Whilst an American, I had by no means heard of Hampton County in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. But for the previous six weeks this otherworldly land of swamps and wild hogs has horrified, fascinated and totally gripped me — and far of the nation.
Hampton is residence to the Murdaugh household, a feudal dynasty that has in some way existed beneath the bustle of recent American life. On Thursday, a jury discovered Alex Murdaugh, 54, a distinguished native lawyer, responsible of the 2021 homicide of his spouse, Maggie, and son, Paul, after a six week trial that, as nationwide spectacle, has approached OJ Simpson ranges of hysteria.
The Murdaughs have spawned rival HBO and Netflix programmes documenting their rarefied world. His televised trial has for weeks been the factor to natter about within the workplace — for many who nonetheless go to an workplace.
As a drama, the Murdaughs are southern gothic. However their story started in Gatsby-esque trend with a tragic accident in 2019. On this case, it was a ship stuffed with younger associates crashing right into a bridge late at evening. It was pushed, in line with authorities, by Paul, then 19, after an evening of heavy consuming. (There may be epic consuming within the Murdaugh world — and far taxidermy — and everybody appears to go to seed by age 30.) One of many passengers, Mallory Seaside, additionally 19 on the time, was thrown into the water and drowned.
Whereas childhood associates and their households are traumatised, the Murdaughs swing into motion to attempt to defend Paul. They connive to control regulation enforcement and the opposite households. They insist one other boy was driving the boat.
They’ve huge sway as a result of, it seems, the Murdaughs are like royalty in Hampton. For almost a century, a Murdaugh has been the chief felony prosecutor for the encircling district. On the identical time, the household has operated Hampton’s largest civil regulation agency. In essence, the Murdaughs are the regulation in Hampton. They’re additionally fantastically rich, with a number of properties, boats, their very own 1,700-acre searching property, an arsenal of weapons, and different baubles.
The boat accident is trying like one other factor the Murdaughs could get away with. However then, in June 2021, Paul and his mom, Maggie, are discovered shot to loss of life close to the canine kennel on the household’s searching property. It’s a grotesque scene. There are whispers that this should have been retribution for Mallory Seaside’s loss of life.
In actual fact, authorities alleged — and a jury has now agreed — that Alex Murdaugh killed his spouse and son. He did so, they mentioned, as a result of this lord of Hampton was additionally nursing a 60 pill-a-day OxyContin habit, which he funded by stealing tens of millions of {dollars} from his regulation agency and purchasers. His schemes have been unravelling, and he wished to throw his pursuers off the path, prosecutors mentioned. On Friday, he was sentenced to life in jail.
“I’m not fairly positive how I let myself get the place I received,” Murdaugh informed jurors, with some understatement, claiming he was a liar and a thief — however not a assassin. In an additional baroque twist, in September 2021, he additionally organized for a cousin and drug vendor to shoot him within the head — though he was not severely wounded.
To make sure, the Murdaugh story is a tragedy that has devastated households and burnt a gap by means of a small city. It was set in movement by the untimely loss of life of a younger lady. Unusually, it additionally struck me as a uncommon southern drama not evidently burdened by race. This was about class and cash. And so, for outsiders, its attract was as a type of “true crime” escapism free from our corrosive tradition wars.
It was additionally an escape to a forgotten American south of Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor, a spot dripping with Spanish moss, genteel manners and darkness. If you happen to closed your eyes, you might hear its echoes because the phrase “lie” stretched to a few languorous syllables passing by means of Murdaugh’s mouth — which was usually. It was additionally there in an important piece of testimony that involved him pulling a rooster from the mouth of his Labrador, Bubba.
That wasn’t even the perfect identify. Paul, apparently, was identified to his father as “Paw-Paw”. One other Murdaugh son, 26, goes by Buster. (With their flaming crimson hair and pink pores and skin, all three Murdaugh males should have introduced their presence in Hampton from far.) A neighborhood prosecutor is named “Duffie Stone”.
Even after six weeks of testimony and limitless cable tv protection, I struggled to resolve if the fallen Alex Murdaugh was a fidgety addict or a grasp liar — or each. Some Murdaugh mysteries linger. Why, for instance, does everybody name him “Elick”? And does anybody know the best way to pronounce “Murdaugh”?
However the trial was conclusive for me on one other matter. It was a reminder of the depths and selection and strangeness that also lurk on this underexplored land that’s America.
“Do you suppose there are different Hamptons on the market?” a good friend requested the opposite evening.
“Oh, I doubt it,” I started — after which minimize myself off. “Yeah, in all probability.”
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