HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. — The Murdaugh family saga continues in court as Alex Murdaugh's eldest son has filed suit against media groups alleging their portrayals of him in a series of movies, documentaries and newspaper articles are defamatory and falsely accuse him of being involved in the murder of Stephen Smith.
Richard Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh, Jr. filed a complaint in Hampton County against Netflix; Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.; and Warner Media Entertainment Pages, Inc. and their production companies Blackfin, Inc.; Campfire Studios Inc.; and The Cinemart LLC; as well as Gannett Co., the publisher of The Hampton County Guardian and the paper's reporter and editor Michael M Dewitt, Jr..
The lawsuit alleges that broadcast and streamed series such as "Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty," "Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty," and "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal" and articles published in The Hampton County Guardian have "irreparably damaged" his reputation and that "he has suffered mental anguish."
On July 8, 2015, Smith's car ran out of gas along a rural road late at night in Hampton County. Smith began walking along the road and was allegedly struck by part of a vehicle and killed. Buster Murdaugh has been linked to Smith's death through the media, but Murdaugh has not been notified by law enforcement of any ties to Smith's case.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) reopened the Smith case, classifying it as a homicide in March 2023.
Buster Murdaugh is suing for actual and punitive damages "because of the the reckless conduct of the Defendants in falsely accusing him of being involved in the murder of Stephen Smith."