Jason Ryan on the Saga of the Murdaugh Family of South Carolina’s Lowcountry—and How Alex Murdaugh Is but One Example of the Family’s Misuse of Power

Today on the show we have Jason Ryan, here to talk to us about his new book Swamp Kings: The Story of the Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power, which came out in April. We have spoken about the Murdaugh saga (as I like to call it) on the show before, and we’ll actually speak about it again in season 13. This book certainly talks about Alex Murdaugh, but it also talks about the Murdaugh family of Hampton County, South Carolina, and how Alex’s actions—as depraved as they are—are really only the tip of the iceberg. The Murdaugh power dynasty may have ended with him, but crimes like fraud, theft, and even alleged murder certainly didn’t begin with him. Jason had so much access to the key players, the history, and the place—the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Jason actually lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and his deep connections to the setting allowed for some really fantastic reporting here. Prior to Swamp Kings, Jason wrote books like Jackpot: High Times, High Seas, and the Sting that Launched the War on Drugs; Hell-Bent: One Man’s Crusade to Crush the Hawaiian Mob; and Race to Hawaii: The 1927 Dole Air Derby and the Thrilling First Flights That Opened the Pacific. I found Jason to be a delight, despite our subject matter at hand being pretty dark. Take a listen.

Swamp Kings: The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power by Jason Ryan