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— As the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh wraps, the heaps of public attention poured on the case’s many twists and turns are hardly waning.
Investigations stemming from the June 7, 2021 shooting deaths of the legal scion’s wife and son revealed the prominent South Carolina lawyer stole millions of dollars from largely poor client’s settlements and staged an attempt on his life to secure his surviving son a $12 million life insurance payout, according to authorities.
In the process, true crime enthusiasts, concerned onlookers and many others found the latest subject of their fascination in the yearslong unraveling of a mystery that jurors must now weigh.
Experts say the small town saga’s transformation into an international topic of intrigue highlights insights into the human psyche: People are wired to follow events that inform their perceptions of threat. And now, amid the commotion, some legal observers have found an important opportunity for education.
Coltan Scrivner, a researcher at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, said a human desire to avoid getting duped has developed into a natural curiosity for signs of danger. Those cues, he said, are especially strong when the schemes involve high-status circles with powerful and successful people — things the Murdaugh case taps into.
“We put it in our rolodex of possible simulations of what could happen in a bad situation,” Scrivner said.
Amanda Vicary, a psychology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, said the obsession with “true crime” is largely driven by women interested in its self-protective lessons. Many followers might subconsciously ask themselves what they need to look for in their own lives, she said.
Plus, the Murdaugh case’s many aspects — mystery, forensics, family, finances — appeal to a variety of interests.
“Most popular true crime stories might only have one or two of those elements,” Vicaray said. “It has a little something for everything going on right now.”
Stephanie Truesdale said the combination of a wealthy family’s fall from grace and the many unexpected developments piqued her attention from the start. The teacher from upstate South Carolina has been particularly interested to see how the state’s legal system treats “one of their own.
