Gone South – Season 5, Episode: “Murdaugh Family History”

Host: Jed Lipinski
Guest: Valerie Bauerlein (Wall Street Journal journalist & author, Devil at His Elbow)
Release Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Gone South expands from its usual focus on individual crimes to explore the roots and rise of one of the South’s most notorious dynasties: the Murdaugh family of South Carolina. Through a deep dive into the Murdaughs’ history—with insights from veteran journalist Valerie Bauerlein—the episode contextualizes the scandal, corruption, and eventual downfall that led to Alex (Alec) Murdaugh’s shocking murder conviction. Rather than focusing solely on Alex himself, the hosts and guest reveal a century-long story of legal power, intimidation, and generational rot—one that reflects broader themes about unchecked power in the American South.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Murdaugh Legacy: More Than Alex (01:34–03:42)

• Valerie Bauerlein’s reporting helped reveal the Murdaughs’ story to a national audience, but she and Jed Lipinski stress the old dynasty matters as much—or more—than recent headlines.
• Quote:

  “Alec is the least interesting Murdaugh. He's the least interesting of all. It's crazy.”
  —Valerie Bauerlein (03:42)

• Alex/Alec is only the latest in a line of cunning, cruel power brokers in South Carolina’s Lowcountry.

2. Hampton County: The Crucible (03:58–05:53)

• The setting is critical: “Hampton County is a major character in this story.”
• Civil War’s devastation (Sherman’s retribution and its lingering effects), followed by Reconstruction and reassertion of white rule.
• Wade Hampton (for whom the county was named) agreed to support a “white county," cementing white dominance even with a Black-majority population.

3. Origins of Power: Josiah & Randolph Murdaugh Sr. (05:53–08:25)

• Josiah P. Murdaugh, Confederate veteran turned moneylender, set the foundation for the dynasty.

• Randolph Sr. becomes the first Hampton County resident to graduate from law school; opens a civil practice, later becomes solicitor (district attorney) for the 14th Circuit.

• The law firm specializes in suing railroads due to frequent worker deaths—making early fortunes this way.

  Quote:

  “The Murdaugh law firm gained early expertise in suing the railroad.”
  —Valerie Bauerlein (07:19)

4. Turning to Corruption (07:32–11:15)

• Randolph Sr. was initially a progressive force but turned to corruption after personal and economic setbacks (his wife’s death, the boll weevil decimating local cotton).
• Citing local rumors and documented cases: conspiracy to kill suspects to avoid judicial costs, burying murder cases for political allies in return for favors.
• Shocking example: facilitating the escape of a murderer after a campaign donation.

5. Dynastic Transition: Randolph’s Dramatic Death and Its Aftermath (12:44–14:23)

• Dying of renal failure, Randolph Sr. is killed by a train after deliberately stopping his car on the tracks. Eyewitnesses testify he waved at the oncoming train (13:37–13:55).
• The subsequent inquest blames the railroad—enabling his son Buster to sue for a record settlement and cementing the family’s wealth.
• Quote:

  “That decision allowed two things to happen. First, it smoothed the transition for Randolph's 24-year-old son, Buster, to take over as Solicitor. More importantly, it enabled Buster to sue the railroad for the wrongful death of his dad.”
  —Jed Lipinski (14:07)

6. “Old Buster” Murdoch: The Godfather of the South (14:33–18:45)

• Buster becomes solicitor for 46 years, openly corrupt and ruthless.

• Known for fixing cases, dropping charges for allies, and using the law as a weapon.

• Memorable Story: Using family and court connections to squash murder charges and personally threatening those who crossed him—including a plot (foiled by drunkenness) to kill a pregnant mistress.

• Buster runs the state’s largest bootlegging operation, is indicted as “kingpin” in a federal case, but walks due to jury tampering and bribery.

  Quote:

  “If you ever need anybody killed, send them down to Hampton County.”
  —Buster Murdoch, as remembered by lawyer Joe McCullough (15:19)

  Quote:

  “Nearly all of the defendants were convicted, including sheriffs deputies, and old Buster walked.”
  —Jed Lipinski (18:26)

7. Randolph III: The Reluctant Heir (21:13–23:04)

• Groomed to take over the dynasty from birth; less flamboyant but maintained the family’s grip on the circuit and its legal system.
• Under his leadership, the Murdaughs specialized in corporate lawsuits (e.g., against Ford for SUV rollovers).
• Used legal leniency (e.g., dropping DUIs) to buy community loyalty and “stack the jury pool” with grateful locals.

