What was the evidence found against Alex Murdaugh? Details explored from the Murdaugh family case

Alex Murdaugh faced a trial record that relied on simple yet firm evidence. Jurors heard a kennel video timestamped at 8:44 pm, phone and car data that mapped movements, and a string of lies that collapsed once digital records were matched to the actual timeline. Prosecutors said those pieces fit together and showed presence, motive, and a shifting story.

The case sits within a wider Lowcountry saga. On June 7, 2021, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at the family’s Moselle property. Two guns were used, and investigators never recovered the weapons. Authorities placed the window of death between 9:00 and 9:30 pm, with a 10:06 pm 911 call that night. According to the LA Times, those key timestamps framed the narrative the jury considered.

On June 7, 2021, a 10:06 pm 911 call reported two victims at the Moselle property (Image via Pexels)

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Case background on Alex Murdaugh

The Murdaughs long held sway in the 14th Circuit. That reputation unraveled after a 2019 boat crash tied to Paul and renewed attention on older deaths in their orbit. State agents later reopened the 2015 Stephen Smith case while probing the murders.

Financial misconduct then surged to the forefront. After Gloria Satterfield died in 2018 following a reported fall at the home, Alex Murdaugh admitted in a legal filing that he invented the story about dogs causing the fall to force an insurance payout. According to NBC News, that admission came as part of broader fraud claims and settlements tied to stolen funds.

Scene from Murdaugh: Death in the Family (Image via YouTube/@Hulu)

In the months after the killings, Murdaugh resigned from his firm, reported a roadside shooting that he later admitted was a staged insurance scheme, and faced a wave of state and federal charges. He was convicted of the murders in March 2023 and later received additional sentences for financial crimes. Appeals continue, with filings trading arguments over trial rulings and alleged jury issues.

Also read: 5 chilling details about the Alex Murdaugh case in Murdaugh: Death in the Family

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Key evidence against Alex Murdaugh

The kennel video

At 8:44 pm on June 7, 2021, a clip recorded on Paul’s phone captured three voices at the dog kennels. Multiple witnesses identified the third voice as Alex Murdaugh, which undercut his early claim that he had not been there that night. Per CNN’s timeline coverage, that video became the anchor for the state’s case.

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Digital records

Phone logs, location data, and car information helped prosecutors draw a minute-by-minute timeline. The data showed Murdaugh near the kennels shortly before the estimated time of death, then showed movement back to the main house.

The 10:06 pm 911 call came at the end of that trail. According to CNN, the combined records gave jurors a clean sequence that clashed with parts of Murdaugh’s statements.

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Changing story

On the stand, Murdaugh admitted lying about being at the kennels, saying drug addiction fueled poor choices. That admission, paired with the video, left little room to argue mistaken identity. CNN’s reporting highlights how that turn under oath narrowed the defense path.

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Guns and forensics

Investigators concluded two firearms were used, a shotgun and an AR-style rifle, but did not find either weapon. Crime-scene analysis pointed to a rapid sequence of shots at the kennels. Investigators never recovered the guns, but prosecutors argued the digital timeline and kennel audio established placement and opportunity.

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Motive evidence

The state pointed to severe financial pressure and exposure from theft allegations. Jurors heard that stress was the context for the night in question. While motive is not required, the state framed money trouble as the reason the lies began and grew.

Those same pressures later surfaced in separate fraud prosecutions and sworn statements about insurance schemes. According to NBC News, the Satterfield filings illustrated how far financial deception had spread.

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How Murdaugh: Death in the Family frames Alex Murdaugh

Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family revisits Alex Murdaugh and the events leading up to the Moselle shootings. The eight-episode series premiered on October 15, 2025, with three episodes, then moved to weekly drops through November 19.

Jason Clarke plays Alex, and Patricia Arquette plays Maggie, with Brittany Snow as journalist Mandy Matney. The show tracks the boat crash fallout, rising money problems, and the kennel night, drawing on material popularized by the Murdaugh Murders Podcast.

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Also read: “disappointed and disturbed”- Alex Murdaugh points out flaws in the portrayals of Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family

Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar