Maggie and Paul Murdaugh: Between the Covers and the Credits

The People Behind the Programs

Maggie and Paul were a mother and son before their deaths became the focus of books, podcasts, and television. This guide helps readers tell recorded court proceedings, journalism, personal accounts, and acted scenes apart.

For their lives and family remembrance, visit the Faces and biographies. For the legal outcome, use the 2026 Supreme Court opinion and later court records. Older productions may stop at the first verdict.

Watch, Listen & Read

Documentary: Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal

Netflix; two seasons released in 2023. This documentary series presents interviews and an edited account of the family and the cases. It is a useful starting point for comparing how the story was told, but its episodes do not replace later rulings. Open the official Netflix title page. Netflix’s timeline identifies the September 20, 2023 second-season release.

Drama: Murdaugh: Death in the Family

Hulu; premiered October 15, 2025. Patricia Arquette plays Maggie, Jason Clarke plays Alex, and Johnny Berchtold plays Paul. This is a scripted series inspired by the Murdaugh Murders Podcast. An actor’s scene or dialogue must not be treated as a recording of an actual event. Read Hulu’s official series page.

Book: The Devil at His Elbow

Valerie Bauerlein; Ballantine Books. The hardcover was published August 20, 2024; the paperback followed June 3, 2025. Bauerlein’s reported account follows the family, the killings, and the first trial. Its publication predates the 2026 new-trial ruling. Open the publisher’s book and edition details.

Book: Tangled Vines

John Glatt; St. Martin’s True Crime. The linked edition was published June 25, 2024. This nonfiction account follows the family’s history and the murder case as it stood before the retrial ruling. Compare claims about the current case with the later court record. Open Macmillan’s listing for this edition.

Book: Blood on Their Hands

Mandy Matney, with Carolyn Murnick. Matney’s account describes her work reporting on the Murdaugh family and the obstacles she says she faced. It is a journalist’s personal account of that work. Read the author’s official book page.

A Book Discussed in the Court Record

The Supreme Court’s opinion discusses Rebecca Hill’s Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders when explaining the jury-influence proceedings. Its role in that litigation is why it appears here. The reference does not establish that the book’s claims are true.

Court Video, Podcasts & Interviews

Court Video: The Appeal

South Carolina Judicial Branch; February 11, 2026. The official February video archive lists the Murdaugh arguments. It lets readers hear the lawyers and the justices. A question asked during argument is not a ruling. The decision is in the May 13 opinion.

Public Interviews After the First Verdict

The March 7 juror-interview guide brings together Craig Moyer’s March 3 ABC News interview, TODAY’s March 6 conversation with James McDowell, Gwen Generette and Amie Williams, and Court TV’s March 7 McDowell interview. These are individual accounts of the 2023 trial. They predate the May 2026 new-trial ruling.

Murdaugh Murders Podcast and True Sunlight

Luna Shark Media; Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell. The earlier Murdaugh Murders Podcast continues under the name True Sunlight and also covers other cases. The producer’s archive preserves the older episodes and the May 18, 2023 name-change announcement. Open the official podcast feed and episode dates. These are reported accounts and commentary, not court findings.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family Official Podcast

Hulu; Mandy Matney; 2025. Hulu lists eight companion episodes with the drama’s cast and creators. This is a look at how the television series was made. It should be kept separate from recordings of actual testimony. Open the official companion-podcast page.

The Sleuths, Trial Watchers & Legal Creators

Emily D. Baker: The Pre-Trial Motions

The Emily Show; January 18, 2023. Baker’s episode discusses the evidence disputes before the first trial. Her own page also links her Murdaugh podcast collection and video playlist. It records commentary at that time, before the first verdict and the later retrial decision. Open the original episode and related coverage.

The Newsroom and the Court Record

The October Evidence Hearing

WCSC; October 16, 2026. The original courtroom report covers DNA testing and evidence requests. It is journalism about the hearing. Read it alongside any signed order when deciding exactly what the court allowed.

Faces in the Footnotes’ October 16 article remains the site’s original account at its existing address. The Court Coverage guide keeps later reporting in date order, and Court Records identifies documents separately.

Why It Matters

Books and programs can bring people to a case. They can also blend interviews, opinion, editing, and acted scenes. Knowing what kind of source is in front of you helps keep the people’s lives and the actual court record clear.

What Happens Next

The pending retrial may lead to new coverage and later editions. Each item should be labeled by its real release date and compared with the court record available at that time.

This is a selected guide to verified titles and original source pages. Full books and episodes have not all been reviewed. Descriptions here do not adopt every claim in those works. Services may require a subscription or limit access by region.

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