
Waves of Truth and the Boat Crash That Changed Everything
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911 Caller / Emergency Voice
She's been missing since the boat crashed.
Mandy Matney
From the bridge at approximately 2am Mallory Beach.
Brittany Snow
Was alcohol involved?
Mandy Matney
I'm sorry, who are you again?
Brittany Snow
Mandy Matney, breaking news editor at the Island Packet.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
We'll share more when we can.
Mandy Matney
I need this area for emergency vehicles right now.
Brittany Snow
Is that her mother? Could I just talk to her for a second? Just for a second.
Mandy Matney
Thank you.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
Thank you very much.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
I can't believe I'm saying this right now, but that's Brittany Snow playing me. Welcome to the Murdoch Death in the Family official podcast, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney or wherever you get your audio podcast. My name is Mandy Matney. I am an executive producer on the Hulu original series Death in the Family. I'm also the creator of the Murdoch Murders podcast now known as True Sunlight, which inspired the Hulu series. Oh, and I'm also a character in the series played by Brittany Snow, who you will hear from in just a minute. Join us to go behind the scenes with the creators of the show, the talented actors and hardworking crew about how and why they brought this series to life. Episode two, One Is Missing captures the chaos in the aftermath of the 2019 boat crash when I first found out about the Murdaugh family while working for the local newspaper as a breaking news editor with my reporting partner Liz Farrell. From day one of covering the boat crash, we knew this story was like no other. People kept telling us to stay on it or Paul Murdoch, the drunk driver of the boat, would never be held accountable for Mallory Beach's death. That's what they said over and over. Episode two pulls the audience into what our world looked like covering Eleg Murdoch in those early days when people were scared to even utter the word Murdoch over the phone. This episode paints a vivid picture as to why the boat crash was the first domino to fall in the Murdoch dynasty and how strong women like Liz Farrell, Renee beach and myself were there to provide a little push. Now, we always knew that this was a story like no other, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever picture this moment right now, where I'm about to introduce you to the brilliant actor, director and mental health advocate Brittany Snow, who made her debut appearance on episode two as little old me. I've looked up to Britney Snow since I was a teenager. I always loved her work, but I really loved that Britney stayed true to herself even after decades in Hollywood. She was fearlessly open and honest about her struggles with mental health issues and eating disorders. When I say that there is no one better as an actor and as a human to play me in this, I mean it. It has been an honor of a lifetime that I will never shut up about. If you listen to the Murdoch Murders podcast, you know how much I struggled with serious mental health issues while investigating and exposing this case. For too long I worked on the Murdaugh case every waking minute of the day. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't taking care of myself. I was constantly on my laptop trying to figure out answers to the mounting mysteries in this investigation. Who killed Maggie and Paul? How did the boat crash and Gloria Satterfield's death tie into all of this? Who in power was still covering for Ella Murdoch? The questions kept coming. As a small town journalist, I was not used to the spotlight and I saw the dark side of it pretty much immediately. When the Murdoch Murders Podcast hit number one on Apple, hundreds of people emailed me directly to tell me that my natural voice was annoying, offensive and that I should never think about working in audio. They told me that my vocal fry, a term that I had to Google on the day that we launched our podcast, ruined the podcast and made it impossible for them to listen to Reddit threads. And social media groups started popping up that weren't focused on Ellie Murdock and all of the horrible, horrible things he was accused of doing. But they were focused on how annoying I was. They made fun of everything that I did and my whole life was suddenly under a microscope that I didn't deserve. At some point the trolls got my phone number and they made sure that I was aware that the people who really hate me on the Internet knew exactly where I lived. All of this made me spiral into a dark place that it took years.
Mandy Matney
To get out of.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
I didn't feel safe in public because the Internet convinced me that the vast majority of people hated me and didn't want me exposing the corrupt justice system. I didn't drive by myself for over a year. I didn't go anywhere without my husband for over a year. Liz Farrell, my reporting partner and co host, endured the same struggle and eventually moved out of state because she felt so unsafe in South Carolina. But despite all of the fear and all of the struggle with mental health and all of the unnecessary evil we had to endure, we persisted with the weekly podcast exposing Alec Murdoch's crimes and the system that created him. We only persisted on this case because our millions of listeners cheered us on from around the world. I didn't know it at the time, but Britney Snow was one of those millions of people listening to us and rooting for us. So this is absolutely surreal that I'm saying this, but let's dive into episode two with the Brittany Snow.
Mandy Matney
Brittany. Hi, Mandy. Hi.
Brittany Snow
This is a podcast first, right? Well, I mean, for me to actually be across from the person that is originating the podcast, it's so weird.
Mandy Matney
So I am a podcast host interviewing the actor who is playing me on a podcast about the show that is based on my podcast.
Brittany Snow
It's pretty, pretty cool.
Mandy Matney
I hope I got that right.
Brittany Snow
I think so.
Mandy Matney
But you're used to historical first. You have had a heck of a summer.
Brittany Snow
Well, I don't know if it's historical, but, yeah, it's been a summer. But I'm more. I'm most excited to do this. I was. I'm very excited to do this for weeks.
Mandy Matney
I am so excited about this. I think one of the first things that I want to talk to you about is for my own sake. How did you find out about my podcast and the Murdoch murders?
