Murdaugh: Death in the Family
Season 1 – Episode 7
Episode title: On the Road You Take to Avoid it
Original release date:Â November 12, 2025
Plot: Buster grapples with the murder of his mother and brother as police search for the killer. Alex’s worsening addiction and mounting lies start to catch up with him.
* * *
Murdaugh: Death in the Family – S01E07 – On the Road You Take to Avoid it | Transcript
I got expelled from law school.
You fucking what?
I cheated on a paper.
Randolph Sr. got himself run over by a train on purpose so his son could collect the insurance.
[coughing] Jesus, Daddy.
I’m calling the doctor.
There’s a check I’m trying to track down from one of your cases.
So, what do we do?
Everything we can to get SLED to reopen the case.
[screams]
[laughs] It’s okay! They’re dead, Mags!
I know I’ve hurt you.
How you ever gonna forgive me for it?
I do not know.
You think that maybe Daddy’s ready to try, too?
We cannot fix him.
That family’s got no shortage of making people hoppin’ mad.
Goddamn it, Paul, I said get the hell out of here!
Y’all Murdaughs think y’all above the law, is that it?
They need to pay.
[Alex Murdaugh] My boy was in–
He was in a boat wreck a while, months back!
I know that that’s what this is.
[Maggie Murdaugh]
[on voice mail] Hey, baby, I got your eczema prescription refilled.
Had them send it to Brooklynn’s house.
Hope it helps.
Give me a call when you can.
Love you.
I got a… I got a work event tomorrow.
I got bright red hair and I was holding a giant bunch of balloons.
She thought I was Ronald McDonald.
[laughing] No, she did not.
Yes, she did.
You know, maybe I should be, hmm?
Kids’ parties.
Probably decent pay.
It’s a lot better than a desk job, huh?
Yeah.
[cell phone chimes]
[sighs]
[cell phone chimes]
Have you checked your phone?
Nope, why?
[Brooklynn] Because your dad is texting the group chat like a hundred times, trying to get ahold of you.
About what?
I don’t know.
But he says it’s an emergency.
[sighs]
[phone line rings]
[Alex] [on phone] Buster?
Dad? Hey.
[Alex sobbing] What’s going on?
Buster, you sittin’ down?
Yeah.
Your mom and Paw-Paw both have been shot.
Dad, that’s not
That’s not funny.
What are you talking about?
[sobbing] They’re gone.
They’re gone, Bus. They’re gone.
[crying]
Buster, Brooklynn with you?
Yeah, I need you to get out here, okay?
As soon as you can.
Can you hear me?!
[♪ tense music playing]
[dog barking]
Deceased female.
Several shell casings scattered in front of the head.
My brother’s looking at that.
Get them up off the ground, please.
[Randy Murdaugh] Is there any way we can expedite what we’re doing here?
Yeah.
I appreciate it, thank you. Thank you.
[police radio chatter]
[barking continues]
Agent David Owen.
Yes, ma’am.
Detective Laura Rutland, Colleton County.
Captain Chapman said you’d be my SLED liaison tonight.
I thought we were in Hampton.
No, sir, county line’s just a few miles back.
Feel this.
Dead chicken?
It’s still warm.
It’s crazy, right?
Bet that bird’s got a story.
Hey, bag this up.
Have y’all recovered the cell phones yet?
Yeah, I got the son’s, but it’s locked.
I can’t find the mom’s.
That right there, that’s the husband and the father, right?
He’s the one who called it in.
[David Owen] Oh, you don’t know Alec?
I grew up in Summerville.
Only vaguely familiar with the Murdaugh name.
That’s why Captain made me lead.
Let’s go get acquainted.
[thunder rumbles]
So, what made you come back up here tonight?
Um, my mom’s a late-stage Alzheimer’s patient.
My dad’s in the hospital.
Uh, um, my mom gets anxious.
When she does, I went to check on them.
When I got back to the house, obviously nobody was there.
And Maggie’s a dog lover.
She fools with the dogs.
And I knew she’d gone to the kennels.
I figured they’re still up there fooling around.
So I came back up here, I drove up and saw, and called.
[Owen] So you didn’t go to the kennels before then?
