Family Analysis of James Lasdun – the murder that shocked America | True crime novels

Men March 2023, 54-year-old Alex Murdaugh received two prison terms for killing his wife and son at a hunting lodge in Colleton County, South Carolina. Since the beginning of the 1900s, three generations of his family have been elected as anti-government in the “Lowcountry”, a green area in the southeast of the lake, which is characterized by great inequality in economic and cultural terms. The Murdaughs were the kind of people who could send you to jail or the electric chair, all the while having a good southern look.

Along with these public works, the family ran a large law firm, which dealt with personal injury cases. In a world of alcoholism and rust, Mr. Murdaugh did a brisk business in multi-million dollar estates for those who lost a limb, parent or brain due to someone else’s negligence. But instead of offering these life-changing breakthroughs to vulnerable clients, Alex Murdaugh used them to support a lifestyle of luxury, with big cars, prostitutes, opioid pills and military weapons. In a good way, he also stole millions from his legal partners.

The whispers about Murdaugh’s finances had been going on for years. But they were shot dead that night in June 2021 when Paul and Maggie were killed in the doghouse. Alex swore that he had never been near the scene of the crime and attempted murder. He said the recruits may have approached Mr Paul, who was on bail for crashing the boat after drinking on a bridge in 2019, killing one of the young passengers. Maggie, in this situation, was simply destroyed.

Despite Murdaugh’s braggadocio, the defendant was able to convince the jury that he was the one who shot his wife and son, not pulling twice, but seven times. As for the motive, he argued that Murdaugh was trying to get him out of the financial embarrassment that plagued him: in this indifferent community, no one would think against “Big Red” – so called because he is 6ft 4in with ginger hair – for embezzling money while dealing with Bible problems.

James Lasdun, a British novelist living in the US, began his research, not convinced that Murdaugh did. Big Red may be arrogant, annoying and rotten to the core, but Lasdun invokes Thomas De Quincey’s great point about how a man’s ability to steal says nothing about murder. Furthermore, there is something about crime that Lasdun, who is married with children, cannot see. How is it possible for a man who has not committed domestic violence or violence to start shooting the people he loves in order to slow down his wealth?

This kind of research reminds us of Janet Malcolm’s unique way of writing about famous cases. Indeed, Lasdun tells us that he “reveres” Malcolm who, like him, tests his ideas in long New Yorker pieces before expanding them into books. However, this is where the similarities end. Malcolm’s approach to writing about the celebratory killings was to avoid getting into the narrative weeds of the story in order to leave room for psychological and moral exploration. Lasdun, in contrast, insists on retelling the Murdaugh case, complete with byzantine elements related to the suspicious murder of a family worker and the murder of a local teenager.

This demand for completeness is surprising because Murdaugh’s murder – the assonance cannot be denied – has already been turned by a small army of investigators. In addition to the number of podcasts that are well-regarded by local media, there have also been several well-received and well-received podcasts. Netflix and HBO. Lasdun rightly accepts these contributions, but insists on giving us chapter and verse on the evidence.

However, although it does not reveal anything new about the story, Lasdun’s statement is interesting. His resistance to southern Gothic is very interesting, although the stench of rotting fish caused by some sort of failed Murdaugh is too good to pass up. Likewise, Lasdun’s refusal to prove his guilt against Big Red is notable. On May 13, 2026, as his book went to press, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction, saying “A shocking jury tampering“He’s a court clerk.” It turns out that Becky Hill – “Miss Becky” – was persuading the jury to find Murdaugh guilty. Another witness testified that he is writing a book about the case, and it needs to be closed in order for the project to be seen. there for you to see.

The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh published by WW Norton & Company (£22). To support the Guardian, order your book from guardianbookshop.com. Shipping fees may apply.