'A living hell.' The questions left behind after Alex Murdaugh's guilty verdict.

This is the story where five people dead under unusual or suspicious circumstances are all seemingly connected to one very powerful and influential family - the Murdaugh's. 

Most of us first heard of this case via a Netflix docuseries that has taken audiences by storm - Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal unpacking all the twists and horrific turns. 

But the South Carolina community of Hampton County have been dealing with the fallout for years. Covering it since the very beginning is local reporter Michael DeWitt, who is the Editor of The Hampton County Guardian.

At the heart of this case is Alex Murdaugh - a powerful former civil litigation lawyer who worked at his family's law firm, which provided the Murdaugh's with high judicial and political power. This week, Alex was convicted of double murder and sentenced to spend the rest of his 'natural life' in prison.

"That family name, influence and entitlement contributed a lot to Alex's crimes," DeWitt said on Mamamia's The Quicky podcast. "The dynasty has fallen. The fall from grace, the Murdaugh name is not worth what it used to be."

Watch the trailer for Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. Post continues below.

On June 7, 2021, Alex reported finding his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, dead near the dog kennels on their family's sprawling estate in Hampton. 

A year later, he was indicted on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon while committing a violent crime. Investigators argued he had shot the pair at close range with a rifle and a shotgun.

A trial soon followed, and last week, Alex was found guilty on all charges. It took a jury less than three hours to come back with a verdict.

When the news first came out, Michael Dewitt said there was a mixed response in Hampton County. 

"It was a shock to most people. People were like 'I just can't believe it'. Then there were a few in the community who knew him and thought 'I'm not totally surprised'. People were very emotionally divided," DeWitt said.

Listen to The Quicky. Post continues after audio.

Along with the murders of his wife and child, three other deceased people are connected in a way to the Murdaugh's. 

The first death connected to them happened in 2015 - Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of a highway near Hampton. He was a classmate of Alex Murdaugh's other son, Buster Murdaugh. Investigators said that while it may have immediately looked like a hit-and-run, it wasn't that straightforward. The report specified that it looked like foul play, but in the end, his death was ruled a vehicular incident.

Only later was it revealed that Buster's name had been brought up during the investigation. There had been rumours that Buster and Smith had been in a secret romantic relationship. Smith's loved ones have always believed he was murdered.

DeWitt said on The Quicky: "We don't have any firm evidence. The only thing we know for sure is that Stephen Smith's death was not an accident, it was a homicide. The rumours were hot and heavy around the community right after and in police reports there are literally scores of mentions of the Murdaugh name."

DeWitt also noted that Smith's death is continuing to be investigated, with progress recently made - perhaps not directly linked to the Murdaugh's. 

The second death was the Murdaugh's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield in 2018. She suffered head trauma at the bottom of the steps to the Murdaugh home and died as a result. 

Immediately after the incident, Alex Murdaugh instructed Satterfield's family to make a wrongful death claim against his insurance. They did. Eventually, the insurance company paid out a $4.3 million settlement. But it never went to Satterfield's family, instead remaining with Alex.

"The people closest to this [case] in no way think [her death] was intentional. What happened was as soon as she was injured, Alex Murdaugh sprang into action and found a way to capitalise and make a tonne of money on her death without giving a penny to her children," DeWitt said. 

The third death was Mallory Beach in 2019 - a friend to Alex Murdaugh's son, Paul Murdaugh. 

Paul and a group of friends, including Mallory, went on a boat trip up the river after a party. A heavily intoxicated Paul was confirmed to have been driving the boat, and was reportedly "agitative" and "resistant" towards all the other passengers on the boat who were trying to take control of the wheel for safety reasons.

An accident occurred, resulting in Mallory being thrown from the boat. Her body was found days later, having drowned in the river. In the aftermath, Paul Murdaugh reportedly called his grandfather to say it was one of the other passengers driving the boat.

Police officers did not question Paul. Phone records show Alex Murdaugh called and was called by investigating officers many times in the hours and days after the crash. Only much later on after public outrage and the Beach family hiring a lawyer, was Paul charged with multiple felonies over the crash and death.

But he would not end up facing a trial, as he and his mother were murdered in 2021.

The Murdaugh family: Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex. Image: Netflix.

Alex has denied murdering his wife and son, although he admitted to lying to investigators and said he was guilty of financial crimes. He was sentenced to the maximum of two consecutive life sentences - prosecutors not going for the death penalty. 

But as the judge said at the end of the trial: "Over the past century, your family including you have been prosecuting people in this courtroom and many have received the death penalty. Probably for lesser conduct."

There are still so many unanswered questions left - particularly surrounding the investigative conduct and causes of death of Stephen Smith, Gloria Satterfield and Mallory Beach.

And for the surviving son Buster, DeWitt described his situation as "a living hell", saying "he has truly lost everything".

"He [Buster] carries a disgraced name. He's already being followed and harassed. The only thing he can hope for is some peace, some forgiveness, some space."

The Hampton County community are still reeling from it all.

"People are hurting here in Hampton County, just grieving and taken aback," Michael DeWitt said to The Quicky. 

"There are some that still maintain his innocence, and there are some who are openly condemning him. You take what you see around the rest of the country and the rest of the world you magnify that by 100 and that's what the people in our hometown are feeling right now. It will be a story that my community never forgets."

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Feature Image: AAP.