No, sir, I…
Like I said, after dinner…
I went and took a laydown on the couch, fell asleep, you know, 20, 25 minutes or so.
I woke up.
Nobody was there. I called Maggie.
No answer.
And I left.
So what time was that?
It would’ve been, you know, just after 9.
I got it right here.
Let’s see.
It was…
It was there, right there.
There it is, it’s 9:08.
It’s all right.
We’ll get a download of your phone.
Whatever you need.
What was your relationship with Maggie like?
I mean, we had our…
I’m sure we had our, our things, but a wonderful marriage, a wonderful relationship.
And yours and Paul’s relationship?
As good as it could possibly be.
Any problems with trespassers or people breaking in?
None that I know of.
I mean, the one thing that comes to mind is, my son Paul was in a boat wreck a couple years back.
He was named as the driver.
You know, there’s been a lot of, you know, negative publicity, a lot of vile stuff online.
But nothing like this.
[rain pattering]
[Alex crying]
[sniffles]
They did him so bad.
[♪ somber music playing]
[dogs barking]
[police radio chatter]
Dad! Dad!
Dad!
That’s my dad.
[Alex] Buster, boy, come here.
[Buster Murdaugh] Oh, fuck.
Come here.
I know. No, don’t
come here.
[Buster] Is that them?
[Alex] Oh, buddy, come here.
Buddy, come here. Come on.
Hold me, buddy, I need you.
Come here.
I know. You believe this?
This is
Somebody did this here.
[sobbing] Come on!
Let’s go, go.
I got you. Come on, son.
[birds tweeting]
He needs to get rest.
He’s been up all night.
Okay, don’t
Don’t you do that.
Yeah, and so have you.
Have you eaten anything?
Do you need to lie down?
No, I’m all right.
You seen Uncle Randy?
He’s supposed to be figuring out about police protection for Dad.
[indistinct chatter]
You talk to SLED?
Yeah, they’re spread a little thin with the investigation, but Hampton Sheriff’s gonna assign a few off-duty cops.
Yeah. Took ’em long enough.
Do they have any leads on suspects?
[Randy] Not yet.
Definitely think it’s targeted, though.
No shit.
Great police work.
Thanks, Uncle Randy.
[Blanca] I’ll head straight there.
[Alex] I knew we could count on you.
Now hang on. Just…
[Buster] Hey, Blanca.
Buster.
[Buster sobs]
[Blanca] It’s okay.
Poor sweet boy.
You, uh… you heading to Moselle?
Your daddy wants me to go straighten up the house like your mama would have wanted it.
[softly] Yeah.
While you’re, uh…
While you’re there, Roger Davis, he’s gonna take care of the dogs.
Would you mind looking after Bubba?
Just until we get everything sorted.
He’s, uh… never been away from Mom.
Don’t you worry about a thing.
I’m gonna take the best care of him.
Come here, baby.
I’ll see you later.
[Blanca sniffles]
[♪ somber music playing]
Listen, bo, I gotta head out just for a bit.
Where are you going?
To the hospital.
Somebody’s gotta tell Daddy.
Oh, I can go, Alec.
Thanks, Randy, but II think I should be the one to do it.
Then I’ll go with you.
All right?
Hold me close, bo.
All right.
[medical equipment beeping]
[gasps] [Alex] It’s me.
Dad, how are you feelin’?
Like dog shit.
My granddaddy had the right idea, didn’t he?
Him driving up there on those train tracks.
The world will go hard against you.
[groans] It’ll… try to take you out.
Goddamn it, you do it on your own terms.
[cries softly]
I can’t…
Granddaddy, we, uh… we got some bad news.
Maggie and Paw-Paw are gone, Daddy.
They’re what?
Dead.
Somebody shot ’em out at the house.
Daddy, did you hear me?
I heard you, goddamn it.
[Randolph whimpers]
Maggie gal?
And Paw-Paw.
[Randolph Murdaugh] Who…
Who did this to us?
We don’t know, Daddy.
We think it might have something to do with Paw-Paw’s boat wreck.
They’re out there searching for ’em now.
They’re dead?
Oh, Lord.
[crying softly]
What has become of this family?
