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Filmmaker reveals Murdaugh docuseries is tip of iceberg – corruption stretches to ‘federal level’

Bynewsmagzines

Feb 22, 2023
Paul, Maggie, Alex and Buster Murdaugh attend a dinner at the Carolina Yacht Club. The legal scion is accused of shooting dead Maggie and Paul on June 7, 2021


Alex Murdaugh‘s murders are just the tip of the iceberg, according to filmmakers who say they have uncovered new crimes and corruption stretching to ‘state and federal level.’

In the new Netflix documentary Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, former friends of Alex’s late son Paul revealed the legal scion pressured witnesses following his drunken boat wreck in February 2019.

At the time of his wife Maggie and son Paul’s murders, Alex was being sued for up to $30million over the accident during which his son was driving his boat under the influence of alcohol bought with his older brother Buster’s ID.  

The new series also examines the deaths of Stephen Smith, a former classmate of Alex’s older son Buster, and Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh’s housekeeper who died in a fall at their home. Their deaths have been the subject of widespread speculation of foul play.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, filmmaker Jenner Furst said: ‘There is so much more to tell in this story. There are additional crimes that have occurred that we have the scoop on – corruption that goes far wider than Hampton, South Carolina. That goes to the state and to the federal level.’

Paul, Maggie, Alex and Buster Murdaugh attend a dinner at the Carolina Yacht Club. The legal scion is accused of shooting dead Maggie and Paul on June 7, 2021

Paul, Maggie, Alex and Buster Murdaugh attend a dinner at the Carolina Yacht Club. The legal scion is accused of shooting dead Maggie and Paul on June 7, 2021

Mallory Beach

Mallory Beach

Mallory Beach

Mallory Beach

Tinsley told the court that Alex tried to ‘intimidate and bully’ him because he was suing him over his son Paul’s drunken boat crash that left 19-year-old Mallory Beach (pictured) dead 

Paul's biggest supporter was housekeeper Gloria Satterfield (pictured), Doughty said, describing her as Paul's second mom. She died in a fall at Alex's hunting lodge in 2018, the same year she found the legal scion's 'baggie of pills'

Paul's biggest supporter was housekeeper Gloria Satterfield (pictured), Doughty said, describing her as Paul's second mom. She died in a fall at Alex's hunting lodge in 2018, the same year she found the legal scion's 'baggie of pills'

The new film also examines the death of Stephen Smith, a former classmate of Alex's older son Buster, who died in 2015

The new film also examines the death of Stephen Smith, a former classmate of Alex's older son Buster, who died in 2015

The new film also examines the deaths of Stephen Smith (right), a former classmate of Alex’s older son Buster, and Gloria Satterfield (left), the Murdaugh’s housekeeper who died in a fall at their home. Their deaths have been the subject of widespread speculation of foul play 

Furst claims they have uncovered such a breadth of deception that they are hoping the new show ‘creates a tidal wave to unlock the rest of the story.’

The release of the documentary comes as Alex’s defense lays out its case in the disgraced legal scion’s double murder trial at the Colleton County courthouse in Walterboro.

Alex is accused of the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul at the family’s sprawling hunting estate at Moselle in South Carolina’s Lowcountry on the night of June 7, 2021. 

Maggie was shot five times with a high-powered assault rifle, while Paul was blasted twice with a shotgun.

The defense theory is that Maggie and Paul could have been killed in revenge for Paul’s boat wreck. 

In the new documentary, Paul’s former girlfriend Morgan Doughty, 23, broke her silence to reveal that the younger Murdaugh son was frequently drunk and that the family once helped cover up a serious car crash while he was under the influence.

Doughty detailed the events following a 2017 Christmas party, where she alleged a drunk Paul crashed his truck, with his family rushing to the scene to hide guns and beer cans in the vehicle before police arrived.  

She also recalled how the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, had found bags of pills belonging to Alex, who was addicted to opioids, and told Paul about it the same year she died from a fall at their estate. 

Morgan Doughty broke her silence to discuss her relationship with Paul Murdaugh, claiming he often abused alcohol and crashed his truck full of beer cans and guns in 2017, an event she said his family helped cover up

Morgan Doughty broke her silence to discuss her relationship with Paul Murdaugh, claiming he often abused alcohol and crashed his truck full of beer cans and guns in 2017, an event she said his family helped cover up

Morgan Doughty broke her silence to discuss her relationship with Paul Murdaugh, claiming he often abused alcohol and crashed his truck full of beer cans and guns in 2017, an event she said his family helped cover up 

Doughty, pictured together with Paul, said their romance soured over his alleged heavy drinking and physical abuse, claiming he once grabbed her by the throat and hit her

