode provides a haunting reminder of how corruption, entitlement, and a lack of accountability can leave a trail of devastation. The Murdaugh case is not just a story of a murder—it’s a story about the implosion of an American dynasty, and the victims left in its wake.