[Randolph sniffles] Oh…
[monitors beeping]
SLED is now investigating a double homicide involving a mother and son from the well-known Murdaugh family.
Yup, I am working something up right now.
I’m gonna post it ASAP.
And we’ll get going on the podcast also.
Will do.
[TV reporter]
This is where the murder happened.
The Murdaugh property is remote.
It spans hundreds of acres, and the feeling in the community, whoever killed the Murdaughs didn’t end up here by accident or randomly.
[police radio chatter]
Twelve-gauge shotgun here.
Then here.
.300 Blackout from… here… to… here.
Steps around to her here… then…
Feels like that’s it.
Two guns, probably two shooters.
Maybe two shooters.
No signs of either the murder weapons.
Not so far.
Nothing suspicious from the neighbors.
No burglaries or break-ins.
[Laura Rutland] They have neighbors?
What is this place?
Like 17,000 acres?
It’s a spread.
No one heard or saw anything unusual.
Did you follow the boat crash story when it all went down?
Vaguely. Vaguely.
Having small children who don’t sleep makes it kind of hard to keep up with all the things.
Think it had something to do with this?
Well, it was a huge deal.
Could be someone from the girl’s family, one of her friends.
And then you got the Stephen Smith kid who was killed years back who the older son was tied to.
Maybe someone connected to him.
The housekeeper who died.
So, no shortage of suspects, huh?
What about Alec?
I mean, first on the scene.
He’s the husband and the father.
I mean, I get it.
You got kids, I got kids.
Could you imagine as a parent doing that to your child?
I did manage to find Maggie’s phone out on the road there.
Alec’s brother and Find My Friends app did us a solid.
Need to get her passcode to unlock it.
Paul’s too. It’ll tell us a lot.
[dogs barking]
[Bubba barks]
You saw the whole thing, didn’t you?
[Bubba panting]
We just need to find us somebody who speaks dog, isn’t that right?
[whimpering]
Yeah.
[♪ menacing music playing]
[reporter] [on TV]
Details are limited at this time, but what we do know is the two were found Monday evening at a home along the 4100 block of Moselle Road.
The victims in this case are 52yearold Margaret Murdaugh and her 22yearold son, Paul Murdaugh.
Both deaths resulting from apparent gunshot wounds.
If you remember, the Murdaughs came under intense scrutiny back in 2019.
That’s when Paul, who was 19 years old at the time, was charged in connection to the death of 19yearold Mallory Beach.
Can I ask, how much longer is this gonna take?
Alec’s father is at home in hospice care right now.
I’m sorry to hear that.
Soon as we finish downloading this phone.
It shouldn’t be too much longer.
What is it exactly that y’all are looking for on there?
It’s evidence.
You know, it’s, uh, standing operating procedure.
Correct. Call logs, messages.
Any data that’ll help us piece together a timeline.
Any relevant evidence. That’s it.
[Owen] Thank you for helping unlock Maggie’s phone, by the way.
Paul’s has proven to be more difficult.
Y’all wouldn’t know his passcode, would you?
No, I don’t know.
Knowing Paul, something simple.
1111, start there.
Y’all can’t unlock a phone, but you’re willing to announce there are no threats to the public.
Bo…
What?
Whoever did this is still out there, all right?
They could be coming for us next.
My mom and brother are dead.
So excuse me for wantin’ some goddamn answers as to what’s going on.
Son, they’re doing the best they can.
[Rutland]
We are, but we understand the frustration and the questions.
Alec, Mark Tinsley’s on the phone.
Our hearing date was supposed to be today.
Hey, bo.
I’m-I’m so unbelievably sorry to you and Buster, Alec.
Yeah, it’s a very sad thing.
It’s just senseless, yeah, how somebody could do that.
Yeah, hard to fathom.
[Mark Tinsley] [sighs] I want you to know, I talked to the Beaches.
We all agree we’re dropping the civil suit over the boat crash.
[Alex] Really, Mark?
Oh gosh.
I can’t-I’ll let Judge Hall know as well.
It wouldn’t be right after all that’s happened.
Mark, I can’t tell you what a relief it is to hear that.
