The trial of Alex Murdaugh, a prominent South Carolina attorney, began on October 4th, 2021. Murdaugh is facing three charges related to an alleged scheme to have himself killed in order to collect $10 million in life insurance proceeds for his son. The scheme backfired when the hired hitman instead shot Murdaugh in the head, but he survived and later confessed to the authorities. The trial is set to take place in Hampton County, where the shooting occurred in September 2018. The trial is expected to draw national attention due to the high-profile nature of the case and the involvement of a prominent legal family in South Carolina. Murdaugh comes from a family of attorneys and was a partner at a prestigious law firm before being forced to resign following allegations of embezzlement. The trial is also notable for the role of Mallory Beach, a young woman who was killed in a boating accident while in the company of Murdaugh's son, Paul. The death of Beach has led to speculation about possible links to the alleged insurance fraud scheme, although no charges have been filed in relation to her death.

“Valerie Bauerlein’s blistering, unforgettable account of the Murdaugh saga leaves no stone unturned, helping us finally truly understand the man at the center of one of the century’s wildest crime stories.”—Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road and Lost Girls Power, privilege, and blood—this is the definitive and thrilling true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter who has become an authority on the case. Alex Murdaugh was a benevolent dictator—the president of the South Carolina trial lawyers’ association, a political boss, a part-time prosecutor, and a partner in his family’s law firm. He was always ready with a favor, a drink, and an invitation to Moselle, his family’s 1,700-acre hunting estate. The Murdaugh name ignited respect—and fear—for a hundred miles. When he murdered his wife, Maggie, and son Paul at Moselle on a dark summer night, the fragile façade of Alex’s world could no longer hold. His forefathers had covered up a midnight suicide at a remote railroad crossing, a bootlegging ring run from a courthouse, and the attempted murder of a pregnant lover. Alex, too, almost walked away from his unspeakable crimes with his reputation intact, but his downfall was secured by a twist of fate, some stray mistakes, and a fateful decision by an old friend who’d finally seen enough. Why would a man who had everything kill his wife and grown son? To unwind the roots of Alex’s ruin, award-winning journalist Valerie Bauerlein reported not just from the courthouse every day but also along the backroads and through the tidal marshes of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. When the jurors made their pilgrimage to the crime scene, trying to envision Maggie and Paul’s last moments, she walked right behind them, sensing the ghosts that haunt the Murdaughs’ now-shattered legacy. Through masterful research and cinematic writing, The Devil at His Elbow is a transporting journey through Alex’s life, the night of the murders, and the investigation that culminated in a trial that held tens of millions spellbound. With her stunning insights and fearless instinct for the truth, Bauerlein uncovers layers of the Murdaugh murder case that have not been told.

In Tangled Vines, bestselling true crime author John Glatt reconstructs the rise of the prestigious Murdaugh family and the shocking double murder that led to the downfall of its patriarch, Alex Murdaugh. Among the lush, tree-lined waterways of South Carolina low country, the Murdaugh name means power. A century-old, multimillion-dollar law practice has catapulted the family into incredible wealth and local celebrity—but it was an unimaginable tragedy that would thrust them into the national spotlight. On June 7th, 2021, prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on the grounds of their thousand-acre hunting lodge. The mystery deepened only months later when Alex himself was discovered shot in the head on a local roadside. But as authorities scrambled for clues and the community reeled from the loss and media attention, dark secrets about this Southern legal dynasty came to light. The Murdaughs, it turned out, were feared as much as they were loved. And they wouldn’t hesitate to wield their influence to protect one of their own; two years before he was killed, a highly intoxicated Paul Murdaugh was at the helm of a boat when it crashed and killed a teenage girl, and his light treatment by police led to speculation that privilege had come into play. As bombshells of financial fraud were revealed and more suspicious deaths were linked to the Murdaughs, a new portrait of Alex Murdaugh emerged: a desperate man on the brink of ruin who would do anything, even plan his own death, to save his family’s reputation.

