Why am I fascinated by the case of Alex Murdaugh
I am interested in this case because of the deception. Murdaugh was able to lie to the people closest to him. After watching this trial, we all need to look around at our family and friends. Do we really know them?
During the Alex Murdaugh trial, testimonies were broadcasted live. This created a proliferation of true crime as media and entertainment. This phenomenon has become part of culture.
“If you appreciate who he is, or who he was at that time, the name Murdaugh is law in Hampton County,” says attorney Ronnie Richter from Channel 5 News.
The public wanted justice for the victims and the downfall of the Murdaugh family. The Murdaugh family has a 100-year-old legal dynasty in Hampton, South Carolina that was destroyed by the fourth-generation lawyer Alex Murdaugh.
Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison. He was sentenced on March 2 for shooting and killing his wife Maggie and his son Paul.
Back in January, Ben Fennell told Channel 5 News “I think in Hampton County we had a family, or we had a group that sort of controlled the destiny of people.”
The six-week murder trial captivated the nation as a display of generational wealth, power, and greed. It also brought up a question in my mind. Was I following this case because I wanted justice? Or was I intrigued by the spectacle?
Of course, I wanted justice. More than that, I wanted the fall from grace that came for the Murdaugh family. This country has been run by the rich and powerful for as long as I can remember. The evidence in this trial show-cased the level of privilege this family has been afforded.
I found pleasure watching Murdaugh being tried and convicted. It provided hope for me that the powerful are not untouchable. Murdaugh faces more charges for his theft from clients. Crimes he admitted to during his testimony.
Friends are devastated by the realization that they never really knew Murdaugh.
“He was one of my best friends, I thought he was, and I thought he felt the same way about me,” testified Chris Wilson, a longtime friend of Murdaugh.
I am interested in this case because of the deception. Murdaugh was able to lie to the people closest to him. After watching this trial, we all need to look around at our family and friends. Do we really know them?