Doughty, pictured together with Paul, said their romance soured over his alleged heavy drinking and physical abuse, claiming he once grabbed her by the throat and hit her

Doughty, pictured together with Paul, said their romance soured over his alleged heavy drinking and physical abuse, claiming he once grabbed her by the throat and hit her 

Photos of the Murdaugh boat, the Sea Hunt, taken by investigators after Paul's drunken boat wreck in February 2019

Photos of the Murdaugh boat, the Sea Hunt, taken by investigators after Paul's drunken boat wreck in February 2019

Photos of the Murdaugh boat, the Sea Hunt, taken by investigators after Paul’s drunken boat wreck in February 2019

The three-part Netflix documentary dives into the scandals and suspicious deaths linked to the once-prominent South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh and his family between 2015 and 2021. 

Speaking in the documentary, Doughty, who moved to South Carolina with her parents when starting high school, said she had a strong connection with Paul, and the two began going out in their junior year. 

During their romance, Doughty said she and her friends would hang around Paul’s home, where his parents allegedly offered the minors liquor on a regular basis. 

‘Whenever I came around the Murdaugh’s, it was very normal for them to be drinking and have a lot of alcohol always stocked in the house,’ Doughty said. 

Alex Murdaugh (pictured) is on trial for the 2021 fatal shooting of his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, at his hunting lodge

Alex Murdaugh (pictured) is on trial for the 2021 fatal shooting of his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, at his hunting lodge

Alex Murdaugh (pictured) is on trial for the 2021 fatal shooting of his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, at his hunting lodge 

The claims of the Murdaugh’s prevalent drinking culture matches what Doughty told police after the 2019 death of her friend Mallory Beach, 19 – who was killed in a boat crash allegedly driven by Paul when he was drunk. 

In her affidavit, Doughty provided 25 videos of minors drinking alcohol with Alex and his family present. 

But while the fatal boat crash has been heavily scrutinized, Doughty claimed Paul was responsible for another drunk driving incident two years prior. 

On December 25, 2017, Doughty claimed she was driving an intoxicated Paul home when he ‘aggressively’ demanded that he drive his truck. 

She said he then lost control and crashed into a ditch, adding that beer cans and guns inside the truck rolled over everywhere. 

When she tried to call 911 for help, Doughty said Paul grabbed her phone and hung up, opting instead to call his grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh, and Alex. 

Doughty claimed Randolph, Alex and Maggie Murdaugh rushed to the scene, and before checking up on the teens, they cleared the truck of the guns and beer cans. 

She added that they chastised her for calling 911 because it would have meant trouble for their youngest son Paul. 

Doughty said Alex and Maggie Murdaugh were fully aware of their son's drinking and that they often offered alcohol to minors. Pictured: a picture of Doughty giving Alex a shot in 2018

Doughty said Alex and Maggie Murdaugh were fully aware of their son's drinking and that they often offered alcohol to minors. Pictured: a picture of Doughty giving Alex a shot in 2018

Doughty said Alex and Maggie Murdaugh were fully aware of their son’s drinking and that they often offered alcohol to minors. Pictured: a picture of Doughty giving Alex a shot in 2018 

Paul, a minor, drinking beers with his friends

Paul, a minor, drinking beers with his friends

Paul taking shots of alcohol allegedly provided by his parents

Paul taking shots of alcohol allegedly provided by his parents

Doughty said Paul would drink regularly with friends as a minor (left), and would drink alcohol provide to him by his parents (right)

Doughty said there was a prevalent culture of drinking alcohol at the Murdaugh estate

Doughty said there was a prevalent culture of drinking alcohol at the Murdaugh estate

Doughty said there was a prevalent culture of drinking alcohol at the Murdaugh estate 

Due in part to Paul’s alleged constant drinking, Doughty said their relationship began to sour, with her friends warning her to stay away from him. 

In the documentary, her friend Miley Altman said she and Beach would tell Doughty to end things with Paul, saying the couple would break up over the weekends and get back together again. 

Describing her relationship with Paul, Doughty said: ‘I think that our relationship is just something that I really clung to just because when it was good, it was really good. But when it was bad, it was really bad.’ 

She said their arguments began getting physical, and it all came to a head one night when they were celebrating Buster Murdaugh’s graduation and Paul began kicking her at a hotel they were staying at. 

Doughty noted that Paul was drunk, and when he told her to stop, he grabbed her by the throat. 

‘He got on top of me, and I just remember him screaming, “I told you to shut up,”‘ she recalled. 

‘Just holding down my throat. I just remember then he punched me really hard in the knee,’ she added as she began to cry. 

On the day of the boat crash, Doughty alleged that Paul slapped her and spat at her. 