Brittany Snow
My friend from back home in Tampa, Florida, she's a lawyer, and she and I are very, very into true crime in general. We have sort of like a. A club where we. She comes from the legal side and I come from. Just a fan of true crime. And she told me about the podcast, and I remember it very specifically. Cause I remember hearing about the case. But then I wanted a good podcast that really. I like the types of podcasts that really go in depth with one story. I don't like the individual stories. I like the, like, really in depth stuff. So I wanted one of those. And she was like, you have to listen to Mandy Matney's murder podcast about the Murdoch murders. And so I started Listening to it. I was shooting something at the time, and I remember binging a lot of it within one period of time. And so then I. I called her back, and I was like, oh. I really also liked from the very beginning that it felt very grassroots and that you were invested in the case, and it wasn't very, like, overly done. You were so passionate about it. And I liked the fact that I felt like I knew you. And so then when I got to play you, I felt even more like I knew you. So it was sort of full circle.
Mandy Matney
I'm gonna cry. And I wish I knew that at the time. People like Britney Snow are out there. So many people.
Brittany Snow
Yeah.
Mandy Matney
And it was. I think it was a. Like, I still haven't changed those episodes because I like that they were raw and, like, I get that they don't sound the best, but I think people who are actual artists understand that that, like, sometimes unpolished is the best way in it.
Brittany Snow
Well, you led with your heart with it, and you went into it with the right intentions. It wasn't to be the best. It was just to tell the facts and give what you had. And I think that a lot of people related to that, because sometimes you're just pulled to do something and you don't need to work it out all right away. And I appreciate that about it.
Mandy Matney
Well, thank you. So what about the story, like, drew you in? You wanted to find out more about what. What was, like, the craziest part of the case that you remember or, like, what? I guess it all was crazy.
Brittany Snow
I really respond to cases that have a lot of layers to them, and so it's not just so cut and dry. I'm not really into the type of podcasts or true crime stories that you can figure it out pretty quickly. And I think with this sort of case, I think the thing that really interested me is that you want so badly, throughout the story and throughout the case, to doubt yourself in terms of, he could never do this, and there's no way that he did this. And then to go as far as the heinous crime of killing your own family, there was so many different layers to the fact that you bring yourself into it as a person who has a family or as a person who, you know, went to the south. And I'm from Florida, which is a lot of people don't consider the south, but I do. And so I had a lot of things that I went into it sort of doubting the fact that this could really happen, and then to unravel the story piece by piece and then have to kind of double down on the facts was really surprising because you don't want to believe it. I need police and an ambulance immediately.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
It's my wife and my child.
Brittany Snow
I've been shot.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Badly. Yes, sir.
Mandy Matney
Right. And I think people that still don't believe that he did it, I think it's because nobody wants to. Cause it's just too horrific to imagine.
Brittany Snow
Outlandish.
Mandy Matney
And people always love to say, like, well, the motive doesn't make any sense. And I'm like, motives shouldn't make sense. Like motive for murder should never really make sense to anybody. It's a bad thing to do to kill your family.
Brittany Snow
It's a bad thing to do in general.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Yeah.
Brittany Snow
And I think as humans, we want to rationalize the fact. Well, there must be some sort of deeper reason and it can't be so, you know, psychopath related. It has to be something that innately feels human. But sometimes there's not an answer to that.
Mandy Matney
Right. And that's interesting that you said, and I know you are a true crime girly, as in the whole Internet, knows that now.
Brittany Snow
I'm very proud of it.
Mandy Matney
I love that. But I love that you said I'm not really as interested. I mean, I like fall asleep to Dateline type stuff. Do you?
Brittany Snow
I really do. And we've. We've talked about this before where I think there's something that. And I remember reading this in your book too. But something that I really related to was the fact that when I have a case to solve or a problem to solve, it almost calms me because I'm so singularly focused that I can tune everything else out in a way. And I feel sort of like a dog with a bone with something. And it calms the other parts of my mind that want to sort of ticker tape.
Mandy Matney
Yeah. Does that make sense? Yeah. Like hyper focus. Like you like hyper focus. Yeah.
Brittany Snow
It's like a form of meditation, which is really messed up.
Mandy Matney
Yeah. But I feel like a lot of women relate to that. Like, I feel there's something about it that's calming and you just don't think about anything else.
Brittany Snow
Yeah.
Mandy Matney
You just want to solve the thing. But speaking of that, how did you relate to the Mandy character in this show or me? I don't know how to say that question without sounding ridiculous. How much do you love me? What? What do Britney Snow and I have in common?
Brittany Snow
So much. I mean, so much to the fact that I would underline so much of your book because I wanted to write down. And I also wanted to underline the things that I really related to. And there was so much that I did. I mean, this page, little stars and hearts and things. But I think the thing that I related to the most with you was that when you were met with adversity or when you were met with doubting yourself, you always doubled down on the fact that you came from a place of. Of justice and wanting. You know, your morals were so strong, and you had this sort of, like, understanding that you could get something done regardless of when people were bringing you down. And you were met with a lot of adversity in so many different parts of this case, whether it be from bosses or whether it be from doubters or men in general. And I think that, yeah, a lot of men in here told you you couldn't do it. And I think I really do relate to that. I, you know, remember thinking when we first met to. We are both very sensitive people, but we sort of COVID it up with, like, a strong exterior because we know we can get the job done. And I just had a lot of respect for you. And I also felt like you were supremely intelligent, and yet you sort of had a duality of sunshine that I really relate to because I think a lot of people want to doubt people who lead with their happiness and smile and are very bright. That doesn't mean that you don't have something to say just because you're perky. Yeah, pesky.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Right.
