Summary of Blood on Their Hands by Mandy Matney: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty

By Justin Reese

DISCLAIMER

 

This book does not in any capacity mean to replace the original book but to serve as a vast summary of the original book.

Summary of Blood on Their Hands by Mandy Matney: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty

IN THIS SUMMARIZED BOOK, YOU WILL GET:

• Chapter astute outline of the main contents.
• Fast & simple understanding of the content analysis.
• Exceptionally summarized content that you may skip in the original book

 

Mandy Matney, a renowned investigative journalist, investigates the collapse of the Murdaugh dynasty in rural South Carolina. Her investigation into a boat crash involving the family's teenage son Paul leads to uncovering mysteries surrounding the deaths of the Murdaughs' housekeeper and a young man. The murder of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh propels Alex Murdaugh onto the international stage, highlighting the "good old boy" systems that enabled a network of criminals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: jUSTIN REESE
• Release date: Nov 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223013679

Book preview

PART ONE

Thelma & Louise

In journalism, the author avoids making cold calls and often spends their early weeks online to stay updated on local gossip. When they moved to Bluffton, South Carolina, for a job at The Island Packet in 2016, they found the newsroom to be a different place than their previous roles. The open-plan newsroom was filled with over twenty-five reporters and editors working behind multiple monitors, flat-screen televisions, and a leaderboard screen.

The author's first real job after college was as the editor of The Daily Guide, a small community newspaper in Waynesville, Missouri. The paper faced an uncertain and precarious environment, with reporters and editors losing jobs, papers consolidating, and print pivoting to digital. GateHouse Media, the corporate overlords of The Daily Guide and hundreds of other newspapers and community publications nationwide, had a preference for new hires with low budgets and outsize responsibilities.

The author struggled to get their bearings and cover each day, with faxes being the main form of communication from many local institutions. They faced criticism from readers who marked the paper with mistakes and left rude comments. However, there were some bright spots, such as meeting the mayor, Luge Hardman, who suggested a memorial profile on a former city councilor who had recently died. This experience taught the author the importance of connecting with grieving families or crime victims before cold-calling anyone in a vulnerable state.

Over the two years at The Island Packet, the author faced constant disappointments from GateHouse corporate, as they had to fight for resources like freelancers and cameras. They eventually stopped trying and ate the cost or did everything themselves.

The author, a digital editor at Commercial-News in Danville, Illinois, was offered a job by the newspaper due to its high crime rate and lack of opportunity. The paper covered a wide range of crime, including drug, property, and violent crimes. After moving, the author realized that the situation at CNHI was similar to their previous one, with executives living lavishly while journalists were barely scraping by. The company's strict management and mandatory furloughs added to the hardships.

The author wanted to be an investigative reporter who could produce work that made a difference and renew people's faith in journalism. They applied to journalism jobs on journalismjobs.com and found Charles from The Island Packet in Bluffton, South Carolina, who seemed like a mentor. The author's first day at The Packet was filled with new beginnings, as they met with editors and learned about his extensive journalism background.

The author felt like they were finally being seen professionally, with Charles having held leadership positions at other papers throughout the South. This experience inspired the author to pursue a career in journalism, as they aimed to create change and make a difference in the world.

As a digital projects producer at The Packet, I focused on finding stories that others weren't covering, packaging other reporters' stories for online, and strategizing new ways to increase pageviews. Digital was a primary focus at nearly every meeting, and the Packet was owned by McClatchy, which put a compelling spin on the power of clickbait stories. McClatchy set monthly pageview goals for each reporter, and their success and opportunities for advancement seemed very much tied to meeting those goals.

I found most of my viral story leads on Facebook, and I learned that having a friendly and approachable online presence was important for me as a reporter. I realized that stories about sharks and alligators did well, and I would message the person and ask for permission and some details. I always made sure to write about animals respectfully and included some educational element or new information from a marine biologist or herpetologist.

I also got really into storm coverage, as the Hilton Head area was no stranger to hurricanes. I evacuated to Columbia along with some editors and another reporter, and ended up in charge of all our coverage. Working with some reporters who had stayed on the ground in Hilton Head, I produced coverage that included service pieces on how and where to evacuate, updates from press briefings, and plenty of photo and video stories showing the situation locally.

Our coverage really helped the community, and Charles said I did a good job. I was struck by how the locals on the ground took care of each other, and I started being more active on Twitter, where people put the word out that they were available to check on houses for those who had evacuated.

In the early months of my journalism career, I began to understand the roles of different individuals in the newsroom. I admired investigative reporter Erin Heffernan, who uncovered corruption and nepotism in the school district. Liz Farrell, an editor and columnist, was admired for her leadership skills and ability to cover various topics. However, her boss, Charles, was hard on her, making her doubt herself and portraying her as an unserious journalist. Despite this, I was encouraged by Charles and tried to believe in his abilities.

In the summer of 2017, I was assigned to cover a live taping of the Bachelorette in Bluffton, which changed the course of my career. The Bachelorette was the season of Rachel Lindsay, the first Bachelorette of color, and the production turned an entire block of Old Town into a street party with a huge concert stage where country singer Russell Dickerson would perform.

Liz Farrell and the author were assigned to cover an event, with Liz writing a column and the author doing a clickbaity roundup. They had done one story together in the past, where they visited a local romance novelist's home and made a video. However, they were excited to see Liz at the big event, as it was filled with energy and people. They knew the Bachelorette couple would be there, but they wanted to find something more exclusive.

Liz and the author were like a cross between a treasure hunter, archaeologist, and heat-seeking missile. They wanted the real story, not the prepackaged one, and they wanted the pictures no one else was taking. They found a mansion lit up with floodlights and security stationed in the driveway, where they could see Rachel Lindsay seated at a table in the backyard. This was their first spark of getting something big that no one else had.

After a few drive-bys, they decided to park a couple blocks away in hopes that Rachel and her date would walk by them on their way to the concert. They got the shot that they knew would be picked up around the country, while every other journalist would be writing the same sanitized, ABC-packaged recap. They skipped the concert and Liz gave the author a ride home so they could get a jump on writing up their coverage.

The next morning, they watched their stories go live, and their tweets were picked up by many national outlets. Liz