Last Podcast On The Left

Episode 649: Alex Murdaugh Part II – A Legacy of Liars

Release Date: January 23, 2026
Podcast Network: The Last Podcast Network
Hosts: Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, Ed Larson

Episode Overview

This episode is Part II of the deep dive into the Murdaugh family—the infamous South Carolina dynasty whose recent scandals have captivated the nation. The hosts trace the arc of Alec Murdaugh, focusing on the family’s smothering grip over Hampton County, their mix of privilege and pathology, and the events leading up to the notorious murders and criminal revelations. With the usual blend of macabre humor, irreverence, and investigative detail, the show dissects structural rot, generational abuse, overt corruption, and bizarre excess within the family. This episode zeroes in on Alec’s criminal entrepreneurship, the family’s social insulation, and the many “suspicious deaths” tied to their legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Move to Hampton County

[03:41 – 05:36]

• The Murdaugh family (pronounced "Murdock") moved to Hampton County in 1999 against Maggie Murdaugh's wishes.
• Hampton County: poverty-stricken, largely poor, easily manipulated, and dominated by the Murdaugh law firm, PMPED.
• Maggie’s depression and social withdrawal set the stage for her children, Paul and Buster, to grow up without boundaries or consequences.
• Notable quote:
  “Alec Murdoch moved his young family to Hampton county in the late 90s to rule in hell. And Maggie quickly began withering away into a depression over the realization that this was where she was going to spend the rest of her miserable fucking life.” – Henry Zebrowski [05:04]

2. PMPED: The Engine of Suffering

[07:18 – 15:37]

• The law firm thrived on personal injury and wrongful death suits in a county riddled with accidents due to poor infrastructure.
• Murdaughs (and their partners in PMPED) manipulated juries by doing small favors for locals—like making speeding tickets disappear—in exchange for verdicts.
• As lawsuits rarely went to trial anymore (corporations settled instantly with PMPED), the family’s reputation among the poor began to wane.

3. Generational Decline and Loss of the Illusion

[13:34 – 16:57]

• The newer Murdaughs, notably Paul and Buster, were unrepentant terrors.
• Alec abandoned any attempts at concealing his misconduct or maintaining the desultory “good old boy” illusion.
• Notable quote:
  “A true crime leader knows how to push and pull and do all the things you need to do to keep the house up ... The illusion always must be maintained. When the illusion falls apart, then everything falls apart.” – Henry Zebrowski [14:24]

4. The Embezzlement Scheme

[19:47 – 26:15]

• Alec began skimming additional money from client settlements, partnered with Corey Fleming (attorney) and Russell Lafitte (banker).
• He’d simply lie about the settlement amount and pocket the difference, taking advantage of vulnerable locals unfamiliar with large sums.
• Over 15+ years, Alec stole upwards of $11 million from “needy clients”; in several cases, victims died because they couldn’t afford care.
• Notable quote:
  “[Alec] could look at them and lie so easily to their face for 15 years ... shows you that ... this is 15 years of a scam that gets thick.” – Marcus Parks [25:30]

5. Murdaugh Family Dynamism: Opulence and Criminal Tactics

[26:40 – 29:33]

• Alec used stolen funds to finance lavish lifestyles (hunting trips, custom clothes, parties) and to pad the local high school’s budget, extending their protection.
• In 2005, Alec chose not to take the prestigious “solicitor’s” job—possibly to avoid scrutiny over his scams.

6. Substance Abuse and Social Corruption

[32:55 – 36:08]

• Multiple generations, including Alec and son Paul, struggled with substance abuse—alcohol and later opioids for Alec.
• Alec’s opioid addiction led to bizarre habits (Capri Sun and sugar binges) and forged a link with his cousin/drug dealer “Fast Eddie.”
• Notable quote:
  “A 50 year old man, if he did not have Capri Suns in the house, he would freak out.” – Henry Zebrowski [47:44]

7. Oxycodone, Drug Smuggling, and The Moselle Estate

[49:19 – 56:25]

• Alec wrote hundreds of checks to Fast Eddie—totaling over $2.5 million—ostensibly for “personal use” oxy but likely to bankroll a sprawling, state-wide drug operation.
• Proceeds helped fund the purchase of Moselle, the massive Murdaugh estate, acquired with help from Barrett Bulware, a notorious drug smuggler with close family ties.
• Moselle: described as two times the size of Central Park, with an airstrip for smuggling.

8. Sex Parties, Law Enforcement Corruption, and Allegations of Trafficking

[58:55 – 66:08]

• Moselle was a hub for exclusive, vice-fueled gatherings; drugs and sex workers were brought in by plane.
• Sex worker Lindsay Edwards claimed Alec was violent during encounters; a “madam” told her Alec had "special privileges."
• Notable moment:
  “At first, Lindsay said that Alec was charming ... once they were alone ... Alec’s personality changed ... he choked Lindsay against her will during the sexual encounter, coming very close to killing her.” – Henry Zebrowski [63:01]

9. Raising Monsters: Paul and Buster, Early Violence and Privilege

[66:11 – 75:28]

• Paul, in particular, was raised with no boundaries—exhibited violent and disruptive behavior from early childhood, celebrated by his mother.
• Substance abuse normalized; Murdochs were the “cool parents” getting kids drunk at parties attended by powerful local figures.
• Paul’s personality “switched” when drunk—his alter ego “Timmy” was notorious for violence and unpredictability.
• Abuse and threats against women (pulling knives, animal cruelty) were overlooked or laughed off.