I mean, all of that on top of this and with Daddy being so sick, I’ve already broken clean in half.
I can only imagine.
Well, they’ll find whoever did this.
Get Maggie and Paul some justice.
And, uh, I’ll be praying for you and Buster.
Yeah, we’ll-we’ll-we’ll take all the prayers we can get.
Okay.
You know, and thank the Beaches too.
[sighs] They’re offering condolences and dropping the civil suit.
Is that right?
[exhales]
They’ve got some decency after all.
[Alex] Yeah.
Y’all done yet?
We should head on back to Almeda.
Uh, yeah, just about.
[door closes]
What’s wrong?
Daddy’s gone.
[♪ somber music playing]
Mama.
Ceremony’s about to start.
Hmm. What about your father?
Is he joining us?
Daddy passed yesterday, Mama.
Oh, don’t be silly.
I just had breakfast with him this morning.
He left for Beaufort.
Big murder trial he’s working.
No.
Mama, Daddy died.
How can you say such a thing?
Dad, I…
She needs to understand, Bus.
She will, all right?
I got it, I got it.
Come on, Grandma.
Go ahead, Miss Libby.
[muttering indistinctly]
[door opens]
[door closes] Shelley… the cops were askin’ me, I mean… how long do you reckon I was with you and Mama that night?
Yeah.
It was about 45 minutes, wasn’t it?
Oh, you think it was that long?
Well, what did you think?
Could have been 20 minutes, um…
Or it might have been longer.
I don’t know. Everything was such a blur.
I mean, it was definitely a blur, I’ll say that.
I don’t know.
But I could’ve swore it was… it was one and a half game shows.
Hmm.
You gettin’ married soon, ain’t you?
Yes, sir.
Yeah, it’s a… it’s a blessing, marriage.
Just…
[chuckles] Maggie and I had a big old shindig before ours.
She looked so pretty in her dress.
Oh, yeah, it cost a pretty penny, too, I’ll tell you that much.
Oh, yeah.
But, you know, just on that, if you–
If you need anything, you know, don’t you be afraid to ask, okay?
All right, I don’t mean to pry but, listen, I want you to have… everything that you deserve on your big day.
Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Alec.
I appreciate that.
Bless you, Shelley girl.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah. I hope everything goes okay today.
God be with you.
[♪ discordant music playing]
[voices whispering]
[♪ gentle music playing]
News cameras at a funeral.
It felt obscene.
Oh, yeah.
Your song was beautiful, love.
So wonderful, Blanca.
Just wanna make Maggie May proud.
Oh, she would’ve been.
She was very grateful for you.
You know that.
Listen, can I
Can I get everybody’s attention, please?
Can I get everyone just to gather around?
Bus, come on, come on.
Get on up here. I need you, son.
I got a client who, uh… every morning sends a little Bible verse to friends and family.
You know, just something, you know, to think about throughout your day.
And this morning I got a personal one, and I just want to share it with y’all.
[sniffles]
“Blessed are those who mourn because God above will comfort them.”
Will comfort them.
[inhales sharply]
Oh, God knows.
God knows we all got… we got plenty to mourn about this week.
Some of us lost a friend… a child, a grandchild.
A sibling
[sobs] [sniffles] It’s–
Some of us lost a sibling… a parent… a partner.
Lost them to unspeakable violence.
To senseless evil.
And with that loss comes a whole lot of… whole lot of sorrow.
Well, hell, it ain’t no…
Ain’t no accident the skies opened up this morning at the cemetery and poured with rain.
That was just Paul Terry up in heaven keeping us all on our toes.
[all chuckle]
You know, whatever monsters took Maggie and Paul from us, they won’t take away the light that those two beautiful souls shined at each and every one of us, will they?
[all] No.
We’re not gonna let ’em, are we?
No, sir. No, ma’am. No way.
No.
No, ma’am.
[laughter]
We won’t let ’em.
[sniffles] And hell if we won’t find whoever did this.
Oh, hell, let’s just…
Let’s just get back to it, hey?
Let’s just–
That’s what Paul and Mags would’ve wanted.
Hey, come on.
[applause]
[Alex] I love you.
Speech was real nice, Alec.
