First Murdaugh reenactment movie debuts

Murdaugh Murders: The Movie – the first non-documentary, dramatic reenactment of the Murdaugh crime saga in South Carolina – premiered on Lifetime at 8 p.m EST on Saturday and continued Sunday.

Murdaugh Murders: The Movie follows the twisted true story of Alex Murdaugh played by award winning actor Bill Pullman, who was found guilty in the double homicide of his wife, Maggie and his son, Paul, while still facing more than 100 other criminal charges and vowing to appeal his case all the way to the Supreme Court.

The opening night introduced the Murdaugh family and set the stage, while quickly working in the rising conflicts such as Alex’s drug addiction and thievery, along with Paul’s reckless, alcohol-fueled behavior.

The first two hours took us through Gloria Satterfield’s death and the subsequent insurance fraud scheme, the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach, and the shooting deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Sunday night’s second half was expected to focus on the murder investigation, Alex Murdaugh’s roadside shooting and financial crime arrests, and cap off with Alex’s double murder trial and sentencing.

While many watched the first installment of the two-night movie, it drew mostly harsh criticism from South Carolina locals and avid true crime followers in the area.

While most films tend to take creative liberties and branch away from detailed facts, this did not go over well for avid Murdaugh case followers who have spent months and years analyzing this case, watching the trial, and discussing it on social media.

“This was one of the worst movies I’ve ever watched,” said Monica Grainger Robison, who has followed the case for years and is an administrator of “The Murdaugh Murders” Facebook group.

“So far it feels more like fiction than a true story.”

Locals also expressed concerns for how certain scenes might impact any of the victim’s families and friends who might watch it, including the scene depicting Beach’s body washed up in the marsh.

“I know watching this train wreck is hard for the victims and their families, and the Murdaugh family is probably disgusted, too,” Robison added.

Watch the show and follow this live blog in real time by Gannett journalist, author, historian and Hampton County native Michael M. DeWitt Jr.