Doughty’s parents, Bill and Diane, said they had no idea what their daughter had gone through, but said she was through with him on the day of the accident. 

‘She was done,’ her mother, said. ‘That was it.’ 

‘She always said that Mallory saved her, and that’s one way, really, she saved her.’   

Along with her own inner turmoil, Doughty also offered insight into Paul, saying that he often felt he was a disappointment to his family and that he only got approval from the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. 

Doughty said Satterfield was ‘Paul’s second mom,’ and that the housekeeper had told him about ‘baggies of pills’ she found that belonged to Alex. 

Alex had been abusing opioids for years, and was often confronted about it by his family, including Paul just a month before he and Maggie were murdered on June 7, 2021. 

Doughty noted that Satterfield’s discovery occurred in 2018, the same year she fell to her death in Alex’s hunting lodge. 

Doughty also said that Paul (left) felt like he was a disappointment to his family after his brother Buster (right) sought a career in law like their father

Doughty also said that Paul (left) felt like he was a disappointment to his family after his brother Buster (right) sought a career in law like their father

Doughty also said that Paul (left) felt like he was a disappointment to his family after his brother Buster (right) sought a career in law like their father

The majority of the first episode in the Netflix series was dedicated to Beach’s death and Paul’s alleged role in it. 

Beach, 19, was thrown from the boat when it crashed into Archers Creek Bridge, in Beaufort South Carolina, in February 2019. Her body was found five days later. 

It is believed Paul, 19, was drunk at the time, with brother Buster accused of lending his younger brother his ID in order for him to buy alcohol before the crash.

Also speaking in the Netflix series was Anthony Cook, Beach’s boyfriend, and his cousin Connor Cook, Miley’s boyfriend. 

Connor spoke about his outrage when the Murdaugh family attempted to pin the crash boat crash on him. 

‘I wanted to beat the sh** out of him because I wasn’t driving,’ Connor said, adding that he was relieved when Paul was finally indicted over Mallory’s death 

At the time of his death, Paul was awaiting trial on three felony counts – two of boating under the influence and one of causing death and bodily injury.

He had been indicted and released on a $50,000 bond.

According to legal documents seen by DailyMail.com, Murdaugh was ‘highly intoxicated,’ ‘drunk’ and ‘belligerent,’ on the February night two years ago when he sped his boat into a piling on Archer’s Creek.

All of the six youths on board that night were under 21, and were ejected from the vessel. But Beach did not make it to shore.

Beach’s mother filed a $50million creditors claim against the estate of Paul and his late mother Maggie, while other boat crash survivors –  Doughty and Altman – also filed claims against the Murdaugh estates for $10million and $5million.

Creditors claims filed against an estate are legal means for claimants to get money they feel they are owed from someone after they have died.

Doughty's friend, Mallory Beach (pictured) disapproved of her relationship with Paul. Beach, 19, died when an allegedly drunk Paul crashed his father's boat in 2019

Doughty's friend, Mallory Beach (pictured) disapproved of her relationship with Paul. Beach, 19, died when an allegedly drunk Paul crashed his father's boat in 2019

Doughty’s friend, Mallory Beach (pictured) disapproved of her relationship with Paul. Beach, 19, died when an allegedly drunk Paul crashed his father’s boat in 2019 

Pictured: Blood found on the Murdaugh yacht following the fatal boat crash

Pictured: Blood found on the Murdaugh yacht following the fatal boat crash

Pictured: Blood found on the Murdaugh yacht following the fatal boat crash 

Paul was allegedly driving the boat drunk with his friends on board when the boat crashed, sending everyone flying overboard, with all but Beach returning to shore

Paul was allegedly driving the boat drunk with his friends on board when the boat crashed, sending everyone flying overboard, with all but Beach returning to shore

Paul was allegedly driving the boat drunk with his friends on board when the boat crashed, sending everyone flying overboard, with all but Beach returning to shore

Pictured: Paul (right) walking with the group of friends to the yacht on the night of the crash

Pictured: Paul (right) walking with the group of friends to the yacht on the night of the crash

Pictured: Paul (right) walking with the group of friends to the yacht on the night of the crash

Last month, the family of Mallory Beach reached a tentative settlement with Buster Murdaugh in the $50million lawsuit. 

The cost of the settlement has not been made public, but ABC News 4 reported that it had been told it is a ‘significant’ amount.

Reports say the settlement will mean that Buster and his late mother Maggie Murdaugh – who was accused of knowing her son Paul was drunk when he went out boating that night – are no longer named on the lawsuit.

This would leave just Paul and Buster’s father Alex and Parker’s Kitchen convenience store (where Paul purchased alcohol underage) as being named.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk

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