Don’t you say that to me.
May God bless you, Mama.
Lord knows she loved you so.
Oh! [cries] Mama and Daddy, I think John Marvin was looking for you, too.
Come on. Come on.
Oh, man.
You’re blessed to have a mama like that.
How are they holding up?
Not good.
[Alex] Ooh.
Alec, any updates on the case?
Any leads?
Oh…
They don’t think it was random.
I know they’re taking a good, hard look at that boat crash and we all know how mad everyone was with PawPaw about it.
You mean taking revenge after all this time?
You know, maybe.
[sighs]
You know…
I tell you this.
Whoever did it… they was thinkin’ about it a long time.
[Rutland]
When was it that you talked to Paul last?
That night.
Monday?
Yes, sir. He was out at the kennels.
Supposed to send me a video of my dog’s tail.
He never did.
And Miss Maggie and Mr. Alec were there too.
Wait.
Paul was out at the kennels with both Maggie and Alec?
What makes you say that?
III heard him talking in the background of a call.
I thought I did.
You heard Alec? Are you sure?
Ninety percent sure.
You know what? It’s okay.
You have been through a lot.
I think that’s enough for today, don’t you think?
Thank you for coming in, Rogan.
Yes, ma’am, sir.
[door opens, closes]
If Alec was at the kennels…
If Alec has lied about being at the kennels…
Yeah, if you try to take down a Murdaugh, you’re gonna need a lot more than, “I think I heard,” though.
You know what I keep thinking about?
Is that night in your truck.
Okay?
You remember how clean Alec’s clothes were?
I don’t know who killed Paul Murdaugh.
I don’t know who killed Maggie Murdaugh.
I can’t say who killed Stephen Smith.
[♪ pensive music playing]
I have been investigating the Murdaugh family for the better part of two and a half years now, and it is by far the craziest, most twisted saga I have ever covered.
There are five recent deaths connected to the Murdaughs.
Deaths which all have more questions than answers.
How long was Alec over at Almeda?
Fifteen minutes.
Twenty minutes at the most.
That’s what I told Mr. Alec.
[Rutland] Alec talked to you about this.
What did he have to say?
[Shelley] He said that it was longer than I remembered.
Did he pressure you to lie about this?
He just said that it was more like 45 minutes, and then he offered to help pay for my wedding.
[Mandy Matney] While authorities work to narrow down the list of suspects in the deaths of Paul and Maggie, we’ll be exploring all the ins and outs of this still unfolding story.
I laid down on the couch, took a nap.
Probably like, you know, 15, 20 minutes or so.
[Mandy] Like, what were the Murdaugh men up to at the hospital the night of the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach?
Where are the murder weapons that killed Maggie and Paul?
And who would possibly take such brutal matters into their own hands?
My name is Mandy Matney, and this is the “Murdaugh Murders Podcast.”
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
[seagulls squawking]
[waves crashing]
[door opens]
[door closes] [Alex] Oh.
Check that out.
[Buster] Holy shit.
You know, me and Brooklynn had somebody trying to take pictures of us outside the grocery store the other day.
Everybody thinks I’m some kind of gay murderer now.
[Alex] It’s a good picture of us, though.
Thanks.
Why are they doing all this?
Oh ’cause we’re Murdaughs, son.
‘Cause we got all these rumors flying around.
You know, you and that Stephen boy, Gloria and her falling.
I’m just sayin’, though.
It’s a lot, son. I know it is.
Yeah, I just wish it was over.
Maybe we should start a podcast, huh?
Talk about the worst shit from everyone else’s lives.
You know, I’m gonna go on Nancy Grace.
Yeah, gonna set the record straight.
[Alex chuckles]
Just you and me now, right?
I mean, we’re in this together.
I’ve been thinkin’ about how all this is gone.
Made me realize that…
I wanna
I wanna try to get back into law school.
You… You bullshittin’ me?
You mean for real?
Look, I know I shouldn’t have cheated.
I know that.
I mean, but me…
Me being a lawyer was, it was important to Granddaddy.
It’s important to you.
And your wonderful mama, too.
It was important to her.
Whatever I
whatever I gotta do–
Oh, don’t you worry about that.
