The series is based on the Murdaugh Murders Podcast created by journalist Mandy Matney, who investigated and blogged about the unfolding case of Alex Murdaugh; Matney is portrayed in the series by Brittany Snow.

A series about the Murdaugh murders was announced as in development at Hulu in November 2022, with Universal Content Productions producing and Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr serving as creators and executive producers alongside Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund for Eat the Cat, and David Moses and Bill Johnson.

Patricia Arquette and Jason Clarke, who joined the cast in September and December 2024 respectively to play Maggie and Alex Murdaugh, also served as executive producers of the series.

Principal photography began by March 2025 in Atlanta and the surrounding areas, standing in for the real-life South Carolina setting of the case.

The series entered Hulu's 'Top 15 Today' list following its October 15, 2025 premiere and remained on that list continuously through December 4, 2025.

According to TVision, the show was the fifth most-streamed program in the United States between October 13 and 26, 2025, and stayed among the top fifteen most-streamed programs through the week ending November 9.

The series received generally positive reviews, holding a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 26 critics and a score of 63 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 15 critics, indicating 'generally favorable' reception.