Hulu’s new true-crime drama miniseries “Murdaugh: Death in the Family,” has intrigued the true crime fanatics and climbed its way up the charts. It currently sits at No. 1 on Disney+ and No. 2 on Hulu. It is popularly ranked in the top 10 in more than 50 countries. The series centers around the South Carolina lawyer, Alex Murdaugh, who murdered his wife and son. It premiered Wednesday, October 15, 2025, releasing only the first three episodes with more to come in the following weeks. If your niche is true crime, this series may be for you.

Murdaugh Murders Series

The series stars Jason Clarke as Alex Murdaugh and Patricia Arquette as his wife, Maggie. The two live a lavish life as one of the most powerful legal dynasties in South Carolina. Their life seems perfect from the outside, but looking in there is something much more sinister. It follows how their lives quickly unravel after their son Paul is involved in a boating accident in 2019 where 19-year-old Mallory Beach dies. It continues to spiral downward diving deep into their crimes over the years. 

The drama continues throughout the series, covering the death of the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, and Alex’s financial crimes such as bank and wire fraud in which he pleaded guilty to 22 federal charges in 2023. This series was inspired by the “Murdaugh Murders” podcast created by Mandy Matney, who is played by Brittany Snow.

This is not the first and is unlikely to be the last we see of the Murdaugh family. The Hulu series finale will premiere on November 19, concluding the drama and the crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh. However, their crimes and family drama have been covered in several documentaries to allow you to dive deeper in, including Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,” HBO Max’s “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty,” and “Discovery+’s “Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty.” 

Real Life Family

The star of the show, Alex Murdaugh, was born into a powerful legal dynasty in South Carolina. He was convicted in 2023 for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Alex was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and was also convicted of several financial charges including bank and wire fraud. Dick Harpootlian, who was a part of Alex’s defense team, believes there are still many unanswered questions and he is hoping for a new trial.

The matriarch of the family was Maggie Murdaugh. She was the traditional homemaker and stayed at home with the kids. She valued her time with her family and spent lots of time at their beach house in Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Her sister, Marian Proctor, testified to Alex’s behavior after the murders of her sister and nephew. “We never talked about finding the person who could have done it,” she said. “It was just odd.”

At the time of the murders, Paul was awaiting trial for the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach who was killed in a 2019 boating accident. Beach was the only fatality out of the six people aboard and her death created controversy with the family since Paul was allegedly under the influence while driving. He was indicted and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Paul’s brother and Murdaugh’s only surviving son, Buster, was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Beach’s mother. It alleged Paul used Buster’s ID to purchase the alcohol he consumed the day the boat crashed.

Outside The Family

The family’s housekeeper of more than 20 years, Gloria Satterfield, died on the family’s property in 2018. Her son, Michael Satterfield, testified they did not receive settlement funds after Alex Murdaugh allegedly hatched a plan to steal the insurance money. 

Curtis Edward Smith was allegedly hired by Alex Murdaugh’s son, Buster, to collect on a life insurance policy. Smith was indicted on charges including, possession of a firearm, conspiracy to commit murder, assisted suicide, and assault and battery.

The executive producer on the miniseries and creator of the “Murdaugh Murders” podcast, Mandy Matney, alongside Liz Farrell, writes and edits the episodes. The episodes in Hulu’s newest and top series are based on the reporting of the two’s podcasts.