Scott Rhee's Reviews > Swamp Kings: The Story of the Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power

The sultry swamplands of the southern states can be beautiful. Specifically, the swamplands of South Carolina—-especially the area known as the Lowcountry—-boast beautiful cypress trees that can be found only in the American South. The swamps can be beautiful, but they hide threats well: sweltering humidity, swarms of mosquitoes, and murky black waters where alligators lie in wait for their next meal.

Alex Murdaugh was a child of South Carolina. More than that, he was the fourth Richard Murdaugh (his middle name is “Alexander”), the fourth in a line of well-to-do South Carolinians who built a name and reputation for themselves in the state as lawyers, specifically elected prosecutors known as solicitors. His great-grandfather and grandfather had built a legacy of a powerful and influential family, well-respected and loved by the community. But, like the swamplands, the Murdaugh family hid a lot of dangerous secrets.

On June 7, 2021, Alex Murdaugh’s family legacy of deception and illicit behavior culminated in the brutal double murder of Alex’s wife, Maggie, and their youngest son, Paul. Despite being the person to call 911, Alex was soon arrested for the murders, due to inconsistencies with his story and strong evidence that he was the perpetrator. His trial began on January 25, 2023 and ended on March 2, 2023. The jury found Alex guilty on all counts.

Jason Ryan’s “Swamp Kings” is somewhat more than a true-crime story. It is a biographical sketch of a wealthy, powerful family that let their wealth and power give them the sense that they can get away with anything, including murder, and, for almost a century, it almost succeeded.

The Murdaughs’ legacy of corruption and deceit began during the Prohibition years, when the eldest Murdaugh, Richard “Buster” Murdaugh, as solicitor of the 14th Judicial Circuit, began to make private deals with illegal whiskey bootleggers. Bootlegging was a boon to the South Carolina economy in the 1920s, and everyone—-politicians, police officers, judges, lawyers, businessmen—-dreamed of a slice of that pie.

Over the course of four generations, while the Murdaugh cachet continued to grow as well-beloved members of the community, so too did the rumors and allegations of wrongdoing, including jury-tampering, mishandling and suppressing evidence in cases, and blatant thievery.

Alex, addicted to oxycontin and other opioids, tried to feed his habit by stealing money from his clients. In a separate trial, Alex was tried and indicted on 22 counts of money laundering and wire- and bank-fraud. He was later ordered to repay almost $9 million to the families that he bilked out of their legal winnings.

The story of the Murdaughs is a disgusting one, but it tells an almost-now-cliche narrative of rich people in this country being allowed to do things for which everyday Americans like you and me would be thrown in prison.