Why did we care about the Murdaugh trial?

[LAS14]

Well... Why did people care about the Murdaugh trial? I didn't. I'd never heard of him before. It was a complete mystery to me why it deserved headline space. Can someone explain?

tia
las

[FoxNewsSucks]

1. Fills airtime

Makes it easier for corporate media to avoid covering what should have been covered

[Trenzalore]

2. I have Hulu live

There are no fewer than 4 channels that air nothing but true crime documentaries all day. There were cameras in the court. The coverage was because there are enough people out there to support 4 channels on Hulu.

[Scrivener7]

3. I think there are a couple of possibilities.

When I first heard about the family, there was the jaw drop factor of all the death and destruction they left in their wake. The maid, the son's girlfriend, the wife, the son, all dying suspiciously in such a short period of time. So it might just be that some people are fascinated by.

Another possibility is that this was the ruling family for an entire county for multiple generations. So watching the mighty fall might be an explanation for other people's interest.

Finally, the Karma factor. Apparently, they were all corrupt, inept, self-dealing hogs and people are just happy to see their reign come to an end.

I tried watching the Netflix series. Couldn't get past a few minutes.

[H2O Man]

28. Well done!

You nailed it.

I enjoy "true crime" -- investigations, interrogations, trials, etc. I had a family member and three friends updating me on it, as it was one of very few trials I didn't watch. I found the guy too repulsive to look at. However, I am glad he was convicted, for the reasons you noted.

[Scrivener7]

32. I get LAS's question, though. I love true crime too and sought out

stories when this first came to light. But the whole family and their milieu were repulsive.

When I watched the first few minutes of the Netflix series, I had the impression of people who, before the murders, were jockeying for positions in the Murdaugh inner circle and now are looking for their 15 minutes of fame because they were at the edges of the events.

It seemed like the play Chicago, where tragedy is turned into entertainment and everyone gets a piece of the action.

But PS - why DO we love true crime stories? I do as much as anyone, but I sometimes wonder at myself.

[H2O Man]

35. Right.

I do for two reasons. First, I'm a retired psychiatric social worker, who worked primarily in forensics. Second, my Dad was a first generation Irish American, one of 14 siblings. So I grew up with NYS BCI Senior Investigators, FBI agents, and an officer in Naval Intelligence. Can you imagine how hard it was for my brothers & I to buy pot back in the day when an uncle was the head of the State Troopers drug enforcement? Ha!

[Scrivener7]

36. LOL! Lucky for me, all my relatives who were Irish cops and government agents

were two generations back from me. They didn't get in the way when I was buying pot!

But yours sounds like it was a fascinating career.

[H2O Man]

37. I think that

there has always been a fascination with violent crime in the US. It had been in newspapers, and in the television era, Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate were widely covered. I think that Charles was guilty as sin, but there are serious questions about if Caril should have been charged. Even if so, she should have been treated like the 14 year old she was.

[Scrivener7]

40. That must have been awful, hearing about that in real time.

[Meadowoak]

4. Well, it was like porn, watching a rich white man being held

Accountable. First time ever.

[GreenWave]

5. One rich guy that did not get away with it???

I guess they will get the next one out of a million in another decade or so.

[crankyoldbroad]

6. I think he's a poor substitute

for our desire to see a rich, lifelong criminal (I know, redundant) get his comeuppance while we wait for the DOJ or GA to prosecute TFG.

It's cathartic. Watch the doc on this corrupt Murdaugh family on either NF or HBO Max and you'll get it.

[XanaDUer2]

18. What is the title on HBO Max tia nt

[mn9driver]

7. The case is sort of like a John Grisham novel

Powerful family, deep corruption, entrenched aristocratic system, murder, and more.

True crime entertainment for the masses.

[Ocelot II]

8. You aren't obligated to care, but it's an interesting and unusual case

because the whole family was very wealthy and had been in bed with the town's law enforcement for decades; they had run the prosecutor's office for three generations. Murdaugh and his relatives were known to have pulled strings with the police and sheriff to keep family members out of trouble, including an incident where the son was involved in a drunk-boating accident that killed a friend. There were two other deaths under questionable circumstances involving the family in the last few years - a friend of the other son was killed in a hit-and-run and the housekeeper "fell" down the stairs. Murdaugh himself stole a ton of money from his law firm and its clients; he even stole the insurance settlement that was supposed to go to the housekeeper's family. The whole family had been dodgy for years but nothing could be done about them. The trial is a story about how rich and well-connected people get away with murder, until maybe they don't. I found it very interesting, not just because I think trials are always interesting, but because there's such a long and strange story behind it.

[Siwsan]

12. That is a great summary

To me, this was like a 21st Century Shakespearean story.

[Siwsan]

9. I've always loved watching trials. Court TV was my addiction.

Now it's shows like Dateline and, of course, Law and Order.

[BigmanPigman]

10. I didn't even know about it until a few weeks ago

when MSNBC was running it live for hours. I have had to research the history of this criminal to catch up to speed. I only paid serious attention when they were able to find the exact minutes of what he did and where he went through cell phone technology and car computer technology. That was very interesting to me.


I also didn't near about the criminal sex cult leader Keith Raniere until about 4 months ago.

[TheProle]

11. Cross-posted from one of the other 1000 threads asking unironically why this is taking up space...

Every layer peeled back in this case shows the insidiousness of good ol' boy networks and the systemic corruption that allows prominent families to wield power over, intimidate, set up and even murder "ordinary" people for their financial gain or to protect their reputations.

Trials like this hold up a necessary mirror to the machinations of a vindictive and psychopathic upper class.

[Scrivener7]

33. That's pretty succinctly it, isn't it?

[hlthe2b]

13. He and his family have been a multi-generational fixture in that part of SC and so taking him down

is a big damned deal. They had a real hold on the county (from his grandfather to himself) politically, holding major roles as local DAs or in Alex's case (a quasi-official DA role). But more than that, there is a multitude of suspicious episodes, including financial crimes and the deaths of other close family contacts (i.e., housekeeper) that pre-date these murders with lingering questions.

Multi-generational corruption and crime among the exceedingly rich and powerful--that probably is what earns him all the attention.

[a kennedy]

23. 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻 👆🏻

Loved it, and loved how he said I would never hurt my wife or son, right, ya just killed em, and that’s different than hurting them. 🤬 🤬 🤬

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. It's unusual for a family annihilator to go to trial.

[NewHendoLib]

15. $$$.

My wife and I had no idea either.

[usonian]

16. I had no idea. Thought it was Murdoch.

Disappointed that it wasn't.
Not a follower of crime.

[onecaliberal]

17. I haven't been paying attention to any of it.

[chowder66]

19. Some did, some didn't. People have different interests.

I bet the news anchors enjoyed the break of all politics all the time - even though this trial also had a bit of politics thrown in because of his family legacy.

[Demobrat]

20. It only entered my consciousness in the last week or so.

But I was pretty well hooked once it did. The spectacle of a guy who thought he could literally get away with murder, not for the first time, getting what he deserved instead is my excuse.

[Meowmee]

21. I heard about it at the time

But I didn't watch it except what I saw in passing while a fm watched news etc and I was there briefly.

[Dawgman49]

22. Generational Karma

I’ve lived in the lowcountry for 40 years and the murdaugh name here has been synonymous with entitlement, privilege, good ole boy deals and justice by connection to the right people for many decades. I was convinced that at least one juror would cave for him. So this is a big step for justice in this state.Unfortunately this culture will continue, mostly with our gop elected officials

[BlackSkimmer]

24. I'm thinking you're neither a fan of Faulkner or Shakespeare because this had aspects of both.

This was pure Southern Gothic. And it was a Shakespearean tragedy as well.

The man was a prominent attorney whose family, as the judge said, "turned the wheels of justice" in that area for years. His attorney is a state senator who I think defended the case for free. His grandfather's portrait hangs on the courthouse wall, though the judge had it removed for the trial. You just can't make this stuff up.

Numerous mysterious deaths, the stealing of millions of dollars from vulnerable people, a spoiled son who killed a girl in a DUI boating accident, his father not afraid to use his influence to blame ANOTHER boy on the boat, a whispered gossiped secret gay affair involving another death and the elder son, a strange murder/suicide attempt on Murdaugh by "cousin Eddie," a beloved 20 year housekeeper who fell down the stairs whose settlement the defendant STOLE.

If you have no interest in mysteries, detective or crime stories - then I can imagine this might not interest, but all the other factors...and I've left many out...made it a riveting story.

A real tragedy, an example of privilege taken to a deadly end, the destruction of a family. I found it heartbreaking, but I was glad to see him brought to justice.

Watching the exemplary judge was worth it all. What a real person. He knows the law, he knew the defendant, he knew the notoriety of this case, and he handled it all with grace, intelligence, unbelievable calm, and he was absolutely in charge. Learning that his OWN son recently died unexpectedly made his professionalism even more impressive.

I found it fascinating, even more fascinating is the number of threads from people saying they don't care about it. Ok, well fine. No need to read about it. I wasn't the least bit interested in whatever that Tiger King story was, but I sure never posted a thread about it. Hell, I don't know half the people I read about who are supposedly "celebrities".

Nor do I care.

[Xavier Breath]

25. The first I heard of it was last week some time, I believe.

Not sure how I missed it until then, but not the least disappointed that I did.

[mercuryblues]

26. Real life Dallas

[FakeNoose]

27. Fifth or sixth-generation wealthy white family in South Carolina

... and he's guilty of multiple thefts and embezzlements, already fired from his prestigious law firm. Family life is totally messed up, he's a drug addict, as well as a serial liar. Apparently he was in danger of losing his property over lawsuits and legal problems (the entire family was being sued over a negligent homicide death that happened while his younger son piloted the family boat DUI and had a fatal accident.)

Alex Murdaugh's entire life is a paranoid soap opera. The surviving son testified in his father's favor but it didn't make a difference. This rich white guy got the conviction and sentence that OJ Simpson SHOULD have gotten but didn't.

[Raftergirl]

29. I've been following this case since the murders.

I’ve listened to a pod on the Murdaugh Murders since his fake roadside “suicide”. That was right after all his financial crimes came to light and he “reisigned” from his law firm. It’s just a wild and crazy case with several other deaths tied to the Murdaughs, not to mention all the his other crimes. And this family used their power to get away with a lot of things before it all came crashing down with the boat crash case.

I watched the whole trial.

And it’’s a great diversion from politics and the crazies.

[Kennah]

30. Wanted to see if Southern Royalty was immune

[BlackSkimmer]

31. Yikes!

You've missed some stories!

Nope, not immune.

[Kennah]

38. In this case, no, but I was concerned that Royal Immunity would be in play

[SYFROYH]

34. It's a classic Southern Gothic tale.

Last edited Sat Mar 4, 2023, 09:41 AM - Edit history (1)

The Murdaugh family is not true "old money" they did rise to power just after the Civil War which means a lot of people have had to bend a knee for a hundred years and 3 or 4 generations.

[Skittles]

39. it was pretty compelling story

his entitled son seem to get special treatment in the death of a young girl, then he became a victim (along with his mum) of his own father