I’m gonna make a few phone calls.
Hey, we get a boogie on, we get you back ready to start next semester.
I mean, that’s wonderful news, son.
That’s the best goddamn news I’ve had in a long time.
I’m sorry. I…
Hey.
Yeah, well, we’re due some good news, right?
Oh, you’re goddamn right, we’re due some good news.
Oh, hell.
[chuckles] Hell, it’s–
I mean, you know, whatever you copied, okay?
Whatever it is, we’ll get that sorted, okay?
But this… this is who you are.
This is who we are.
It’s in your blood.
[♪ dramatic music playing]
Paw-Paw would’ve loved this trip, you know?
Coming up here, talkin’, fishin’.
Yeah, Mama too.
Yeah, you couldn’t keep her away from this place, huh?
Damn right.
[insects chirruping]
[crows cawing]
[♪ dramatic music continues]
Y’all know who was shot first?
I mean, d-d-d-d-do you think one of ’em saw what happened to the other?
It’s impossible for us to say.
Do you think they suffered?
If they did, it wasn’t for long.
[sniffles] I… I surely hope not.
Well, us too, Alec.
Now we have some questions for you.
Some things we need clarification on.
Wait a minute, I…
I thought you were bringing Alec in just for an update.
Well, the update is we’re conducting the investigation and we have some questions.
Now, clearly you don’t have to answer them.
It’s o
It’s okay, I understand.
You… You ask what you need to.
All right.
[clears throat]
Rogan Gibson told us that he believes he heard you in the background of a call with Paul out at the kennel.
Now, phone records show that call was at 8:46 p.m. that night.
Is that right?
Was it you?
8:46, you say?
Correct.
Well, no.
No, not if…
Not if my times are right. No, sir.
Well, he sure seemed certain.
I remember differently.
Let me just remind y’all that Alec came here voluntarily, okay?
So, um…
I just have two more questions for you.
Did you kill Maggie?
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
Did I kill my wife?
Yes, sir.
No, David.
Do you know who did?
No, I do not know who did.
Did you kill Paul?
No, I did not kill Paul.
Do you know who did?
No, sir.
I do not know who did.
Do you think I killed Maggie?
Well, I have to go where the evidence and the facts take me.
I understand.
Do you think I killed Paul?
I have to go where the evidence and the facts take me.
And right now, there’s not anything that points me to anybody else.
Does this make me a suspect in the case?
We got Rogan sayin’ he heard you at the kennels.
Your mother’s caretaker, Shelley Smith, tells us that you were only at Almeda for approximately 15 minutes, not the 45 you claim.
Maggie and Paul were killed with the same type of guns your family owns.
We got shell casings from the missing Blackout rifle found near the house matching those that killed Maggie.
And we have tried and tried, but we haven’t found anybody else’s DNA at the scene.
Now, I have to put my beliefs aside and go with the facts.
I understand.
[snorts]
Is Alec being detained?
No, he is not.
Well, then we’re free to leave.
Y’all be sure to keep us posted.
Thank you.
[door closes]
[train whistle blows]
[railroad crossing bell clanging]
[cell phone vibrates]
Hey, Randy, how’s it going?
[Randy] Hey.
Need you to come into the office now.
What for?
Just get here as soon as you can.
Sit down, Alec.
[Alex] Hey.
Bunch of sour pusses y’all got goin’ on.
[Alex chuckles]
Okay, let’s see what we got here then, shall we?
A check receipt for $750,000.
That Annette found in your office.
What about this one?
And this one.
Or this, or these, or these, these?
Fees for this law firm.
Settlements owed to your clients, all made out to something called “Forge, LLC.”
Were you trying to make it look like the financial consulting company?
Of course, he was.
Alvarez, Pinckney, Badger cases.
And this is just the dozen or so we managed to find so far.
How much more is there, Alec?
I don’t rightly know, Randy.
Alec, just explain this.
Please, I’m begging you, pal.
Oh, I’ll explain it for him.
My jackass little brother has spent what looks like the better part of a decade blindly stealing from this firm and from his clients.
Right, Alec?
Well, now you’re quiet.
