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What is it about the Alex Murdaugh case that has people so fascinated? One expert explains

A criminal lawyer who is also a sociocultural professor at Benedict College talks about why.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thousands of people across the world became fascinated with the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. 

It's all anyone's been talking about for the last few months.

So what is it about this specific case that has people so fascinated?

News19 caught up with a criminal, employment, and civil rights lawyer who doubles as a sociocultural professor at Benedict College.

Sybil Rosado said that for locals related to or tied to the family, there's an obvious intrigue. 

For outsiders, she said it's the level of power the Murdaughs had over their small community. 

"They were heroes for so long that you end up knowing them because they're the heroes, so then when they turn villain, your interest is just as high. People were just as concerned about what happened, what is this story about and it's of course a very engaging story," Rosado said.

Rosado added that the new information revealed in the trial let people imagine what could've happened, and she adds everyone loves solving a puzzle. 

"This situation represented a puzzle. It was a digital puzzle, it was a crime puzzle, it was a power and control puzzle," she said.

One Columbia woman says she doesn't follow true crime or horror movies, but this was different. She said there were so many questions she had wanting to investigate. 

"It was interesting seeing his son there in the courtroom, but he didn't really show any type of emotions. He was just there like everybody else," Jacqueline Williams a Columbia resident said.

A man who says he followed along simply for the fact that he's a lawyer. 

"This isn't something that happens in South Carolina every day. Certainly (it's) not something that happens in Hampton every day, so I think that's why people were really drawn into this," education lawyer Tom Barlow said.

These people say there are still unknown factors they're curious about: The murder weapons, the real story of Alex's attempted suicide, and more that they'll try to discover for years to come. 

Rosado also says she fully expects a movie to be released about this high-profile trial soon.

    

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