Written by Valerie Bauerlein, The Devil at His Elbow (2024) is a nonfiction true-crime novel and New York Times bestseller that covers the trial of Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, two years prior. In this text, Bauerlein explores Alex’s personal and professional history, offering motives for the notorious crime while analyzing Alex Murdaugh’s character, his family’s legacy, and his habit of engaging in deception. Bauerlein originally reported on Alex’s six-week trial for the Wall Street Journal, and she constructs a comprehensive narrative by combining her own observations with official transcripts and records.

This guide refers to the 2024 hardback edition published by Ballantine Books.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain references to anti-gay bias, racism, enslavement, drug and alcohol addiction, and suicide, as well as graphic descriptions of homicide crime scenes.

Summary

The Devil at His Elbow opens as Alex Murdaugh is on trial for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul; Alex will eventually be found guilty of these crimes. Bauerlein introduces the key players, evidence, and major questions that the trial—and the book—will seek to answer. Bauerlein jumps back in time to when Alex began stealing money from his clients. Alex worked at the family law firm, which specialized in personal injury lawsuits, and he took advantage of its reputation to defraud his clients. Bauerlein shares that behind his outward appearance of prosperity and charm, Alex hid a drug addiction and financial debts.

In Part 2, Bauerlein draws portraits of the three generations that came before Alex: Randolph Murdaugh Sr., Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr., and Randolph Murdaugh III. Bauerlein uses historical information as well as substantiated and unsubstantiated rumors about the Murdaughs’ illicit activities to show how they developed their legal dynasty over 100 years. Bauerlein also explores more of Alex’s embezzlements and other suspicious deaths connected to the family, namely those of Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield. Gloria died at Moselle, Alex’s sprawling property, after which Alex opportunistically sued himself on behalf of Gloria’s son Tony, thereby stealing millions in the insurance payout.

Part 3 follows the linear narrative of Alex’s son Paul causing a boat crash that left his friend Mallory Beach dead. Bauerlein relates that the night leading up to the crash was rife with underage drinking on the part of Paul and his friends: Morgan Doughty (his girlfriend), Connor Cook, Miley Altman, Anthony Cook and Mallory Beach. The crash threw Mallory and others overboard, but Mallory went missing in the river. Alex interfered with the investigation by coaching the victims and their families on what to say and by getting preferential treatment at the crime scene. Beverly Cook, Anthony’s mother, sensed that Alex was trying to scapegoat her nephew Connor for the crash. The Beaches hired Mark Tinsley to work on a wrongful death lawsuit.

Part 4 covers Tinsley’s investigation into Alex’s cover-up as well as the timeline of the night of the murders. Bauerlein relates Tinsley’s character as a lawyer by employing an extended analogy to hunting, explaining that Tinsley pursued Alex relentlessly, particularly for his financial records, which Alex refused to produce. Bauerlein connects the various stressors in Alex’s life, like the wrongful death lawsuit and his growing pill addiction, as well as Paul’s continued erratic behavior. Bauerlein then depicts the night of the murders on June 7, 2021, according to Alex’s first statements. She tracks the family’s movements before the murders, the first responders’ investigation of the crime scene, and the case’s eventual takeover by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Bauerlein notes several elements of the chaotic investigation that would come back to haunt detectives and Alex during the trial.

In Part 5, Bauerlein explores SLED’s investigation leading up to Alex’s indictment. Agent David Owen gathered witness and family statements, oversaw evidence collection, and started decoding digital evidence. Although most of the evidence was circumstantial, Alex was SLED’s only probable suspect. Bauerlein then depicts the downward spiral of Alex’s life. His father died soon after the murders, and his law firm forced him to resign from the company after they discovered his embezzlements. Alex concocted a roadside shooting as a last-ditch evasion tactic, but he was indicted for his financial crimes and the murders.

In Part 6, Bauerlein recounts the back-and-forth exchanges between the prosecution and the defense team at the trial. Before the trial, she illustrates the logistical issues at the courthouse and the difficulty of finding an unbiased jury. Bauerlein then shares direct quotations from witness testimonies—both character witnesses and technical analysts. The main issue in Alex’s story was that he lied about being with Maggie and Paul at the dog kennels before they died. Jurors heard Alex’s voice with Maggie and Paul on a video taken minutes before their official time of death. The trial’s climactic moment occurs with Alex’s testimony, first in his defense, and then in his cross-examination.

Part 7 concludes the trial, describing the closing arguments of the prosecution and the defense, after which the jury visited Moselle before their deliberation. The jurors quickly came back with a guilty verdict, and Alex was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. In the Epilogue, Bauerlein updates Alex’s position as of November 2023. His defense team asked for a new trial, but Alex’s plea deal for his financial crimes ensured that he would spend at least 27 years in prison. As his victims’ families, his own family, and his friends tried to move on, Alex made himself comfortable behind bars.