You haven’t shut your mouth since you’re old enough to talk, and now you don’t have shit to say.
Randy.
It is fraud!
Do you have any idea the damage you’ve done when this gets out to this firm, to our family… to Buster’s future?
I’ve given you personal loans myself, Alec.
I always paid you back, Jeff.
With money you stole from here!
We’re firing you, Alec.
We drafted a letter of resignation on your behalf.
[stammers] No, hold on, hold on.
Listen, I
Randy, I got a problem.
Yeah, you’re goddamn right you do.
I got a problem with pills.
What pills, Alec?
Well, pain pills, Billy.
You know, ever since I hurt my knee years ago, I’ve been… addicted to pain.
[♪ somber music playing]
I’m sorry.
I am.
I never meant for it to get so bad.
I just got these, you know?
And, uh…
Randy, if I could just get a leave of absence, maybe.
If I could get myself to detox, I can get myself some help.
I could just… Please.
You need detox?
[softly] I do.
Fine.
I will help you get the help you need.
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you, thank you. I do.
But you are fired all the same.
Okay.
We’re done.
[door opens]
[♪ somber music playing]
[♪ “Rosie’s on a Roll”
by Shane Worley playing]
♪ Rosie came home to an empty house ♪
♪ She said, “I’m tired of putting up
with that two-timing louse” ♪
♪ That turkey’s been
nothin’ but trouble at first sight ♪
♪♪
♪ It was time to move on
where the grass is green ♪
♪ With a southern boy… ♪
♪ She packed up her jimmy,
now Rosie’s on a roll tonight ♪
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
Damn jellyfish.
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
All right, you sit.
♪ She didn’t ask a soul ♪
♪ Didn’t ask a soul ♪
Come here, shells…
♪ Her mind’s made up
and Rosie’s on a roll tonight ♪
♪ Broke the door so hard,
she had to slam it twice ♪
♪ And the gesture she made
was anything but nice ♪
♪ I turned to Bill and said,
“Rosie’s on a roll tonight” ♪
♪♪
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
♪ Rosie’s on a roll ♪
[gunshot]
[brakes squeal]
[truck ignition turned off]
Okay.
What’s up, bo?
They’re following me, Eddie.
They’re after me.
What the
Who’s after you, man?
Everybody, bo! Everybody!
You don’t see ’em? Everybody!
[Eddie] What the…?
[air hisses]
Bo, what the fuck’d you do that for, bo?
‘Cause it’s gotta fuckin’ look like that way, okay?
[Alex panting]
Now-Now, you gotta shoot me.
Oh shit. No, man.
Oh, yeah.
[Eddie] Alec…
You got to shoot me.
Fuck, man, no.
Come on.
[sighs] No?
Maybe it was you, huh?
Easy, easy, easy, easy.
Maybe it was you, Eddie.
Alec, maybe it’s me what?
Maybe it was you that killed Maggie and Paul.
Alec, you are higher than a hotair balloon right now.
I got no fuckin’ idea what you’re talkin’ about, man.
[mutters, laughs]
I didn’t mean that, bo.
Shh.
You’re my best friend. You’re all I got.
It’s over, though, ain’t it?
What are you talking about “it’s over,” man?
What are you talking about, man?
They fired me, you know?
They fired me, my partners.
They fired me from the law firm, bo.
It’s all fuckin’ over!
Holy shit.
[Alex sobbing] You know, a man’s gotta go out on his own terms, don’t he, bo?
He does. I got to take care of-I gotta take care of my son.
Oh, listen, man. You just gotta pump the brakes a little bit.
I gotta be responsible for Buster, huh?
Just pump the brakes.
You understand, don’t you?
I do. Just take it easy.
You get it, don’t you, huh?
Well, do it!
Fuck, man!
[grunts] Eddie! Come on!
Motherfucker!
[gunshot] [Alex groans] Shit!
Alec?
[Alec moaning]
Alec?
You hit your head, bo?
You okay?
Huh?
[Alex groaning] You motherfucker.
Just shoot me, bo.
Shit!
Goddamn it.
Motherfucker!
Goddamn it!
Goddamn it!
[starts engine] You are fuckin’ crazy, you know that?
