Murdaugh Murder Mystery Timeline: New lawsuit, questions raised about Alex and Maggie's marriage The latest information on the investigation into the deaths of Paul Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh, as well as Mallory Beach, Gloria Satterfield and Stephen Smith.
Updated: 5:19 PM EDT Oct 6, 2021 Graham Cawthon Digital Media Manager A son and mother found shot to death on their Lowcountry property.
News of the deaths of Paul Murdaugh, 22, and Maggie Murdaugh, 52, has led to national headlines. Not only for the mystery surrounding their murders but for the ties to other death investigations in the area: Stephen Smith in 2015, Gloria Satterfield in 2018 and Mallory Beach in 2019.
Advertisement The Murdaugh Murders: Interactive Map
Here you will find a timeline of all the events surrounding the Murdaugh murder mystery. Check back for updates.
1920-2005: For three generations, members of the Murdaugh family serve as the South Carolina 14th circuit solicitor, the top prosecutor representing Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Allendale and Colleton counties.
July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. No arrest is made in the case.
Feb. 26, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, 57, dies after a trip and fall accident at the Murdaugh family home. For more than two decades, she had served as the family housekeeper and nanny.
According to court documents, Alex Murdaugh tells Satterfield's sons that he was responsible and plans to sue himself so they are financially taken care of. The family says they never receive any money.
Feb. 24, 2019: Mallory Beach, 19, goes missing after a boat crash near Parris Island. A 911 call is placed from the scene of the crash at Archer's Creek.
Photos from the scene capture damage to the boat, bloodstains and numerous containers of beer.
March 3, 2019: Following a week of searches, a boater discovers Mallory's body in a marsh area near the Broad River boat landing in Beaufort County.
March 2019: The Beach family files a wrongful death lawsuit against a Beaufort County bar, convenience store and two homeowners all of whom, the suit claims, served Beach and her underage friends alcohol the night of the crash. The lawsuit was later amended to only name Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh Sr., Richard Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., and Parker's convenience store.
April 18, 2019: Paul Murdaugh is indicted on charges of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury.
May 6, 2019: Murdaugh pleads not guilty to all charges.
June 4, 2021: Court ordered mediation in the wrongful death lawsuit fails, which appears to make the case bound for trial.
June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh discovers the bodies of his son Paul and wife Maggie at their 1,770-acre hunting lodge on Moselle Road in Islandton, Colleton County. A 911 call is placed at 10:07 p.m.
"I need the police and ambulance immediately," Alex Murdaugh says in the 911 call. "My wife and child have been shot badly!"
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office responds and secures the scene. South Carolina's State Law Enforcement Division is contacted at 10:28 p.m. to assist. SLED agents arrive at 11:47 p.m.
Murdaugh family friend Tangie Ohmer tells WJCL: "It was just siren after siren..."
June 8, 2021: Authorities confirm the identities of the deceased, referring to the incident as a double homicide. However, they say there is no threat to the public.
June 11, 2021: A graveside service is held at Hampton Cemetery for both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
June 14, 2021: The Colleton County Coroner confirms both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh died from multiple gunshot wounds. The estimated time of death is somewhere between 9 and 9:30 p.m.
June 16, 2021: SLED creates a 24-hour dedicated tipline for the case: 803- 896-2605.
June 17, 2021: Alex Murdaugh's brothers, Randy Murdaugh IV and John Marvin Murdaugh, appear in an exclusive interview with ABC News in which they plead with the public to come forward with any information. They say they don't know whether the family has enemies but Paul Murdaugh had received threats.
June 21, 2021: SLED releases a handful of heavily-redacted documents shedding light on what deputies discovered the night of the murders.
June 23, 2021: Based on information gathered in the Murdaugh investigation, SLED says it is looking into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith in Hampton County. SLED does not elaborate on what information it obtained.
June 25, 2021: Members of the Murdaugh family formally announce a $100,000 reward for information that leads to arrest in the double homicide.
July 7, 2021: Attorneys representing a survivor of the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach filed a petition alleging law enforcement tried to shift the blame from Paul Murdaugh to their client, Connor Cook.
July 14, 2021: During a court hearing, Circuit Judge Bentley Price said he would review the redactions made by SLED in publicly-released documents pertaining to the case and if he felt they weren’t legal, order more information released.
