Who Was Alex Murdaugh's Wife, Maggie?

The following article mentions murder and addiction.

For years, the Murdaugh family was said to be a revered, and often feared, family. Powerful, wealthy, and seemingly above the law, they more or less ruled Hampton County, South Carolina. That all changed however, after family matriarch Maggie Murdaugh, and her youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, were found shot to death outside the family's South Carolina hunting estate in 2021. Maggie's husband, Alex Murdaugh, was charged with the crimes, and this time no amount of power and privilege could save him. He was convicted of their murders and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole. 

Although tragic and terrible, Maggie Murdaugh's fate is sadly not the only of its kind to make headlines and spark the public's interest. There seem to be more true crime podcasts to listen to than ever. Pull up Netflix and you'll find docs about Chris Watts, who was convicted of murdering his wife and children, or Scott Peterson, who was found guilty of killing his pregnant wife. The Murdaugh family's own story also was the subject of a Netflix docuseries, as well as a Hulu docuseries and an HBO docuseries. There's also Hulu's "Murdaugh: Death in the Family," a scripted series which starred Oscar winner Patricia Arquette, who is no stranger to tragedy herself.

After the deaths of his wife and son, there was a lot of speculation about what Alex Murdaugh's family's life looked like behind closed doors. Here's what we know about his wife, Maggie Murdaugh.

By all accounts, Maggie Murdaugh (née Branstetter) was your average, all-America Southern belle. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Terry and Kennedy Branstetter, she had a modest upbringing, but one that was seemingly based on traditional Southern values. Her father worked for DuPont, and the family eventually relocated to Unionville, Pennsylvania, where Murdaugh attended high school and was a member of the track team. One of her classmates, Lisa Hineman-Moore, told the New York Post in 2021 that Murdaugh came from a "very proper" family, and aspired to have a family of her own one day. "We had our little cliques and we ran after boys and did a little partying and drinking," she recalled, before noting that she believed Maggie was eager to settle down and start a family. "[T]he Southern dream for a girl at that time was to finish college, maybe, but more importantly find a husband, get married and have kids."

Although Hineman-Moore considered Murdaugh a friend, that friendship apparently didn't last thanks to some mean girl behavior. "She was just a pretty girl, wearing the same preppy clothes we all did," Hineman-Moore said. "I remember us out in the fields drinking a six-pack but Margaret — we never called her Maggie — was always thin. She would pick at me for being heavier." Regardless, Hineman-Moore said Murdaugh "didn't deserve what happened to her."  "I think she got in too deep and didn't have a voice," she stated. "But she had to be quiet on account of who she was married to. That was the tragedy I think."

Maggie Murdaugh met the man she would marry, and who would later be convicted of killing her, when they were students at the University of South Carolina. Alex Murdaugh was one year ahead of his future wife and, as one of her friends told the New York Post in 2021, "He was Maggie's first real boyfriend." Thanks to his family name, Alex was probably considered a catch by many. However, marrying him meant that Maggie would have to immerse herself in the family and the culture of his hometown. "He said she'd have to move to Hampton with him," the friend continued. While the town of Hampton was small, the Murdaugh name loomed large as one of the most well-known legal families in the state. 

Ever since his great-grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh Sr., was appointed 14th Circuit solicitor in 1920, the office has belonged to a Murdaugh male — that is until Alex came along. Alex was passed over in favor of Duffie Stone, and broke the line of succession that had spanned three generations. While he may not have inherited the office held by his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Alex still enjoyed all the weight and privilege the Murdaugh name carried, and with Maggie by his side, as one family member told The Post, they "ran the town." "They own the police, they could always do whatever they wanted," the family member said. "There was no fear of consequences or repercussions to anything they did."

Alex Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh had two sons, Buster Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh. By all accounts, Maggie, a stay-at-home mom, was a devoted and loving parent. "She bent over backwards for her kids, maybe to a fault," a family member told the New York Post. "Those boys wanted for nothing." The boys were Murdaughs and, as such, were afforded what some would consider more than their fair share of leniency and protection. There was speculation that the oldest son, Buster, was involved in the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, although he has vehemently and publicly denied any involvement and was never charged. 

Buster's younger brother, the late Paul Murdaugh, on the other hand, was charged with a serious crime. Since he was a child, Paul had a reputation for being aggressive and volatile. "I saw him snap at least once," the family member told The Post. "He told his aunt Nancy to go f*** herself. It was about 10 years ago and he would have been around 11," the source continued. "He did not take authority well." At the time of his death, Paul was being charged in connection with a boat crash that killed his friend, Mallory Beach. He pleaded not guilty, but was killed before the case was tried, so no one knows for certain. As for what happened to Alex Murdaugh's only surviving son, Buster, he married his longtime girlfriend, Brooklynn White, and has filed several defamation suits over the Smith allegations. 

