by WILL FOLKS
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The story of Alex Murdaugh – the dynasty he hailed from, the crimes he committed, his chaotic unspooling and the Southern Gothic backdrop against which his Shakespearean downfall unfolded – has captivated audiences all over the world. And while the story continues to unfold, no one has assessed the present state of affairs any better than reporter Valerie Bauerlein of The Wall Street Journal.
In her best-selling book The Devil at his Elbow, Bauerlein has meticulously researched, impeccably sourced, brilliantly conceptualized and poignantly (even poetically) chronicled South Carolina’s ‘Crime of the Century.’ From the generational entitlement which preceded it through the six-week trial in early 2023 that many believed concluded this saga, she’s told the story better than anyone.
Including us…
I asked Bauerlein during our latest conversation about the current state of this story – and whether she felt part of the reason her version of the narrative was so popular was because she’s telling “the part of the story that people want to hear.”
Because the story is clearly not over…
“I think it was satisfying the part of our mind that likes stories – beginning, middle, end,” Bauerlein said. “The reading of the verdict and then the sentencing by judge Newman had such a poetry to it… that wasn’t me, that was Clifton Newman… the moment was so powerful and (had) a sense of an ending.”
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Bauerlein acknowledged, though, that the guilty verdicts entered against Murdaugh in March 2023 for the murders of his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and younger son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, merely constituted a “first ending” – and that updates would be necessary as this story progressed.
“I wrote a book about it, I’m proud of the book,” she said, before adding half-jokingly, “I will need to keep updating (it) for the next – I don’t know, you tell me – twelve, fifteen, twenty years?”
During our conversation, Bauerlein deftly reframed the debate over Murdaugh’s ongoing appeal – questioning whether someone who habitually flouted the law during his time in power now deserved to cling to it during his downfall.
“It used to be the case that the law doesn’t apply to Alex Murdaugh in a way that benefited him,” she noted. “And is it the case now that the law doesn’t apply to Alex Murdaugh in a way that’s detrimental to him?”
In raising that question, Bauerlein referenced the work of this author – and FITSNews research director Jenn Wood – on Murdaugh’s insistence that his Sixth Amendment rights had been violated during his March 2023 trial.
“You and Jenn and others have been so adamant about the sanctity of a jury trial,” Bauerlein said. “And if there was tampering – should he have a new trial no matter how much the system loathed him and thinks he’s a scourge? I think that’s a really valid question.”
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I asked Bauerlein about the lack of accountability deeper layers underpinning the Murdaugh saga – including the drug empire nebulously surrounding him and the corrupt judicial, legal and financial establishment that empowered the rise of his family’s dynasty.
“We’ve not seen any sort of ‘come to Jesus’ moment with any of the judges, other lawyers (and) many of the bankers,” Bauerlein said.
Asked why that hadn’t happened, Bauerlein made a telling observation.
“People will tell you the system will do just the amount that it needs to do – and no more – to solve things,” she said, although she added “I certainly expected that there would be a far deeper reckoning with the criminal justice system in South Carolina than we’ve seen.”
That’s for sure… although sadly those capable of enforcing such accountability don’t seem interested in doing so.
In addition to diving deeper into the Murdaugh case – including an extended discussion about the jury tampering allegations – Bauerlein and I also spoke about her next big investigation, which revolves around the September 2023 roadside shooting of North Carolina insurance adjuster Scott Spivey.
To view my discussion with Bauerlein in its entirety, click here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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