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True crime buffs, this one is for you. Earlier this year, we all developed a new obsession when Netflix released it's three-part crime series, Murdaugh Murders, following the fascinating Alex Murdaugh trial practically in real time — Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and son only weeks after the series dropped and sentenced to life in prison. However, as the first season revealed, the Murdaugh family had a history of suspicious goings-on that spanned back almost a decade.
As anyone who caught the first season of Murdaugh Murders on Netflix knows, the first three episodes barely scratched the surface — in fact, we were left with more questions about the Murdaugh family and their alleged crimes than we had when it began.
Now, Netflix is bringing the hit series back for another three-part season, delving even deeper into the sprawling Murdaugh case.
As co-directors and co–executive producers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro told Vanity Fair, they had always hoped to make a further three episodes.
“We always envisioned this as six episodes, and it was really just about getting Netflix on board. They saw that there were still stories to be told,” Gasparro said.
Here's everything you need to know about season 2.
Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison.
What happened in Murdaugh Murders season 1?
First, a quick recap. Even though the first season of Murdaugh Murders was only three episodes long, a whole lot happened.
The show's first season followed the Murdaughs, an influential family in South Carolina. After Alex Murdaugh, an attorney, called the police reporting the murders of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, back in 2011, a series of crimes — including the deaths of Mallory Beach (a friend of Alex’s youngest son, Paul), Stephen Smith (a friend of Alex’s oldest son, Buster), Gloria Satterfield (Alex’s housekeeper), Paul Murdaugh (Alex’s youngest son), and Maggie Murdaugh (Alex’s wife) — in the area that all seemed to revolve around the family.
What's happening in the Murdaugh case now?
The news of season 2 of Murdaugh Murders comes at an interesting time. This week, it has been announced that Alex Murdaugh will plead guilty to stealing $8 million from disabled clients. His eldest son, Buster, has also come out claiming his father was wrongly convicted and that he believed the real killer was still out there. “I do not think that he could be affiliated with endangering my mother and brother,” he said in an interview with Fox. “We have been here for a while now and that’s been my stance.”
What will Murdaugh Murders season 2 be about?
Murdaugh Murders season 2 will continue to uncover the thorny history of the Murdaughs in an attempt to get to the bottom of the mysterious deaths of Maggie and Paul. This season will feature first-hand accounts of people who were close to the family in the run-up to the murders, per Variety.
This season will also continue to delve into the social impact of the downfall of the powerful Murdaughs on the residents of the South Carolina community: “It was almost 100 years of generations of solicitors in this area; the power is so embedded in this community that it’s really hard to see any other patterns or paradigm shifts,” said Willoughby Nason, “and it’s going to take a while, I think, for that to sink in.”
One thing we can't expect is any resolution. As executive producer Jenner Furst told Variety back in February, "Remember, this trial is going to conclude, and there still won’t be any answers in Stephen Smith’s murder and there still won’t be any justice for Mallory Beach’s family. There is a lot still to uncover here. It’s fascinating and enthralling, and we think it all works together in a truly unique way, so we are super excited about the possibilities here.”
Who will appear Murdaugh Murders season 2?
In season 1 of Murdaugh Murders, we met a number of people affected by the Murdaugh family and involved in the case. In season 2, you can expect to see some familiar faces, including Paul’s ex-girlfriend Morgan Doughty, Morgan Beach's ex, Anthony Cook and Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein, who is now writing a book about the Murdaughs.
There will also be some new interviewees, many of whom were witnesses in the trial and were therefore unable to speak to the filmmakers for legal reasons. According to Vanity Fair, you can expect interviews from former Murdaugh family housekeeper Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson and Mushelle “Shelly” Smith, a caretaker for Alex’s mother, Libby.
“Blanca and Shelly, they were some of the strongest witnesses that actually testified, especially because they were there the day of the murders. They were very, very close to the family,” said Willoughby Nason.
We'll also hear from Curtis “Eddie” Smith, who was close to Alex Murdaugh. “He is an interesting person," said Gasparro. "I’m not sure we knew what was going to happen that day, and he was just so forthcoming, and ready to be able to talk.”
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When will Murdaugh Murders season 2 premiere?
Luckily, fans of the crime documetnary series won't have to wait long for the next instalment — all three episodes of Murdaugh Murders season 2 are set to land on Netflix on September 20th 2023.