In a family full of powerful men, it sounds like Maggie Murdaugh was a breath of fresh air. She took her role as the matriarch of the family seriously, but she remained true to her roots and was considered by many who knew her to be a kind, caring, loving woman. "Maggie lived for her kids," family friend Bubba Mixson told the New York Post. "She was at every school function. She was such a sweet person. She never met a stranger. I can't say enough good about her. and I mean that."  When the longtime family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield was in the hospital, Maggie was the only Murdaugh to visit her, despite the drama going on in her own life at the time with Paul Murdaugh's boating accident. 

Despite the scandals that often seemed to swirl around her family, Maggie had a fun side and, like the men in her life, she knew how to have a good time. "She'd let her hair down and drop some F-bombs and tell you to piss off if she felt like it," a family member told The Post. "She had a great, dry sense of humor. She had this thing where she'd roll her eyes when someone was doing something stupid, like Alec or Paul." 

Money can't buy happiness, and even with her comfortable lifestyle, Maggie Murdaugh supposedly had marriage issues that only worsened toward the end of her life. A source who was said to be close to the family claimed to the Daily Mail, "Their marriage was absolutely on the rocks." The source went on to claim, "Alex and Maggie didn't look at each other like they were married. There was no love lost between them. I never saw them touch or be affectionate to each other." Part of the reason may have been Alex Murdaugh's alleged affair. While testifying during Alex's murder trial, Maggie's sister, Marian Proctor, alleged that Alex had cheated on his wife many years ago and Maggie had kicked him out of the house. Proctor also claimed that her late sister was still bothered by it up until her death. "She did not think anyone was still going on, it just bothered her," she said, per the Independent. 

On top of the alleged sexual indiscretions, Alex grappled with prescription drug addiction. Chris Wilson, who claimed to be Alex's best friend, said that Alex once disclosed he struggled with addiction, along with other illegal behavior. "He said, 'I'm sorry I've had a drug problem, I'm addicted to opioids ... for something like 20 years,' " Wilson, testified, per CNN. "He said he had a drug addiction and he admitted that he had been stealing money from his law firm and from clients." During his own testimony, Alex confirmed he had been misusing opioids for years. 

While we may never know the full story, there has been speculation about where Maggie Murdaugh's marriage was headed. Unconfirmed rumors have floated that Maggie was living apart from husband Alex Murdaugh at the time of her death. People later reported that some of Alex's coworkers had claimed that something seemed amiss in the marriage, as Maggie spent less time around the office than usual. Another source told the magazine that Maggie had met with a divorce attorney just a few weeks before her death. Apparently, she was trying to get a handle on the state of the family finances to determine how she would fare if worse came to worse. "She didn't pay close attention to the family money or where it came from," the source told People. "But now she was starting to look into it."

Those close to the Murdaughs denied any rumors of marital problems, much less divorce talks. A spokesperson for Alex issued a statement refuting the claims: "The most recent allegations by People Magazine regarding the state of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh's marriage are totally inconsistent with what we have been told by friends and family members. Also, we have reviewed many years of text messages on Alex's phone, and the conversations between Alex and Maggie portray a very loving relationship." Maggie's friend Maria Cordero got more to the point and told the New York Post, "None of what they're saying is true. And it's nobody's business, neither."

If it's true that Maggie Murdaugh was starting to look into the family finances, then it's probably also true that she may have been shocked by what she found. From all appearances, the Murdaughs lived a life of wealth and excess, complete with private jets and luxurious vacations, but the reality was much different. Maggie may have started to realize that fact when she experienced an embarrassing incident. "I remember one day, it must have been a few months before she was killed, she was crying because she had written a check at a charity luncheon, and it had bounced," a source claimed to the Daily Mail. "She thought at first there must have been some mistake but when she found out there wasn't she was mortified and upset."

In addition to two counts of murder, Alex Murdaugh was also convicted of financial crimes including money laundering and wire fraud. "I think when Maggie married Alex she didn't have to think about money or where it was coming from and once she started asking questions she definitely picked her battles," the source continued. "He'd always tell her not to worry about it, that he'd figure it out, he'd fix it." As the tragic story of the Murdaughs' lives unfolded, and the mighty family fell from grace, the residents of their small community realized that nothing was as it seemed. As one member of their social circle told People, "Behind all those black ties and fancy dresses were some pretty miserable people."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).