Mandy Matney
And I've tried to. I've really, like, come to know that throughout this story. And I think it's funny, like. And that was so weird, dealing with the costume designer who's amazing, Joseph, and him asking, like, when did you start wearing pink? And I really didn't until later. Until I grew confidence later on in the case. And I really wanted to be like, yeah, I can wear pink and talk about true crime in a very serious way, and I can still nail these people to the wall, and I can still do all of the things. Like, I think that that's important. You don't have to, like, wear black and look sad all the time.
Brittany Snow
I love that about you. And I think that's so important for little girls and for women in general to recognize that these sort of archetypes of women who are serious and get jobs done don't have to look or sound or pretend to be something they're not. You can be who you are and yet also be so intelligent and forceful in your convictions. And so I love that you doubled down on that.
Mandy Matney
Well, thank you. We should probably get to talk about the show, though, because that's where.
Brittany Snow
Let's just talk more about you. Don't get me started, because I know.
Mandy Matney
Oh, my gosh, I love this, but I forgot we're here for a show.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
So when you.
Mandy Matney
What did you think when you got the part and how did that come about?
Brittany Snow
Well, initially, when a friend of mine, Bashir, who was a writer on the show, he texted me. Bashir and I have known each other since we were teenagers, actually, and, well, maybe early 20s. Let's be factual. It's investigative journalism. And he was like, do you know the Murdoch Murders podcast from Mandy Matney? And I said, oh, yes, I do. And he said, you're about to get a meeting on the TV show that we're making about it. And I was like, well, that is really interesting, because I know everything about that case. And so he was like, I think it's tomorrow. And so I called my agents. I was like, do I have a meeting? I was shooting another show in New York at the time. And they said, yes. That's so strange. You have a meeting tomorrow. And so it was. Thank goodness I knew so much about the case already because I felt like I was going into that meeting with a lot of passion for the fact that I was really interested in this story. And so I didn't know if I got the part necessarily, but I did feel like the meeting went really well. And I was very, very excited to meet Aaron and Michael. And we just had a love fest about you, about why we were so invested in the case and the fact that maybe I could possibly be playing you.
Mandy Matney
I will never forget the day when Aaron or a person slightly whispered like, britney Snow was actually interested.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
And I was, like, interested.
Brittany Snow
I was. I was, like, calling everybody.
Mandy Matney
No, I was like, whoa, my. And then I was, like, waiting patiently for a couple days. And I remember when you followed me on Instagram and I was like, oh, that's so cute. This is happening.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
This is how.
Mandy Matney
I don't know why I thought that. That was, like a. It was a good sign to me. I was like, oh, she's following me on Instagram. And, yeah, it was just. I still think about that, Brittany. Like, it has really made my year. It really changed the year around. It was really like.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
I don't know.
Mandy Matney
I was so flattered. Like, literally so flattered.
Brittany Snow
Someone who was going to play you was going to be. I mean, I'm sure they weren't going to give it to somebody that you didn't like, I would hope not. I hope, you know, let's hope that it's someone like you that you would learn to love. But, yeah, I was so honored. I'd never played a real person. And what an asset and beautiful thing it is to actually get to know you. I don't think many people get to do that when they play people that they get to actually be friends with the person. It was such a joy to be able to create a character in that way.
Mandy Matney
And was that weird? Like, I always felt bad. I always wanted to, like, because I understand acting is an art, and, like, I don't want to interfere with a process of somebody, but I also really badly wanted to meet you and be on set. But you always said, like, no, it's fine.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Come on.
Mandy Matney
Like, was that hard to. Did it make your process any more complicated to play a real person and meet the real person? Like, right before you. I mean, you met me, like, two days before you started, right?
Brittany Snow
I mean, luckily, I tracked you down and I made you hang out with me for those two days before I started and asked you so many weird questions like, what's your favorite drink? And what do you do at your desk? And what do you love about your dogs? And things like that. But I think the only thing that was intimidating was that I wanted to do a good job for you and for the story and to serve the story that you worked so hard on for so many years. And this is such a huge part of your life and who you are to so many people in terms of the real community that this happened to and the friends that you've made throughout this process. I wanted to do it justice, and I wanted you to feel, you know, connected to it in some way. But you being on set wasn't a bad thing or intimidating at all.
Mandy Matney
It's like, oh, my God, yeah. Many tears. It was so good. Yeah. Let's talk about the role of women taking up space and fighting the patriarchy. Was that important to you to play a part like that?
Brittany Snow
Oh, definitely. And especially in a story like this where it was sort of meta in a way of. You were dealing with this on the outside, reporting about it, but this is a story that is intrinsic to why it even happened to begin with. Is this patriarchal sort of dynasty that is upheld by these sort of societal norms that this is okay. And you, by reporting on this and having to be met with such adversity was almost like, in a way, sort of doubling it with what was happening with the case as well, and the fact that, you know, there were so many victims in this story that were women, and you were kind of dealing with your own sort of victimization in a different way.
Mandy Matney
Yeah. I loved the line in the show, which, by the way, you did a fantastic job. Like, let me just tell you, David and I clapped. We screamed. We cried when you said, that's a big deal.
Brittany Snow
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Mandy Matney
Was that improv? Did you come up with that? Or was that.
Brittany Snow
No, Michael, put that in.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
You don't run stories based on Facebook and LLCs, especially ones that'll piss off one of the most powerful legal families in the entire state. You might as well just put sue the ever loving curse out of us on the front page.