[phone line rings]
[operator] Hampton County 911, what’s your emergency?
[Alex] Yeah, I’m on Salkehatchie Road by the church with the red roof.
[operator] Okay, well, what’s going on?
[Alex] I got a flat tire, and I stopped, and then somebody stopped to help me, and when I turned my back, they tried to shoot me.
[operator] Oh, okay. Were you shot?
[Alex] Yes, ma’am. I was shot.
They tried to shoot me.
You know, I’m bleeding a lot.
I don’t think I can drive.
Can you send an ambulance?
[officer] Did you get a good look at the shooter?
I did.
He was a… he was a young fella.
Uh, he had short hair.
He was, uh, taller.
Wearing a baseball cap and driving a blue pickup truck.
Happen to clock his license plate?
No, it was
It just all happened so crazy and fast.
[knock on door]
Could you give us just a minute, please?
Somebody’s out there huntin’ us, and y’all aren’t doin’ a damn thing to stop it.
He’s answered enough of your questions, all right?
We just got back from your cousin Curtis Eddie Smith’s house.
[snorts]
Yeah, what did that lowlife have to say?
I think you know what he had to say, Alec.
Will somebody tell me what’s going on here, please?
Would you like to tell him or should we?
You know, the man’s a degenerate drug dealer now.
I mean, you can’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.
[clears throat]
According to Smith, your father asked Smith to meet him down on Salkehatchie Road, at which point your father slashed his own tire and attempted to have Mr. Smith shoot him.
There was a struggle for the gun.
Your father fell to the road, busted his head open.
That’s just a bunch of bullshit horseshit lies.
A whole bunch of lies, bo.
I mean, ’cause they can’t find the animals that did this.
We have his call logs.
We have video footage from the nearby church, which shows his truck and your SUV and corroborates his story.
I wanna talk to my lawyer.
We’ll leave you two to discuss and we’ll be on standby for more formal questioning.
Dad, what are they-What are they talkin’ about?
Listen, Buster…
I’ve been all torn up since…
Well, since what happened to your mama and Paw-Paw.
I’m hooked on pills.
And I…
Well, I just thought…
I could do something for you.
I got this insurance policy for my Buster boy.
[Tony Satterfield] Mr. Tinsley?
How you doing, sir? Tony Satterfield.
Hey.
Um, you were helping Mallory Beach’s family, right?
I was, yeah.
I was wondering if maybe you could help me with something too, um…
My mom, Gloria, she used to work for the Murdaughs.
Of course, yeah. A tragic thing.
Thank you, sir.
My brother and me, we’re having some trouble getting ahold of Mr. Alec over an insurance settlement over her dying.
What kind of trouble exactly?
Yesterday, I’m puttering around the house doing odds and ends, and my phone rings, and it’s SLED.
After they questioned me back in June about the murders, I thought, “Oh Lord, buckle up.
Here we go again.”
But it wasn’t about none of that.
Said with all the, um, reporting and the attention from the community…
[whimpers]
…they’re gonna finally reopen Stephen’s case.
What?
[laughs] Sandy, are you serious?
That’s incredible.
That’s terrific.
It’s you.
You did it.
No, no, we did it.
[cell phone buzzes]
Oh, sorry.
Uh, one second.
[Mark] [on phone]
Mandy, it’s Mark Tinsley.
[Mandy] Mark, hi.
Hey. Um, I won’t keep you.
Congrats on the podcast, by the way.
Um, just wanted to put a bug in your ear about something.
Yeah, what’s that?
An insurance settlement over Gloria Satterfield’s death.
What about it?
I was hoping we could figure that out.
[Alex] “I’m resigning from the law firm and entering rehab “after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders.
I’m immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt, “including my family, friends, and colleagues.
I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.”
Real dignified, Alec.
Well done.
Thanks, bo.
But I didn’t write it.
I did.
Well, it’s real nice all the same.
You go get yourself cleaned up, though, brother.
I will, okay. [clears throat] All right, here goes nothing, huh?
[exhales] Fuckin’ hell.
[John Marvin Murdaugh] You got it.
[car door closes]
[♪ dramatic music playing]
♪♪
[♪ somber music playing]
