Murdaugh Meets Karma

I rarely watch anything (no TV or cable), and am late to the true crime obsession. Lately, I have been riveted by?Petito/Laundrie,?the Idaho Four/Kohberger, and the Murdaugh Murders. My obsession lies in the study of psychopathy and sociopathy.

This post is focused on Alex Murdaugh. I am NOT making a diagnosis; that will be up to the health specialists at the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia, SC., the prison where he is currently housed.

The general public casually uses the words "narc" and "narcissist." These words can describe aspects of nearly anyone who has self-confidence or is a high achiever. This is NOT the same as someone who has narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and these terms should not be used interchangeably.?

While Murdaugh meets the DSM- 5 criteria for NPD, anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) should be considered as well. While the prevalence is thought to be between 0.5-3.5% of the general population, studies have shown that ASPD was present in over 35% of the newly incarcerated. The prevalence of NPD in the general population is roughly over 6%, although estimates vary widely, especially within certain occupations where it is apparent in over 10%.

Both NPD and ASPD are serious mental disorders, and they torment and damage the people around them. NPD and ASPD can co-exist in the same individual, and/or one of the personality disorders is present and has traits of the other. In simpler terms, there is a lot of overlap between these two (usually) incurable conditions.?

Using the DSM-5 criteria, my opinion is included in [brackets].

The main text of?fifth edition of the?Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?(DSM-5)?defines antisocial personality disorder as being characterized by at least three of the following traits:

• Failure to conform to social norms and laws, indicated by repeatedly engaging in illegal activities. [YES]
• Deceitfulness, indicated by continuously lying, using aliases, or conning others for personal gain and pleasure. [YES]
• Exhibiting impulsivity or failing to plan ahead. [Sometimes, but more often plans ahead]
• Irritability and aggressiveness, indicated by repeatedly getting into fights or physically assaulting others. [Only anecdotal evidence of physically assaulting the alleged call girl on three occasions]
• Reckless behaviors that disregard the safety of others. [YES]
• Irresponsibility, indicated by repeatedly failing to consistently work or honor financial obligations. [YES]
• Lack of remorse after hurting or mistreating another person.[YES]

The?Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition?(DSM-5) describes NPD as possessing at least five of the following nine criteria.

• A grandiose sense of self-importance [YES]
• Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love [YES]
• Believing that they are "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions) [YES]
• Requiring excessive admiration [YES]
• A sense of entitlement (unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with their expectations) [YES]
• Being interpersonally exploitative (taking advantage of others to achieve their own ends) [YES]
• Lacking empathy?(unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others) [YES]
• Often being envious of others or believing that others are envious of them [Yes, he was envious of Maggie's sister and BIL, the Proctors. Unclear if there are others that he envied. Likely believed others were envious of them.]
• Showing arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes [Not clear. He definitely used the solicitor's badge and blue lights inappropriately, but otherwise was described as charming, not haughty]

Regardless of his diagnosis or diagnoses, it is abundantly clear that Alex is a pathologic and compulsive liar, cheater, and now a convicted murderer. Many people seemed to question how one can murder their own wife (uxoricide) and child (filicide) but unfortunately, familicide is not infrequent.?

Alex stated that he was using $50k/ week on OxyContin. Even at an inflated price of $80/pill, that would be 625 pills/week, or 89 pills/day. At 30 mg/pill, that is 2679 mg/day of OxyContin. In my opinion, this is incompatible with life. The money went somewhere else, likely running drugs, gambling, bribes, offshore bank accounts, etc.

His lack of remorse is striking and chilling. The murders were absolutely gruesome. The only real remorse that I detected was about the second shot to Paul. I felt that Alex thought that the first shot to the chest would have been fatal. As Paul staggered towards him, Alex realized that he needed to take a second shot, but was off-balance. The second shot literally blew out Paul's brains, leaving his face intact. Paul was looking directly at his father during his last moments.?

Maggie's murder was equally horrific. The first shots were not fatal, and she continued to run towards her son. Alex then executed her with the last shot to her head from behind. She died watching her son die.?

I could go on and on about the intergenerational trauma in this family, including the addictions, abuse of power, and collective trauma induced by Alex. Sadly, this trial was only the beginning of the end for Alex.?

May everyone affected by this psychopath find peace.?