Brittany Snow
A girl is missing. That's a big deal.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
Of course it is.
Mandy Matney
It was so good. Like, we both.
Brittany Snow
But I didn't want to do it two pointedly, because I think that it's such a tagline for you. And what I will say about playing you and I think is really important is that, you know, my version of you and of Mandy is inspired by you, but I never wanted it to be sort of a imitation or something that was feeling inauthentic. And so even when you had those taglines or even when I say I don't know who, you know, like, I was like, I want to put my own spin on it so you don't feel like I'm doing, you know, not my own inspiration, like, inspiration of. Of you.
Mandy Matney
Yeah, it's been a. It's been fascinating to see, like, how a story. Because as a big fan of True Crime, I never knew how a story like this would actually go into a series, like, be made into a series, like, in the process of the writers and everything and fact versus fiction in the show, you know. But I've really come to realize it's making art out of real events. Like, it's inspiration. Everything's inspiration. And every single person in the show is not gonna be the exact same as the person in real life. And everybody gets that. That's impossible to do.
Brittany Snow
I think we would be doing a disservice if we tried to do that, because what we're showing is sort of the heart of a lot of these people that in the community that had to go through this. And also what really happened or what could have happened at a kitchen table of sorts, when people are just sitting around talking, we don't know exactly what they were saying, but we do know what, you know, facts led into those sort of relationships and dynamics. And so I Think, yeah, it's the essence of people at the end of the day that we're trying to do.
Mandy Matney
Yeah. And I think that everybody captured it in a beautiful way. I think one of my favorite scenes, which was the scene at the packet when you are going up against my former boss. And did you relate to that of, like, being dismissed by a man?
Brittany Snow
Oh, definitely. I remember when I first started directing, I did this sort of commercial for this armband thing, and I was my first time directing, and I went to one of the ads that didn't know me yet, and I was like, I'm just looking to put down my stuff. And he goes, oh, you can put your stuff over there, but I'm waiting for the director. And I said, oh, I'm the director. And he was like, no, I'm waiting for the director. And I remember thinking, this was only probably about 10 years ago now, but I felt like, you know, that wasn't maybe that bad, But I do feel like in that moment, I felt dismissed. I felt like, why couldn't it be a female? Why couldn't it be me? Why couldn't it be anybody? And so I do find that I've had a lot of those experiences, and I related to it a lot, especially in your case, where you had such a incredible instinct with this. And I'm so glad that you got to prove yourself in this way where I'm sure your bosses are now looking back thinking, hmm, I sucked.
Mandy Matney
I can't wait. Also, you. My other favorite scenes, all of the scenes with Liz and Alicia Kelly, did you have a good time with her on set?
Brittany Snow
We had most of our scenes. I mean, most of the scenes that I'm doing in the show is with her. And we had a great relationship and a great friendship. And I think the coolest part about it was getting to hang out with you and having those sort of surreal moments. We were sitting across from each other at dinner, and it was like me and you and actual Liz and Alicia. And so it was sort of surreal in that way to have a friendship of all four of us. And, yeah, we had a lot of fun, but I do think we felt sort. It wasn't intimidating, but we felt like we had. It was an honor to be able to play you guys.
Mandy Matney
Oh, thank you.
Brittany Snow
Well, it was just.
Mandy Matney
I mean, we both just absolutely loved it. I think both of you guys captured our little essence. Like, Alicia did a good job of Liz's. It's beautiful. But that was one thing that I am so grateful that it's in the show is that I didn't do this alone. You know, like, you can tell that Liz was right there throughout all of it. And I also want to send that message to women of, like, you don't have to do, like, when we work together, we are so much more powerful and so much more. It's just better. We don't have to fight against. We don't have to compete against each other.
Brittany Snow
Who are the Murdoch Murdochs? Murdoch. How do you get Murdoch from that?
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Is that not how they talk in Kansas?
Brittany Snow
No. Or anywhere? Well, however you say it, there's a lot of anonymous chatter about them in the comments.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Big time legal family over in Hampton county. Just got an award from the governor from this weekend. Jerry covered it.
Brittany Snow
Holy. This guy was out of the search.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Really. Alec Murdoch.
Brittany Snow
Do you feel like you, because of Liz, felt like you had more of a strong foundation of getting things done because without her, you wouldn't have been able to.
Mandy Matney
Absolutely. Like, before I had. And I don't know if you've ever worked with anybody like this, but before I had Liz to work with, I would sit at my desk and think that I had stories and I would be like, this, I think this is a good story, but I don't. Or like, I think this is really messed up that the police did this. But, like, I don't know. And I would just kind of get in my head and then by the time I would go to my editor, he would be like, silly girl. Go away usually. But then I found Liz and she was a person that I could just bounce ideas off of and thought in the same way as I did. And we kind of have the same thoughts at the same time a lot of the time, but, like, mostly just the reassurance. When we first started investigating the Murdaughs, it was like everybody started saying, like, they're scary. They hide bodies. They said things like that. And I'm really worried about your safety. Got a lot of those emails. It was always so important to have Liz. And we were like, we're doing this together. Like, we're in this and this is important. As I feel like if I was completely by myself and didn't have anybody to bounce those ideas or like, is this a bad idea? I don't.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Are we going in too deep or.
