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

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains graphic descriptions of homicide crime scenes.

Bauerlein tells the story of the boat crash, relating that Paul went out with his girlfriend Morgan Doughty and two other couples—Connor Cook and Miley Altman, and Anthony Cook and Mallory Beach—to an oyster roast, taking the waterways to avoid DUI checkpoints. After the roast, the group stopped in Beaufort so that Paul could visit his favorite bar. He bought the drinks with his brother’s ID. When drunk, Paul became a completely different person—nicknamed Timmy by his friends—whose behavior was markedly aggressive and entitled. When Paul and Connor finished in the bar, the group realized that Paul was becoming Timmy.

Paul refused to relinquish control of the boat, and the friends sped off towards Murdaugh Island. Paul’s reckless driving drew complaints from his friends, and he hit Morgan for yelling at him to slow down. Anthony prevented Paul from picking fights with anyone else. In the darkness, Paul drove into the pilings of a bridge, throwing himself, Anthony, and Mallory overboard, and injuring Miley, Morgan, and Connor. When the group made it to shore, Mallory was missing. Anthony dove back into the water to look for her.

Connor called 911, but paramedics and police arrived late.