64 pages 2 hours read

Valerie Bauerlein

The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2024

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Parts 5-6

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 5: “Black Box” - Part 6: “Rain”

Part 5, Chapter 25 Summary

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to suicide, addiction, and murder.

The next morning, Blanca learned about the murders and was overcome with grief. At Moselle, she noticed that visitors from the night before had hastily cleaned up. Alex, his brothers, and his law partners gathered to discuss possible security measures for the family. At the same time, SLED belatedly canvassed the house. An agent found shell casings and open boxes of ammunition that matched those found near Maggie’s body. They found corresponding guns, but they didn’t believe that these guns were the murder weapons. Both SLED agents and Alex’s friends thought that the murder weapons were Paul’s missing guns—a shotgun and a Blackout rifle.

In their search of the wider neighborhood, SLED found no helpful evidence or witnesses. Owen spoke with Rogan Gibson, the owner of the dog that Paul was taking care of. Rogan had talked on the phone with Paul just minutes before the estimated time of death, and he recalled hearing both Maggie and Alex’s voices in the background. John Marvin helped the investigation by tracking down Maggie’s phone. With approval, he went to the kennels to see the crime scene.