Mandy Matney
Like, I don't know.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
I think that most creators in Hollywood would have combined Liz and me into a composite character. But Michael and Aaron saw the importance of portraying something that doesn't get shown on screen enough. The power of two women with A strong sense of justice, working together to take down the good ol boys. And we had nothing to do with that decision, by the way. Britney also saw the importance of portraying the powerful working relationship between Liz and me on screen. In fact, when we first connected earlier this year and decided to meet up for drinks in Atlanta, Britney suggested margaritas in honor of you and Liz. She said she remembered that tiny detail buried deep in my book, Blood on Their Hands, and she wanted to take time to get to know me and get to know Liz. That told me just how serious she was about this project. Alicia Kelly, who plays Liz in the series, also understood the importance of. Of highlighting our relationship on screen. Before we get back into the rest of my conversation with Brittany, I want to share a couple clips from Liz's interview with Alicia.
Liz Farrell
I've been a journalist for 25 years now, and Alicia Kelly's portrayal of me was the first time I really came face to face with my newsroom Persona. You learn so many things about yourself working in a newsroom, like how many days in a row you can work without complaining and how many holidays your family will let you miss before it becomes a thing that you can do hard things without running away and that sometimes you're going to yell back at public officials who are rude to you. You also learn what drives you, what ignites your passion, and what puts you in fight mode. What you might not be so aware of, though, is the toll working in a newsroom can take on you. The second I saw Alicia on the screen and heard her speak with sort of an unimpressed, unexcitable tone, I was like, well, she nailed it. There I am. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Alicia several times during filming. We even went to a Braves game together. And I was lucky to sit down with her recently to talk about her role as Liz Farrell, which is still so strange to say. It was a mystery as to who was playing me. And yeah, so it actually, when I first watched you in a scene, I couldn't stop laughing because I realized you learn things about yourself, you know, and you captured it. And it's like I knew that about myself, but I didn't know that about myself. And I noticed the same with Britney Snow and Mandy. There's a stare that, like, Mandy will have a stare with no expression on her face. And I didn't even pick up on that until Brittany was doing it. I'm like, oh, yeah, Mandy does do that. It's an odd thing having somebody play you while you're still here to See.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
It, man, it makes me be like, if I ever need to learn about myself, hire someone to play me. But can I ask you.
Mandy Matney
Yeah.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
What was that experience like for you to have to watch someone else take on everything that you did?
Liz Farrell
So, first of all, there's a denial and a dissociation that comes with it. So at first you're like, they're just going to make Mandy a composite character of all of us. And, you know, so I don't have to worry about that. But then when I found out that I was a character in the show, I was very excited about it, obviously. But also the next question is like, who are they going to get to play me? And the worst things you think about yourself, you think, okay, they're going to find, like, I'm suddenly going to find out that I'm seen as a clown or something, you know? So when you were cast for the role, it was a huge sense of relief because not only you sort of have the same sensibility as me, it just felt more in control of what is a very chaotic situation. One of our favorite scenes in the series is when the Mandy and Liz characters have to convince their editor of the importance of the boat crash story. It's almost like the writers were in the office with us back in 2019 when our editor told us he was sick of the story, which he seemed to only understand in terms of the crash itself and not the COVID up that was happening behind the scenes because of who was driving that night.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
A Department of Natural Resources spokesperson says.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
They are not giving up hope and.
Liz Farrell
Will continue combing through the area in and around Archer's Creek where Beach and.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Five of her friends were.
Brittany Snow
The names still haven't been released, but we're 99% sure that. But these are other passengers, including Paul Murdock.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
You got all this off social media?
Brittany Snow
Facebook, Snapchat? Some of them are private, but you can connect the dots. We reached out to all of them online about talking specifically Morgan.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Great.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
What's the status on the search?
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Not official, but my DNR source says it's essentially a search and recovery app from the same source. Ollie would give me. Report from the night of the crash would dash within an inch of its life.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
What's the theory here? A cover up maybe.
Brittany Snow
I did some digging on Paul's family. Great grandfather was solicitor.
911 Caller / Emergency Voice
Oh, Buster Murder Camp.
Brittany Snow
Federally indicted as part of a bootlegging conspiracy in 1956 and the only one not to be convicted. And then Paul's dad, Alex, he's got a lot going on another printout, take it out of my paycheck. Why does a lawyer have eight LLCs and counting? One called Carolina Jelly Balls?
Liz Farrell
Speaking of the dynamic between Mandy and me and between Britney and you, were you guys aware of just that friendship and sort of. Mandy and I had a chemistry that I had not had with any other reporter or editor before, where it was very much synergy, very much, you know, unspoken agreement as to what we were working toward. And just constant. I mean, glued at the hip, just both of us trying to figure this out. And to see the scene where you do come across as around the block. I do remember thinking. Because Mandy would come at it with not an innocence or naivete in that way, but, like, an optimism that. Where it's, like, very clear, like, this is a bad thing. We need to cover it, and what's difficult about that. But for me, I knew the politics of the newsroom. I knew the sort of the key words that you would have to say in order to get an editor to show interest and what have you, and sort of the psychological game of it. So that definitely came across in the scene, and I think that's why it struck us so much, because those two energies are very true to how the both of us are.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
Yeah, well. And it's. It's great. I think we all were aware that we needed that synergy. I think it was fun to be in that working environment where everyone knew that synergy was important. So Steven was really helpful in guiding that dynamic, like, the differences with us. But I think we all knew that bond, like you're talking about was so important. I remember the first time I walked into the makeup, hair and makeup trailer just for them to kind of take a look at, you know, what I looked like. Brittany was in the makeup chair, and she immediately was like, hi. And so welcoming. And she knew that to Mandy, it was very important that we were best friends. And so it was really on our minds, like, that whole process, that that was very important relationship. I also felt, though, for me, in the journey that I had being you, I felt like Mandy kind of reignited a little bit of the hope, though. And I thought that that was really special for me because I felt it like, sort of being like this world. And then Mandy's relentlessness sort of woke me up a little.
