Netflix’s latest true crime documentary series is Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandalthe story of the Murdaughs, a wealthy South Carolina family. Murdaugh murders explores the multiple incidents the litigants’ family has been linked to, including a boating accident in which someone died, and the events leading up to the deaths of matriarch Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and her son Paul at the summer 2021.
The series also partially covers the ongoing trial of Alex Murdaugh, Maggie’s husband and Paul’s father, who was charged with their murders but maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty. A fourth member of the Murdaugh family, Maggie and Alex’s other son, Buster, is also included in the documentary.
Richard Alex Murdaugh, nicknamed Buster, previously worked in his father’s law firm and attended law school at the University of South Carolina – a family tradition – before his mother and brother were murdered. However, he was ultimately expelled for an incident of plagarism.
According to the local newspaper Post and courierBuster’s family paid $60,000 to ensure he would be readmitted to college to complete his law degree. However, he has not yet resumed his studies. “He has put his desire to go to law school on hold for the time being,” Murdaugh’s attorney Butch Bowers said. “He’s not scheduled to start school in the fall or spring.”
Where is Buster Murdaugh now?
Buster currently lives with his girlfriend, attorney Brooklynn White, in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We don’t know what he does for a living. In February this year, he testified at his father’s trial as the first defense witness – in other words, he testified on his father’s behalf and said that Alex was “heartbroken” by the deaths of Maggie and Paul.
Buster has been linked to two other deaths
One of the incidents documented in Murdaugh murders was the sailing accident that resulted in Mallory Beach’s death. The Beach family claimed Paul Murdaugh was drunk at the time, but have since agreed to a settlement that removes Buster’s name from the case, along with his mother’s.
The documentary also mentions the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith, a former friend and classmate of Buster, which remains unsolved.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the UK covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.