10. Rumors, Deaths, and the Stephen Smith Case

[75:28 – 93:54]

• The suspicious death of Stephen Smith, an openly gay teenager, who was connected to Buster through rumors of a secret relationship.
• Smith’s death was hastily ruled a hit-and-run despite evidence suggesting blunt trauma; the Murdochs inserted themselves into the aftermath, suppressing scrutiny.
• State trooper investigations encountered a wall of silence, but persistent rumors linked Buster (and possibly Paul) to the crime.
• Notable quote:
  “To this day, Buster has still never even been questioned in the death of Stephen Smith.” – Henry Zebrowski [93:27]

11. The Death of Housekeeper Gloria Satterfield

[94:13 – 104:53]

• Gloria Satterfield, longtime Murdaugh housekeeper, died under mysterious circumstances after a fall at Moselle. Alec quickly coordinated a wrongful death insurance scheme through his accomplice Corey Fleming, keeping the payout for himself.
• Notable quote:
  “Alec laundered the insurance money gained from his housekeeper's brutal death through the Forge account … and he kept every cent for himself.” – Henry Zebrowski [103:52]

12. The Boat Crash: The Fall Begins

[105:13 – 117:42]

• Paul, drunk and violent, crashed a boat in 2019, causing the death of Mallory Beach. The Murdaughs tried to orchestrate a cover-up, pressuring witnesses and shifting blame.
• This tragedy marked a turning point: the family’s social protection began to erode, outsiders got involved, and cracks in the Murdaugh armor became visible.
• Local attorney Mark Tinsley sued on behalf of the Beach family, setting in motion events leading to the family’s final downfall.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Murdoch sociopathy:
  “For Alec Murdoch, the miseries of the poor, unfortunate souls of Hampton County were simply a resource to be mined. And because Murdaugh was a total sociopath, Hampton County became a consequence-free playground of debauchery for the entire Murdaugh family.” – Henry Zebrowski [15:46]

• Describing the Murdaughs' grip:
  “They pretend your family, and you keep them just poor enough to need you and act like they need and do things for you that you don't want to do.” – Ed Larson [16:51]

• Both comical and chilling:
  “Buster's face is a crime. His entire head is shaped like a blood ... a period blood flavored icy cone. I hate that. Fuck.” – Marcus Parks [06:51]

• On laundering Gloria Satterfield's settlement:
  “He laundered the money off of the person who used to do laundry for him. Company called Forge, where he got the check that was given to him ... This is crazy.” – Ed Larson [104:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:41] – Recap and resuming Alec Murdaugh’s story in Hampton County.
• [07:18] – PMPED’s history and predation on local suffering.
• [13:34] – Worsening criminality and lack of checks in new Murdaugh generation.
• [19:47] – Detailed breakdown of Alec's embezzlement scheme.
• [26:40] – The fallout and how bribes shaped local perception.
• [32:55] – Alec’s opioid addiction and the rise of “Fast Eddie.”
• [49:19] – Drug smuggling, laundering, and the Moselle estate.
• [58:55] – Sex parties, trafficking, and Lindsay Edwards’s testimony.
• [66:11] – Paul and Buster’s violent upbringing and normalization of misconduct.
• [75:28] – Stephen Smith’s death, evidence of Murdoch family coverups.
• [94:13] – Gloria Satterfield’s suspicious death and the insurance scam.
• [105:13] – The 2019 boat crash and its historic significance in the family's unraveling.
• [117:42] – Mallory Beach wrongful death suit: the domino that brings the house down.

Tone and Language

• The episode’s tone is darkly comic—mixing brutal, often grotesque, realism with satire and Southern gothic absurdism.
• The hosts oscillate between macabre humor and moral outrage (“These guys make my fucking blood boil!” – Marcus Parks [16:26]), offering compassion for victims while roasting the powerful.

Summary for the Uninitiated

This episode traces the staggering rise and rot of the Murdaugh empire—a opaque mix of inherited privilege, unchecked criminality, and multi-generational abuse. With each incident (embezzlement, suspicious deaths, opulent drug parties), the hosts draw connections between structural corruption and personal depravity, culminating in a series of “accidents” and escalating violence that ultimately spell the family’s public undoing. Whether you know the broad strokes of the Murdaugh saga or not, the episode unpacks not just what happened, but how a culture of impunity, greed, and narcissism metastasized over decades, leaving shattered lives in its wake.

End Note

The episode concludes with the family’s social stranglehold finally breaking—after generations of getting away with everything, the scrutiny around the boat crash exposes cracks in the Murdaughs’ armor—the first dominoes in their spectacular collapse, to be continued in Part III.