Liz Farrell
No, that's absolutely right, because it just reminded you that there was a time when you thought that, too. And maybe you can create, like, I can create a different path around that now, because I don't have a good reason if she says, why can't we? I think Mandy and I gave each other courage too. Little did we know how much courage we were going to need at the time. But whenever one of us got low on it, the other was always there with an emergency supply. Back when we first started investigating the Murdaugh family in 2019, every day of reporting on this story was frightening and heavy. At the core of it was a tragedy. A young woman lost her life and her poor friends who survived were facing pressure to stay quiet. Every aspect of this case in real life was chilling, complicated and chaotic. The real 911 call was gut wrenching. I'll never forget when we got the recording from the sheriff's office and first listened to it. Mandy and I went into an old photography lab in the office and sat with Ashley Reese, another reporter who helped cover the crash. And the three of us just sat in silence, looking at each other in horror because of the pain that was so apparent in the kids voices as they shouted for their friend. Here is the original recording of Connor Cook calling 911 that night in February 2019.
911 Dispatcher
911, where's your emergency? Hello? Police? Fire a nurse. Hello? We're in a boat crash on Archer's Creek. Where? Whereabouts? On Archer Street. In Archer's Creek. The only bridge on Archer Creek. Archer Street. Archer's Creek. Archer's Creek. Archer's Creek. We're in a boat craft. You're in a what, what kind of boat? A boat crash. Okay, so you're at. Are you at the dock? Hello? Are you, Are you at the dock? No, we just crashed in a boat. Okay. Are you in the water or you. We're in the boat.
Liz Farrell
Mrs. We'll be right back.
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911 Caller / Emergency Voice
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Brittany Snow
That'S.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Still really hard to listen to. I know what their future looks like. I know the pain that they will carry. And I know the enduring burden of their loss. That night changed everything Hearing the call again and again makes me realize just how young Paul and his friends were in that moment. They were teenagers, and they didn't get to go home safely that night. It's every parent's worst nightmare. And it's something Brittany and I really reflected on.
Brittany Snow
I think coming from someone who I grew up in Florida, I definitely had my fair share of times drunk on a boat. I felt very connected to that whole experience. I felt like that could have been me. It really tugged at my heart so much so where I remember watching, you know, in any of the documentaries or even on your podcast, listening to it, that was something that hooked me into the story because it felt so relatable. I feel like it felt. So this could have happened to anybody, and this could have happened to my friends or myself, and that they were just kids, and yet they were so. They had so much in front of them. There was so much love there, and that it was a really, really horrific accident. And I won't. I'd be hard pressed to say mistake. But I think that what I think the show does really well is show all sides of that experience, specifically with Paul, too. And I think everybody is invested in that beginning. To see this family. That's the entry point into how that happened and the experience behind that. And Paul's emotional state, which is really interesting to a lot of people and was also to me.
Mandy Matney
Right. I love that the show explores all of that, like, how it's. And I thought of in my reporting, and I've told Johnny this. He plays Paul. Like, I was really hard on Paul for a while, but it took me a really long time to understand he was the son of a narcissist, and he was really, really young when all of that happened. And he lost his life at a terrible time. Like, Nobody's great at 1920. And I also love that you said that you related to Mallory being on a boat. And that was exactly where I was when I was at the packet going for this story. And I love the part in the show where the boss, Patrick, says, I know she's a missing girl and you're a girl, so. But, like, what? And it's like, well, that's what's so important about diversity in journalism.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
All right, thank you. Bye. DNR says no comment. Besides still searching.
Brittany Snow
Did he say why no buffaloes are at the scene?
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
No. Or why no press release or passenger names? Which is bizarre.
Brittany Snow
Sounds really productive.
Supporting Cast / Interviewer
I wish I had Hampton sources.
Brittany Snow
God, can you imagine the hell that poor family's going through?
Mandy Matney
I know, you're gonna care about a story more if you relate to it, you know? And I always just thought, like, yeah, I was a dumb teenager at 19. I definitely would have gotten on that boat if all of my friends were like, I wouldn't have thought twice. I did dumb things. And I hated. And that was another thing about, like, not reading comments and trying to remove myself. I really hated when the story exploded. Seeing all the people judging Malorie, and.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
That was a lot of people on Reddit's reaction of just judging her.
Mandy Matney
Why? Right. Of literally being like, she was a drunk teenager on a boat, and it's like. And she chose to be on the boat.
Brittany Snow
That's insane. That's absolutely insane. Anybody who hasn't made a mistake in their life, and she hasn't also, she never made a mistake. She wasn't driving. I think the thing that really spoke to me about the story and about our show in general is that we kept Mallory and Steven at the forefront of everything that we were doing. We had moments of silence. We were talking about them constantly. We made sure that they were very much at the forefront of why we were doing these scenes and what we were trying to portray. And I've never done a show like that where that was really how we led the set and how we led our performances. And I think it's important to. To note that, you know, these were people that we needed to really give life to again, and experiences. And so I hope that people don't judge them, and maybe this show will do a good job of showing all of the intricacies of it.