8. Pattern of Personal Abuse and Scandal (23:24–24:37)

• Like predecessors, Randolph III was a notorious womanizer.
• Story: A vengeful act where Randolph III allegedly calls in his wife’s obituary to the newspaper as a warning not to make trouble. Quote:

  "The rule in the family, and to this day, it still said, Murdaughs don't divorce. ... Someone had published her obituary ... she had to go on the radio and say, 'I'm not dead.' ... [they said] in fact, it was Randolph Murdaugh III that called it in as a warning."
  —Valerie Bauerlein (23:43)

9. Cracks in the Dynasty: The Boat Crash & Modern Exposure (24:37–28:11)

• In 2019, grandson Paul Murdaugh crashes the family boat (Mallory Beach’s death), immediately rallies father and grandfather to try and cover up the crime (26:02).
• Hospital security footage captures Alex and Randolph III working the ER, pressuring witnesses and police—tactics effective in their home turf but faltering as the region modernizes.
• Quote:

  "You're essentially seeing Alec Murdaugh at the height of his powers … trying to work the system like the mayor of the ER."
  —Valerie Bauerlein (26:02)

• Modern technology (video, data) exposes lies and ultimately helps convict Alex.

10. The Pattern of Dynastic Collapse (28:50–30:20)

• Bauerlein compares the Murdaugh fall to historical and corporate dynastic declines: once power is inherited, not earned, it breeds complacency, unchecked ambition, and eventual self-destruction.
• Quote:

  "If you study dynasties, one thing that commonly happens … when it's unchecked and you don't have to work for it anymore, it collapses in on itself from the inside. ... Alec wanted all the benefit and none of the work."
  —Valerie Bauerlein (28:50)

• Alex’s spectacular crimes—including the murders of his wife and son—brought the family name national infamy and ruined its local legacy.
• Quote:

  "He wanted to be the biggest Murdaugh. ... he loved his name more than his own flesh and blood, I believe. ... He got what he wished for in the worst possible way in the ruination of what had been a mighty name in that part of the world."
  —Valerie Bauerlein (29:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Alec is the least interesting Murdaugh. He's the least interesting of all.” —Valerie Bauerlein (03:42)
• “Randolph Murdaugh Sr. was an extraordinary man … but [personal crisis] began cutting corners.” —Valerie Bauerlein (07:48)
• On Buster Murdoch: “If you ever need anybody killed, send them down to Hampton County.” —Buster Murdoch, via Joe McCullough (15:19)
• “Buster was charismatic, but he was cruel and he wanted you to know it.” —Valerie Bauerlein (15:19)
• “You're essentially seeing Alec Murdaugh at the height of his powers ... like the mayor of the ER.” —Valerie Bauerlein (26:02)
• "They beat back every challenge, but they could not beat back modernity." —Valerie Bauerlein (27:50)
• “If you study dynasties, … unchecked power ... collapses in on itself from the inside.” —Valerie Bauerlein (28:50)
• “He wanted to be the biggest Murdaugh... he got what he wished for in the worst possible way.” —Valerie Bauerlein (29:39)

Important Timestamps

• 03:42 – Bauerlein’s perspective: Alec as “the least interesting” Murdoch
• 05:53–07:19 – The transition from moneylending to legal power and railroad lawsuits
• 07:48 – Randolph Sr.'s turn to corruption
• 13:37–14:23 – Randolph Sr.’s dramatic death and the aftermath
• 14:33–18:45 – Highlights of Buster Murdoch’s reign: open corruption, bootlegging, fixing murder trials
• 21:13–23:04 – Randolph III’s style, law firm strategy, and manipulation of justice
• 23:43–24:37 – Infamous “obituary incident” involving Randolph III and his wife
• 26:02–26:29 – The ER cover-up after the boat crash; the dynasty’s tactics exposed
• 27:50–28:11 – Admitting the family's defeat by “modernity”
• 28:50–29:39 – The pattern of dynastic collapse and the tragic irony of Alex Murdaugh’s ambition

Takeaways

• The story of Alex Murdaugh and his crimes cannot be separated from a century of family power, privilege, and lawlessness in Hampton County, South Carolina.
• Each generation of Murdaughs was marked by both legal savvy and a willingness to break the law—to protect and grow its local fiefdom.
• The dynasty persisted in large part through secrecy, intimidation, and manipulation—but was ultimately undone by modern technology and its own internal decay.
• As Bauerlein insightfully notes, Alex’s drive to be the “grandest” Murdaugh ended in the ruination of the family name he sought to elevate.

For listeners, this episode unpacks not only the Murdaugh family’s notorious fall, but the conditions—historical, social, and psychological—that made such a dynasty possible and ultimately unsustainable in the modern South.