July 22, 2021: SLED releases the 911 call placed by Alex Murdaugh the night Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were killed.
Aug. 6, 2021: People magazine spotlights the double homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office drops all charges against Paul Murdaugh in the death of Mallory Beach due to his own death.
Aug. 11, 2021: 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone sends a letter to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stating he intends to recuse himself from the investigations into the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
Aug. 17, 2021: Following a Freedom of Information Act request, WJCL receives photos and videos from the South Carolina Attorney General's Office collected as evidence following the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach.
Sept. 2, 2021: The PMPED law firm begins an investigation into Alex Murdaugh after finding a suspicious check on his desk. They say their investigation reveals Murdaugh had been taking money from the firm and clients for personal use.
Sept. 3, 2021: Murdaugh is confronted about accusations of taking money from PMPED. He is asked to resign and does so that afternoon.
Sept. 4, 2021: Alex Murdaugh is shot in the head while changing a tire in Hampton County, according to a family spokesperson. SLED is investigating. He is hospitalized in Savannah and said to be conscious and speaking.
Sept. 6, 2021: Alex Murdaugh releases a statement that says, in part, he is resigning from his law firm and entering rehab.
Later that day, the PMPED law firm says Murdaugh was stealing money from them.
“This is disappointing news for all of us. Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There’s no place in our firm for such behavior,” the law firm said in a statement.
Sept. 8, 2021: The South Carolina Supreme Court suspends Alex Murdaugh's law license, effective immediately.
Sept. 9, 2021: Following a Freedom of Information Act request, WJCL receives an incident report from the Hampton County Sheriff's Office regarding law enforcement response to Alex Murdaugh's shooting.
Sept. 10, 2021: A spokesperson representing Alex Murdaugh releases a statement saying, in part, Murdaugh's shooting was not self-inflicted, he sustained a skull fracture and the gunman was driving a blue pickup truck.
Sept. 13, 2021: SLED announces it has opened an investigation into claims Alex Murdaugh was misappropriating funds from his former law firm.
Sept. 14, 2021: Curtis Edward Smith, 61, is arrested in connection to the assisted suicide shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Authorities say Murdaugh admits that the scheme was set up so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy.
Attorneys representing Alex Murdaugh issue a statement that Murdaugh has battled opioid addiction for 20 years and Smith was one of his drug dealers.
Sept. 15, 2021: Smith appears via video conference in a Colleton County court for the charge of distribution of methamphetamine. Because it was his first offense, he was able to post a $5,000 bond. His next appearance is set for November 8.
Smith is transferred to Hampton County court to face charges in connection to the Murdaugh shooting.
Alex Murdaugh is named the chief defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the sons of longtime Murdaugh housekeeper and nanny, Gloria Satterfield.
SLED announces it is opening a criminal investigation into Satterfield's 2018 death.
Murdaugh's attorney says his client will surrender to authorities the following day in connection to the insurance fraud charges.
Sept. 16, 2021: Alex Murdaugh turns himself in to authorities at the Hampton County Detention Center.
Murdaugh is given a $20,000 bond for insurance fraud charges stemming from his attempted assisted suicide plot. He is ordered to appear back in court on October 25.
Smith is given a $55,000 bond for his charges. He is released from custody at noon and ordered back in court on November 8.
Sept. 17, 2021: WJCL provides a look at whether Alex Murdaugh received preferential treatment in court as well as the severity of his head wound.
Sept. 18, 2021: In an interview with the New York Post, Curtis Edward Smith says he's being set up by Alex Murdaugh.
Sept. 20, 2021: Connor Cook, who was onboard the boat the night Mallory Beach was killed, files a lawsuit in Hampton County against Alex Murdaugh, son Buster Murdaugh, as well as Gregory M. Parker, Inc., and Parker's employee Tajeeha Cohen for their alleged roles in the crash.
Sept. 23, 2021: SLED releases a statement saying agents have "uncovered other potential crimes" as part of their investigation into the double homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina have been contacted.
Sept. 26, 2021: WJCL airs a special presentation, 'Murdaugh: Death & Deceit,' focusing on the investigations to date.
