Murder, missing money and cover-up claims: South Carolina family mystery grips America

In the swampy surrounds of South Carolina's low country, the scandal involving the wealthy, powerful Murdaughs is billowing - but if people know things, they're not saying

It's a story as thick and unctuous as South Carolina's low country mud. Those in the know aren't talking, and those who don't know are. But with six active investigations, including a murder inquiry, the case of Richard Alex" Murdaugh, a 53-year-old tort lawyer and scion of one of the state's most powerful families, has gripped America.

Last week, Murdaugh appeared in court in Columbia, the state capital, on a bond hearing over charges he misappropriated $3.5m in insurance settlements relating to the death of the family's longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. The defense and prosecution approved the bond request. Judge Clifton Newman denied it.