Mandy Matney
Right. I really think that. I really think that the show will. I mean, obviously, people are going to judge no matter what. And that's also something that I've learned being exposed to the Internet, like, there's just some people you just can't please. And that's not for them, but for the people that understand empathy and emotions and, like you said, understand that humans make mistakes.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
From day one, I really loved how emotionally invested Brittany was in this entire story. I loved how much she cared about the real people involved, including me. After more than two decades after my brother's death, I finally came to a real reckoning with my grief. And I'll be honest, Brittany helped me do that. Actually, from the first phone conversation we ever had, Brittany seemed to have a better understanding of how my brother's death shaped and changed the entire trajectory of my life and who I was as a character more than I ever did. In fact, she advocated to include A scene in the show where my character talks about my brother's death and how it inspired me to get answers for grieving parents like mine who suffered the immeasurable loss of a child. We'll talk about that in a later episode. But I mean it when I say that Britney Snow has helped heal so many broken parts of me and made me realize that I am so much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. It meant so much to know that Brittany understood how my family's loss has driven just about every choice that I've made. As a journalist who just wants to give voice to victims who have been failed by traditional media for so long.
Brittany Snow
I think it was really important to learn from you about your childhood and about who you were as a person and the type of strong convictions you had about wanting to make things right. That felt wrong. I think from a very early age. I'm telling you about you. You felt pain that didn't need to happen, and you wanted to right that wrong for your parents, and you wanted to right that wrong for yourself. And I feel like that sort of understanding that you can level out the, like, emotional field kind of gives you your purpose to a lot of things, whether that's subconsciously or. And I think that with this case, you found something that could. That felt unfair, and you wanted to bring light to it. And I think that that was, at first, your motivation of, I know that this is wrong, and I know that I can do something about it to make it feel more right.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Covering the Murdoch story has changed my life in the best and worst ways. Like I said, starting out, I was not prepared for the spotlight or the backlash from Internet trolls who are more focused on me than the murders. Over the years, I've heard all the advice on how to handle online comments, and all the advice is basically ignore them. But when I looked at what I stood for and what commenters like these trolls do to just not me, but everyone who dares to speak truth to power, I realized that, yeah, I could ignore this, but ignoring bullying is how we got here.
Mandy Matney
Right?
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
No one is held accountable for their actions in silence. So I started calling out those trolls, and I got more and more pesky every time I stood up for myself and for other women facing abuse on the Internet, that always felt great. But you know what felt even better? Hearing a powerhouse like Brittany Snow say that I have inspired other women to do the same.
Mandy Matney
Yeah, I get very frustrated with people that. With pretty much every announcement that we have about the show, and I look at comments Way too much. And we've talked about this. You don't really look at comments, do you? You respond to comments on your Instagram.
Brittany Snow
I went off a little bit. I felt very Mandy the other day.
Mandy Matney
Tell me.
Brittany Snow
I, like, clapped back one time about something, and I was like, I'm gonna do this in honor of Mandy. But I try not to look at them, because it's not because I'm better than that. I'm actually worse than that. I'm too sensitive to look at them. It's not because I don't care. It's because I care too much. And so I can't. I just get sad.
Mandy Matney
That's how I am, too. And it's.
Brittany Snow
It's a bad thing regardless, because if they're even good, then I'm believing that. But if they're bad, then I'm believing that, too. It's sort of feeling like I don't know what's real anymore, you know?
Mandy Matney
Right. I'm the exact same way with comments. Like, I. And people. From day one, when I would clap back at people or just say that, like, look, guys, this is really upsetting to me when you say this.
Brittany Snow
Yeah.
Mandy Matney
Human beings, right.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
They're. They'll.
Mandy Matney
They just assume, like, if you are on a big platform, that you have this, like, super tough skin. Like, get what I get.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
Tougher skin.
Mandy Matney
Get thicker skin. Get thicker skin, Mandy.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
And it's like.
Mandy Matney
But my sensitivity actually helps me in a lot of ways, and it's a superpower in a lot of ways. And I don't want to get rid. I don't want to be a person that sees horrific comments about myself, and I don't know who does that. Right.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
That's like.
Mandy Matney
That's psychotic. Alex Murdock would do that. Actually, one person I can think of that could read terrible comments and be like, this is great. But, yeah, it's like, why do you want us to be like that? And, like, that's not normal for people.
Brittany Snow
But I'm glad that you bring this up, though, because I do feel like, even in your book, you know, I think it's, like, a huge part of becoming who you are and becoming this person that I was inspired by to be able to create in this character is that you were met with a lot of, I don't know, comments. And I think that I'm gearing myself up for that as well, because I'm sure people might not think that I portrayed you appropriately and things like that. And I feel like it's very meta for me to come into that and be like, I don't care.
Mandy Matney
So I spent so much of the last six years investigating, reporting, discussing and thinking about the Murdoch family, as you know. But the show seems like closure for me. Like, it, it really has healed a lot of wounds that were open that I didn't really realize. Is that something that you can relate to, like finally working through something and then finally you're on the other side of it? Oh, yeah. Understanding, definitely. Yeah.
Brittany Snow
My God. We were just talking about this in terms of my career. I took some time off for mental health reasons and I've been very open about that. And this new chapter of my, my life has been sort of a coming back to myself of who I've always been, but it took a long time. And I think that getting to be in a stride again is, is a really interesting closing of a chapter of, like, wow, I had to go through a little, you know, a little up and down to get back to who I originally was. And I think that closing out that chapter where I didn't feel completely comfortable in myself, yeah, it feels like I'm, I'm back to where I always should have been. Not to say that that's exactly a closure, maybe it's like opening something up in a way. But I think every project like this is a stamp in, like, oh, that part of my life is ending. And I did something that I'm proud of.