Sept. 27, 2021: In paperwork filed in Hampton County, the sons of Gloria Satterfield say they want Alex Murdaugh arrested until he pays them the money they are owed from the settlement from their mother's death.
Sept. 28, 2021: In an interview with WJCL, Sandy Smith, mother of Stephen Smith, says a fundraising effort is underway to finally get Stephen a headstone.
Curtis Edward Smith gives an interview with WCIV in which he says he feels betrayed by Alex Murdaugh and that he considered Murdaugh like a brother to him.
Sept. 29, 2021: A Murdaugh spokesperson releases a statement regarding the pending expiration of the $100,000 reward offer in the double homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
“We are disappointed that no one has stepped forward with any leads to solve the murder and claim the $100,000 reward. At this time the family is evaluating what additional steps can be taken to solve the murders of Maggie and Paul.”
Sept. 30, 2021: Responding to claims made in a People magazine article about problems in the marriage of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh, a family representative releases the following statement:
"The most recent allegations by People Magazine regarding the state of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh’s marriage are totally inconsistent with what we have been told by friends and family members. Also, we have reviewed many years of text messages on Alex’s phone, and the conversations between Alex and Maggie portray a very loving relationship. It is our hope that the media will continue to focus on covering the investigation of the person or people responsible for the murder of Maggie and Paul and not reporting salacious stories with no credible sources connected to the Murdaugh family."
Oct. 4, 2021: The law firm representing the Estate of Gloria Satterfield, the former housekeeper of the Murdaugh family who died back in 2018, announced that a settlement has been reached in the case.
Oct. 6, 2021: The PMPED law firm files suit against Alex Murdaugh for damages after claims he took money from them and clients for his own personal use.
Jim Griffin, one of Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers, responds to the lawsuit saying, "This is a very sad development. Alex holds every member of the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick law firm in very high esteem. He has pledged his full cooperation to the firm."
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Murdaugh Murder Mystery Timeline: New lawsuit, questions raised about Alex
and Maggie's marriage
The latest information on the investigation into the deaths of Paul Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh, as well as Mallory Beach, Gloria Satterfield and
Stephen Smith.
Updated: 5:19 PM EDT Oct 6, 2021
Graham Cawthon
Digital Media Manager
A son and mother found shot to death on their Lowcountry property.
News of the deaths of Paul Murdaugh, 22, and Maggie Murdaugh, 52, has led to national headlines. Not only for the mystery surrounding their murders but for the ties to other death investigations in the area: Stephen Smith in
2015, Gloria Satterfield in 2018 and Mallory Beach in 2019.
Advertisement
The Murdaugh Murders: Interactive Map
Here you will find a timeline of all the events surrounding the Murdaugh
murder mystery. Check back for updates.
1920-2005: For three generations, members of the Murdaugh family serve as
the South Carolina 14th circuit solicitor, the top prosecutor representing
Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Allendale and Colleton counties.
July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. No arrest is made in the case.
Feb. 26, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, 57, dies after a trip and fall accident
at the Murdaugh family home. For more than two decades, she had served as
the family housekeeper and nanny.
According to court documents, Alex Murdaugh tells Satterfield's sons that he was responsible and plans to sue himself so they are financially taken care of. The family says they never receive any money.
Feb. 24, 2019: Mallory Beach, 19, goes missing after a boat crash near
Parris Island. A 911 call is placed from the scene of the crash at Archer's Creek.
Photos from the scene capture damage to the boat, bloodstains and numerous
containers of beer.
March 3, 2019: Following a week of searches, a boater discovers Mallory's
body in a marsh area near the Broad River boat landing in Beaufort County.
March 2019: The Beach family files a wrongful death lawsuit against a
Beaufort County bar, convenience store and two homeowners all of whom, the
suit claims, served Beach and her underage friends alcohol the night of the crash. The lawsuit was later amended to only name Richard Alexander "Alex"
Murdaugh Sr., Richard Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., and Parker's
convenience store.
April 18, 2019: Paul Murdaugh is indicted on charges of boating under the
influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence
causing great bodily injury.
May 6, 2019: Murdaugh pleads not guilty to all charges.
June 4, 2021: Court ordered mediation in the wrongful death lawsuit fails,
which appears to make the case bound for trial.
