The Murdaugh trial begins: the family murders that rocked South Carolina

Corruption and unsolved deaths form a gothic backdrop as lawyer Alex Murdaugh stands trial for murder of wife and son

Disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh faces trial next week on charges of murdering his wife and son, part of a sprawling case that has exposed a seamy underside to political power and influence in South Carolina's lowlands.

It is a bizarre and southern Gothic tale of brutal murders, still unsolved deaths, an apparently faked assassination attempt, a family fortune and layers of small town corruption going back generations. Not surprisingly, it has gripped America and attracted the interest of numerous documentary makers.