Where did the Murdaugh Murders take place? Location in South Carolina explored

The infamous Murdaugh Murders took place in Islandton, South Carolina, on the night of June 7, 2021, when Margaret Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, of the influential Murdaugh family were found dead on their 1,770-acre estate. The Murdaugh Murders became one of the most prominent cases in South Carolina's history, drawing attention from around the country.

It inspired the making of the three-part docuseries, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, which details the alleged exploitation of wealth and status by the family, along with the person reportedly responsible for it. As per IMDb, the synopsis for the docuseries, which was released in February 2023, is as follows:

"Shocking tragedies shatter a tight-knit South Carolina community and expose the horrifying secrets of its most powerful family."

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The Murdaugh Murders and their Islandton, South Carolina connection

The title of the docuseries, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, indicates the location where the murders took place. According to the series, Alex Murdaugh (53 at the time) killed his wife, Margaret, and son, Paul, in Islandton, South Carolina in June 2021. They were killed at the family's 1,700-acre, $4 million Moselle Farm home.

Islandton came into the spotlight only after the Murdaugh killings. According to Data USA, only 49 people were living in Islandton at the time of the incident, and they too were unincorporated. It is situated roughly 1.5 hours west of Charleston, South Carolina, and 1 hour north of Savannah, Georgia. Hampton, a nearby town, is a mere 18 minutes drive from Islandton.

Before the notorious incident, the Murdaugh family was already well-known in Islandton and the lower region of South Carolina. In 1910, Randolph Murdaugh Sr. founded a Hampton legal firm that grew into a multimillion-dollar, family-owned business.

However, the Murdaugh family dynasty came to an end when a sequence of events over six years resulted in the deaths of five people: Paul Murdaugh, Alex's youngest son; Maggie Murdaugh, Alex's wife; Gloria Satterfield, Alex's housekeeper; and Mallory Beach, a friend of Alex's oldest son. There was also an alleged attempt on Alex's life.

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Alex Murdaugh's involvement in the Murdaugh Murders

The Murdaugh family patriarch, Alex Murdaugh, also a renowned South Carolina lawyer, and Margaret Murdaugh's husband was held responsible for the murders.

A grand jury in Colleton County, South Carolina, charged Alex on July 14, 2022, with two charges of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon while committing a violent felony, as per PEOPLE.

In their opening statement on January 25, 2023, state prosecutors stated that according to the forensic evidence, Murdaugh was guilty of the murders of his wife and son, which they claim he committed at close range using a shotgun and an AR-style weapon.

The Murdaugh mother and son (Image via IMDb)

One of Alex's lawyers, Jim Griffin, in his interview with Fox Carolina News revealed that Alex "had long been considered a person of interest" in the murders. But, he said Alex was away visiting his mother at the time of the murders. He also said Alex had no motive for it.

On March 2, 2023, following weeks of testimony from over 75 witnesses, the notorious Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his son Paul and wife Maggie. On March 3, Alex Murdaugh was given two consecutive life terms in jail.

Despite appealing the conviction and prison sentences, Alex Murdaugh's sentence was extended for another 27 years on November 27, 2023, for a string of financial crimes involving the theft of millions of dollars from his customers.

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Watch the true crime show, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal for more details on the Murdaugh Murders on Netflix.