June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh discovers the bodies of his son Paul and wife
Maggie at their 1,770-acre hunting lodge on Moselle Road in Islandton,
Colleton County. A 911 call is placed at 10:07 p.m.
"I need the police and ambulance immediately," Alex Murdaugh says in the 911 call. "My wife and child have been shot badly!"
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office responds and secures the scene. South
Carolina's State Law Enforcement Division is contacted at 10:28 p.m. to
assist. SLED agents arrive at 11:47 p.m.
Murdaugh family friend Tangie Ohmer tells WJCL: "It was just siren after
siren..."
June 8, 2021: Authorities confirm the identities of the deceased, referring to the incident as a double homicide. However, they say there is no threat
to the public.
June 11, 2021: A graveside service is held at Hampton Cemetery for both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
June 14, 2021: The Colleton County Coroner confirms both Paul and Maggie
Murdaugh died from multiple gunshot wounds. The estimated time of death is
somewhere between 9 and 9:30 p.m.
June 16, 2021: SLED creates a 24-hour dedicated tipline for the case: 803-
896-2605.
June 17, 2021: Alex Murdaugh's brothers, Randy Murdaugh IV and John Marvin
Murdaugh, appear in an exclusive interview with ABC News in which they plead with the public to come forward with any information. They say they don't
know whether the family has enemies but Paul Murdaugh had received threats.
June 21, 2021: SLED releases a handful of heavily-redacted documents
shedding light on what deputies discovered the night of the murders.
June 23, 2021: Based on information gathered in the Murdaugh investigation, SLED says it is looking into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith in Hampton
County. SLED does not elaborate on what information it obtained.
June 25, 2021: Members of the Murdaugh family formally announce a $100,000
reward for information that leads to arrest in the double homicide.
July 7, 2021: Attorneys representing a survivor of the boat crash that
killed Mallory Beach filed a petition alleging law enforcement tried to
shift the blame from Paul Murdaugh to their client, Connor Cook.
July 14, 2021: During a court hearing, Circuit Judge Bentley Price said he
would review the redactions made by SLED in publicly-released documents
pertaining to the case and if he felt they weren’t legal, order more
information released.
July 22, 2021: SLED releases the 911 call placed by Alex Murdaugh the night Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were killed.
Aug. 6, 2021: People magazine spotlights the double homicide of Paul and
Maggie Murdaugh.
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office drops all charges against Paul Murdaugh in the death of Mallory Beach due to his own death.
Aug. 11, 2021: 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone sends a letter to South
Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stating he intends to recuse himself
from the investigations into the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
Aug. 17, 2021: Following a Freedom of Information Act request, WJCL receives photos and videos from the South Carolina Attorney General's Office
collected as evidence following the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach.
Sept. 2, 2021: The PMPED law firm begins an investigation into Alex Murdaugh after finding a suspicious check on his desk. They say their investigation reveals Murdaugh had been taking money from the firm and clients for
personal use.
Sept. 3, 2021: Murdaugh is confronted about accusations of taking money from PMPED. He is asked to resign and does so that afternoon.
Sept. 4, 2021: Alex Murdaugh is shot in the head while changing a tire in
Hampton County, according to a family spokesperson. SLED is investigating.
He is hospitalized in Savannah and said to be conscious and speaking.
Sept. 6, 2021: Alex Murdaugh releases a statement that says, in part, he is resigning from his law firm and entering rehab.
Later that day, the PMPED law firm says Murdaugh was stealing money from
them.
“This is disappointing news for all of us. Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There’s no place in our firm
for such behavior,” the law firm said in a statement.
Sept. 8, 2021: The South Carolina Supreme Court suspends Alex Murdaugh's law license, effective immediately.
Sept. 9, 2021: Following a Freedom of Information Act request, WJCL receives an incident report from the Hampton County Sheriff's Office regarding law
enforcement response to Alex Murdaugh's shooting.
Sept. 10, 2021: A spokesperson representing Alex Murdaugh releases a
statement saying, in part, Murdaugh's shooting was not self-inflicted, he
sustained a skull fracture and the gunman was driving a blue pickup truck.
Sept. 13, 2021: SLED announces it has opened an investigation into claims
Alex Murdaugh was misappropriating funds from his former law firm.