“Anything But Bland is not only the behind-the-scenes of how Eric bravely helped expose and bring down one of South Carolina’s most notorious criminals, it’s a story about what happens when you make every moment, every action and every decision count toward building a meaningful life and a career that leaves an impact.” —Liz Farrell, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Murdaugh Murders and Cup of Justice podcasts “Eric Bland makes magic happen—both in the courtroom and in life! Anything But Bland is a fascinating story about how Eric’s command of the courtroom came from him taking command of his life. Hard work and persistence prepared Eric for the world stage. In his autobiography, the brilliant advocate shows us how the best person to bet on in life is yourself!” —Julie Grant, attorney and host of Opening Statements with Julie Grant on Court TV Follow the remarkable journey of award-winning trial lawyer Eric “EB” Bland, a man who turned childhood adversity into his secret weapon. Overcoming intense bullying, reckless behavior, and family tragedies, Bland channeled his indomitable spirit and efforts to “make things right” into academic success and a law degree. Ultimately, he founded the renowned Bland Richter law firm and gained international recognition as one of the financial prosecutors in the legal battle of the century—the Alex Murdaugh trial. In this riveting personal and professional reflection, Bland takes readers on a journey through his remarkable life and career as well as behind the scenes in some of the high-profile cases that have shaped America’s modern legal landscape. Guided by five transformative life principles, Bland offers his unique roadmap for success. His journey and unfiltered wisdom demonstrate the power of resilience, the pursuit of excellence, and an unwavering belief that achievement isn’t about luck, but rather discipline and hard work. Part memoir, part manifesto, Anything But Bland is the perfect read for those who aspire to overcome adversity, live a purposeful life, and reach their full potential both personally and professionally.

The stranger-than-fiction story of the now-notorious Lowcountry clan, in all its Southern Gothic intensity—by an author with unparalleled access to and knowledge of the players, the history, and the place. The most famous man in South Carolina lives in prison. He stands convicted of a staggering amount of wrongdoing—more than 100 crimes and counting. Once a high-flying, smooth-talking, pedigreed Southern lawyer, Alex Murdaugh is now disbarred and disgraced. For more than a decade, prosecutors asserted that Alex was secretly a fraud, a thief, a drug trafficker, and an all-around phony. On the night of June 7, 2021, they claimed, he also became a killer, shooting dead his wife and son in a desperate bid to escape accountability. The many crimes of Alex Murdaugh, exposed piecemeal over the last two years, have appalled the general public. Yet his implosion—the spectacular manner in which he has turned his vaunted family name to mud—has also proved mesmerizing. With every revelation, Alex Murdaugh has been shown to be a man without bottom, though he insists he never harmed his family. Remarkably, all of his misdeeds have precedent. In Swamp Kings, Jason Ryan reveals Alex’s evil actions are only the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to the Murdaugh family of Hampton County, history has a way of repeating itself. For every alleged, headline-grabbing crime associated with Alex Murdaugh, mirror-image incidents have played out within his family’s past, including parallel instances of fraud, theft, illicit trafficking of babies and booze, calamitous boat crashes, and even alleged murder. There were some crimes committed by Alex’s kin that even he would not dare mimic. Covering a century of depravity in an impoverished and isolated stretch of the Deep South, Swamp Kings weaves together the jaw-dropping narratives of generations of Murdaughs before culminating in the telling of a murder trial for the ages. Page after page the family’s legacy is laid bare as a spotlight is finally trained on the Murdaugh men who have long lorded over the South Carolina Lowcountry.

This comprehensive volume explores the impact of emerging technologies designed to fight crime and terrorism. It first reviews the latest advances in detecting deception, interrogation, and crime scene investigation, before then transitioning to the role of technology in collecting and evaluating evidence from lay witnesses, police body cameras, and super-recognizers. Finally it explores the role of technology in the courtroom with a particular focus social media, citizen crime sleuths, virtual court, and child witnesses. It shines light on emerging issues, such as whether new norms have been created in the emergence of new technologies and how human behaviour has shifted in response. Based on a global range of contributions, this volume provides an overview of the technological explosion in the field of law enforcement and discusses its successes and failures in fighting crime. It is valuable reading for advanced students in forensic or legal psychology and for practitioners, researchers, and scholars in law, criminal justice, and criminology.

The Murdaugh family is a prominent legal family based in South Carolina, USA. The family has a long history of working in legal profession and has been involved in many high-profile cases. The patriarch of the family Randolph Murdaugh Sr. was a famous trial lawyer known for his work as a prosecutor in the 5th circuit of South Carolina in the 1960s. Randolph's son, Alex Murdaugh, continued the family's legacy and became a well-known defense lawyer. He is known for his work in criminal and civil litigation and has been involved in many high-profile cases. The Murdaugh family is closely linked with the small rural town of Hampton in South Carolina. Their law firm, which has been in operation for over a century, is based in the town. Over the years, the family has developed a reputation for being tough legal opponents who always fight for their clients. However, in the last few months, the Murdaugh family has found themselves embroiled in a series of tragedies that have shocked the local community and made headlines across the country. The events have shone a spotlight on the family and brought their long history in the legal profession into question.