Paul and Maggie Murdaugh’s Public Funeral Drew in Hundreds of Guests

The most highly anticipated true crime series of 2023 is now on Netflix. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal follows one of South Carolina’s most powerful family’s descent into chaos, corruption, and criminal investigations.

From the tragic boating accident that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach to the shocking double homicide of Paul Murdaugh and Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh at the family’s hunting lodge, the three-part docuseries dives into the complex crimes surrounding the wealthy Southern family.

Alex Murdaugh, 54, testified in his double homicide trial on Thursday, Feb. 23. If you’ve been following along with the Murdaugh scandal for some time, odds are you’re aware of the circumstances surrounding his wife and youngest son’s deaths. Read on to learn more about what happened in the days that followed June 7, 2021.

Paul and Maggie Murdaugh’s funeral occurred four days after their deaths on June 7, 2021. On June 11, 2021, the double homicide victims were buried in the Hampton Cemetery in Hampton, S.C.

The mother and son’s burial site was close to late family members Randolph Murdaugh, Paul’s great-great-grandfather, and his great-grandfather Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh. Their bodies were joined by Randolph Murdaugh III's, Paul’s grandfather, several days later after he passed at age 85 from long-standing health issues.

The Murdaughs held a public funeral for the two murder victims, drawing in hundreds of attendees, from public officials to close friends to law enforcement. Hampton Chapel’s Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home assisted the Murdaugh family with the funeral arrangements, and the graveside service took place on June 11, 2021, at noon.

“Margaret ‘Maggie’ Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh, 52, entered into eternal rest with her son Paul Terry Murdaugh the evening of Monday, June 7, 2021,” Maggie’s obituary stated.

On June 7, 2021, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead in their Islandton, S.C., hunting lodge. That tragic night, Alex Murdaugh alerted authorities that he discovered his wife and son dead with multiple gunshot wounds near the family’s dog kennels.

However, there was no suspect or motive for Paul and Maggie’s killings for over a year. Not only that but authorities never found the murder weapons.

Then, on July 14, 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted for two counts of homicide. According to authorities, the former lawyer allegedly shot and killed his wife and son with a rifle and a shotgun. At the time of Paul and Maggie’s murders, Alex claimed he wasn’t home. However, prosecutors believed this to be a false alibi.

Video footage taken minutes before Paul and Maggie’s deaths contains three distinct voices — one of which they state is Alex’s. “The evidence will show that he was there,” the prosecution said. “He was at the murder scene with two victims.”

And on Thursday, Feb. 23, Alex finally admitted to lying about his whereabouts. When asked if it was him in the kennel video at 8:44 p.m. on June 7, he said, “It is.”

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is now available to stream on Netflix.