Sept. 14, 2021: Curtis Edward Smith, 61, is arrested in connection to the
assisted suicide shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Authorities say Murdaugh admits that the scheme was set up so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy.
Attorneys representing Alex Murdaugh issue a statement that Murdaugh has
battled opioid addiction for 20 years and Smith was one of his drug dealers.
Sept. 15, 2021: Smith appears via video conference in a Colleton County
court for the charge of distribution of methamphetamine. Because it was his first offense, he was able to post a $5,000 bond. His next appearance is set for November 8.
Smith is transferred to Hampton County court to face charges in connection
to the Murdaugh shooting.
Alex Murdaugh is named the chief defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the sons of longtime Murdaugh housekeeper and nanny, Gloria Satterfield.
SLED announces it is opening a criminal investigation into Satterfield's
2018 death.
Murdaugh's attorney says his client will surrender to authorities the
following day in connection to the insurance fraud charges.
Sept. 16, 2021: Alex Murdaugh turns himself in to authorities at the Hampton County Detention Center.
Murdaugh is given a $20,000 bond for insurance fraud charges stemming from
his attempted assisted suicide plot. He is ordered to appear back in court
on October 25.
Smith is given a $55,000 bond for his charges. He is released from custody
at noon and ordered back in court on November 8.
Sept. 17, 2021: WJCL provides a look at whether Alex Murdaugh received
preferential treatment in court as well as the severity of his head wound.
Sept. 18, 2021: In an interview with the New York Post, Curtis Edward Smith says he's being set up by Alex Murdaugh.
Sept. 20, 2021: Connor Cook, who was onboard the boat the night Mallory
Beach was killed, files a lawsuit in Hampton County against Alex Murdaugh,
son Buster Murdaugh, as well as Gregory M. Parker, Inc., and Parker's
employee Tajeeha Cohen for their alleged roles in the crash.
Sept. 23, 2021: SLED releases a statement saying agents have "uncovered
other potential crimes" as part of their investigation into the double
homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina have been contacted.
Sept. 26, 2021: WJCL airs a special presentation, 'Murdaugh: Death & Deceit,' focusing on the investigations to date.
Sept. 27, 2021: In paperwork filed in Hampton County, the sons of Gloria
Satterfield say they want Alex Murdaugh arrested until he pays them the
money they are owed from the settlement from their mother's death.
Sept. 28, 2021: In an interview with WJCL, Sandy Smith, mother of Stephen
Smith, says a fundraising effort is underway to finally get Stephen a
headstone.
Curtis Edward Smith gives an interview with WCIV in which he says he feels
betrayed by Alex Murdaugh and that he considered Murdaugh like a brother to him.
Sept. 29, 2021: A Murdaugh spokesperson releases a statement regarding the
pending expiration of the $100,000 reward offer in the double homicide of
Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
“We are disappointed that no one has stepped forward with any leads to
solve the murder and claim the $100,000 reward. At this time the family is
evaluating what additional steps can be taken to solve the murders of Maggie and Paul.”
Sept. 30, 2021: Responding to claims made in a People magazine article about problems in the marriage of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh, a family
representative releases the following statement:
"The most recent allegations by People Magazine regarding the state of
Maggie and Alex Murdaugh’s marriage are totally inconsistent with what we
have been told by friends and family members. Also, we have reviewed many
years of text messages on Alex’s phone, and the conversations between Alex and Maggie portray a very loving relationship. It is our hope that the media will continue to focus on covering the investigation of the person or
people responsible for the murder of Maggie and Paul and not reporting
salacious stories with no credible sources connected to the Murdaugh family."
Oct. 4, 2021: The law firm representing the Estate of Gloria Satterfield,
the former housekeeper of the Murdaugh family who died back in 2018,
announced that a settlement has been reached in the case.
Oct. 6, 2021: The PMPED law firm files suit against Alex Murdaugh for
damages after claims he took money from them and clients for his own
personal use.
Jim Griffin, one of Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers, responds to the lawsuit saying, "This is a very sad development. Alex holds every member of the Peters,
Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick law firm in very high esteem. He has
pledged his full cooperation to the firm."
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which means we may get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites.
082021, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WJCL-TV. Privacy NoticeYour
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