Mandy Matney
I love that.
Narrator / Mandy Matney (Podcast Host)
I'm proud too, of Brittany, of Liz, of myself, of so many women in this story. For finding the light in darkness, for standing up for ourselves and standing up for what is right. For taking on something challenging and terrifying that eventually makes us better and stronger. All good things must come to an end. But we're not done yet. The video version of this episode, which is a little different, is available on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. The next episode of the Murdoch Death in the Family official podcast featuring Johnny Birchtold, who plays Paul Murdock, perhaps the most complicated character in the series, is live now. We hope you're enjoying the original series Death in the Family. And don't forget to like, share, subscribe and leave a comment or five star rating to give our creators, cast and crew the praise they deserve. And don't miss Death in the Family now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney + the Murdoch death in the Family official podcast is a Luna Shark and USG Audio production Executive producers include Mandy Matney, Liz Farrell, David Moses for Luna Shark and Josh Block for USG Audio. Sound design and audio engineering by Jamie Hoffman, Mike Bader and Grace Hilt. Production support for USG audio by Josh Lalonghi. Special thanks to Kate Thomas, Ruby Hart, Beth Braden, Ginny Adams and Sam Berlin. To learn more about this story and others, visit lunasharkmedia.com.
This episode offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes discussion focused on the Hulu Original series "Murdaugh: Death in the Family," specifically exploring Brittany Snow’s portrayal of investigative journalist and podcast creator Mandy Matney. The conversation unveils how a stranger-than-fiction Lowcountry true crime saga—first chronicled in Matney’s podcasts and reporting—has been adapted for television. Mandy and Brittany deeply reflect on the emotional cost of investigative work, representation of women, and the transformation of real events into compelling drama.
[01:24–03:28]
“I can't believe I'm saying this right now, but that's Brittany Snow playing me.” (01:24)
[03:28–06:52]
“All of this made me spiral into a dark place that it took years to get out of.” (05:41)
[07:33–08:53]
“I called her back, and I was like...I really also liked from the very beginning that it felt very grassroots and that you were invested in the case...So then when I got to play you, I felt even more like I knew you. So it was sort of full circle.” (07:44)
[09:49–11:36]
“I'm not really into the type of podcasts or true crime stories that you can figure it out pretty quickly. And I think with this...you want so badly...to doubt yourself in terms of, he could never do this...” (09:49)
[12:52–14:17]
“You always doubled down on the fact that you came from a place of justice and wanting...your morals were so strong...” (12:52) “A lot of people want to doubt people who lead with their happiness and smile...That doesn’t mean that you don’t have something to say just because you’re perky.” (13:42)
[15:29–17:54]
[18:14–19:03]
"The only thing that was intimidating was that I wanted to do a good job for you and for the story and to serve the story that you worked so hard on for so many years." (18:25)
[19:14–20:25]
"You were dealing with this on the outside, reporting about it, but this is a story that is intrinsic to why it even happened... this patriarchal sort of dynasty..." (19:14)
[22:12–26:53]
“We don’t have to fight against...we don’t have to compete against each other.” (24:44)
[36:06–42:51]
“I felt like that could have been me. It really tugged at my heart so much...” (38:40)
“We made sure that they [Mallory and Steven] were very much at the forefront of why we were doing these scenes and what we were trying to portray.” (41:57)
[43:16–45:27]
"Britney Snow has helped heal so many broken parts of me and made me realize that I am so much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for." (43:16)
“You felt pain that didn’t need to happen, and you wanted to right that wrong for your parents, and you wanted to right that wrong for yourself.” (44:34)
[45:27–48:21]
“Ignoring bullying is how we got here. No one is held accountable for their actions in silence.” (46:05)
“I’m too sensitive to look at [comments]…I just get sad.” (46:46)
[48:51–50:15]
| Segment Description | Timestamps | |---------------------|:---------:| | Opening scenario and Mandy’s introduction | 01:01–03:28 | | Mental health struggles and online trolling | 03:28–06:52 | | Brittany’s discovery of the podcast | 07:33–08:53 | | Emotional complexity of the case | 09:49–11:36 | | Relatability between Mandy & Brittany | 12:52–14:17 | | Getting cast as Mandy Matney | 15:29–17:54 | | Navigating acting process with Mandy present | 18:14–19:03 | | Women, patriarchy, and key show line (“That’s a big deal”) | 19:14–20:25 | | Portraying the Mandy-Liz partnership | 22:12–26:53 | | Liz & Alicia Kelly discuss newsroom dynamics | 28:08–34:49 | | The 911 call & centering victims | 36:06–42:51 | | Mandy’s grief, closure, inspiration | 43:16–45:27 | | Harassment, resilience, and sensitivity online | 45:27–48:21 | | Healing, closure, and celebration of women | 48:51–end |
This episode offers a rare, vulnerable, and affirming conversation between truth-teller and performer, creating a blueprint for how true stories can be transformed into ethical, impactful drama. Mandy and Brittany’s connection amplifies the core themes of justice, empathy, and collaboration running through the series—and through real life. Listeners come away with profound insight into both the burden and hope that comes with telling, and embodying, stories that matter.