Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated

4 days ago 9

Editor's note: On March 2, 2023, a South Carolina assemblage recovered disgraced erstwhile attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his woman and lad astatine their state property successful June 2021. After a six-week trial, jurors deliberated for little than 3 hours earlier returning the 4 guilty verdicts successful transportation with the murders of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh was besides recovered blameworthy connected 2 counts of possession of a limb during a crime. On March 3, helium was sentenced to 2 consecutive beingness presumption successful prison.

On May 13, 2026, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh's treble execution convictions and granted him a caller trial. The tribunal held that Murdaugh was denied the close to a just trial, including an impartial jury, owed to the actions of County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill.

[This communicative primitively aired connected October 30, 2021. It was updated connected July 16, 2022.]

One communicative practically dominated the quality rhythm successful South Carolina's Lowcountry since 2021. It's a bid of cases that the locals person dubbed "The Murdaugh Mysteries" — each someway with a transportation to a salient and almighty section attorney:

911 DISPATCHER: 911, where's your emergency?

ALEX MURDAUGH: This is Alex Murdaugh. … My woman and kid person been changeable severely …

But however did it travel to this? Michael DeWitt, exertion of The Hampton County Guardian, portion of the Gannett USA Today network, says Alex Murdaugh came from a household that implicit generations grew heavy roots and amassed powerfulness and power successful this portion of South Carolina.

Michael DeWitt: The Murdaughs built an empire of sorts present successful the Lowcountry.

It began implicit a period agone erstwhile the household established a instrumentality firm. Three generations of Murdaugh men besides held the nationalist bureau of solicitor, the main prosecutor. Alex Murdaugh didn't proceed that tradition.

Michael DeWitt: Alex inherited the past sanction and the reddish hair, and precise small of the talent.

Alex worked arsenic a unpaid authoritative successful the office. But chiefly helium made a bully surviving successful the household instrumentality firm. He joined his assemblage sweetheart, Maggie, and they had 2 sons, Buster and Paul. They lived the bully life, spending clip astatine their 1,700-acre estate, and 2 backstage islands.

Seth Stoughton: They … person present generations of governmental powerfulness and governmental enactment and contacts and access, and with entree comes power.

Seth Stoughton is simply a instrumentality prof astatine The University of South Carolina.

Seth Stoughton: A almighty ineligible household successful small-town South Carolina has a batch of levers they tin pull.

But successful September 2021, it looked similar idiosyncratic was retired to situation that powerfulness with what appeared to beryllium an effort connected Alex Murdaugh's life.

According to his lawyer, Alex Murdaugh told investigators helium was changing a level tyre connected a agrarian roadworthy erstwhile a idiosyncratic successful a pickup motortruck passed by, asked Alex if helium was having car trouble, and past changeable him successful the head.

ALEX MURDAUGH [911 call]: When I turned my back, they tried to sprout maine … they shot me.

But incredibly, conscionable 12 days later, connected September 16, Alex Murdaugh appeared successful tribunal for allegedly trying to program his ain decease — by conspiring with Curtis Smith to sprout him.

Nikki Battiste | "48 Hours" contributor: Did you sprout Alex Murdaugh?

Curtis Smith: No.

Nikki Battiste: When did you archetypal conscionable Alex Murdaugh?

Curtis Smith: About 35 years ago.

Smith, a handyman, says helium is simply a distant relative of Murdaugh, but lone got to cognize Alex good a fewer years ago, and says helium started doing unusual jobs for the family.

Curtis Smith: We talked connected the telephone … astir days … conscionable chatting backmost and distant astir antithetic things.

Nikki Battiste: You've described Alex Murdaugh arsenic similar a member to you.

Curtis Smith: He was similar a member to me. … At slightest I thought helium was.

Smith was released connected enslaved and present faces six felony charges successful the shooting of Alex Murdaugh.

Murdaugh volition look 3 charges successful the shooting, but with respective ongoing investigations and lawsuits looming, galore wonderment erstwhile and however this steep autumn from grace volition end.

Michael Dewitt: Alex Murdaugh's satellite unraveled and unraveled quickly.

It each started, says DeWitt, backmost successful February 2019.

911 CALL: [Yelling and screaming successful background]

911 DISPATCHER: 911, what's your emergency?

CONNOR COOK: We're successful a vessel clang connected Arthur's Creek.

Michael DeWitt: Things began unraveling for the Murdaugh household with the vessel crash.

It was astir 2:20 am. Six young friends who had been partying crashed a vessel into a bridge. One of them was 19-year-old Paul Murdaugh.

Another was 19-year-old Mallory Beach, who disappeared that morning.

CONNOR COOK [to 911]: There's six of america and 1 is missing.

911 DISPATCHER: Who's missing?

CONNOR COOK: A female, Mallory Beach is missing. … She's successful the water.

Lynn Reavis: Mallory, she was conscionable this wonderful, fun-loving, blessed girl. And everybody loved her.

Lynn Reavis and her niece Mallory were highly close.

Lynn Reavis: You ever got a hug hullo and a hug goodbye. And the past happening she [crying] told maine was she loved me.

As investigators aboriginal learned, the fatal nighttime began astir 8 hours earlier astatine the Murdaugh family's stream location connected a backstage island. Then-19-year-old Paul Murdaugh gathered 5 friends for a nighttime of partying. Among them were Connor Cook, Connor's relative Anthony Cook, and Anthony's woman Mallory Beach. All were underage, accidental investigators – and each were drinking alcohol. Just earlier they gathered, Paul Murdaugh utilized the ID of his member Buster to bargain brew astatine a convenience store.

Michael Dewitt: And if you look astatine the video footage erstwhile Paul comes retired of the store, he's holding the brew up. … He's celebrating.

Shortly aft gathering astatine the stream home, they boarded the Murdaugh family's vessel and took off.

Investigators with South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources would aboriginal usage information from the boat's Garmin navigation strategy to make a timeline of events that led to the fatal crash. Around 8:00 p.m., the radical arrived astatine a enactment astatine a location connected the river. Just aft midnight, the six of them boarded the vessel and headed toward downtown Beaufort.

Paul and Connor decided to spell into a barroom for a drink.

MILEY ALTMAN [police interview]: He conscionable was precise persistent astir going up to Luther's and getting a shot.

Passenger Miley Altman aboriginal told constabulary successful this interrogation that the remainder of them didn't privation Paul to spell in:

MILEY ALTMAN [police interview]: It's conscionable kinda like, helium conscionable is simply a full different idiosyncratic erstwhile he's drunk.

Michael DeWitt: They went in, pounded a mates of shots. … determination astir 1:00, 1:30 … You spot the video footage of them leaving the vessel dock. It appeared arsenic if a mates of 'em were precise intoxicated.

Michael DeWitt: It was benignant of a sad, touching infinitesimal erstwhile you spot Mallory and her fellow … I think, is the past infinitesimal that anybody … captured an representation of her alive.

It was astir 1:15 a.m. erstwhile they took disconnected again connected the boat.

MILEY ALTMAN [police interview]: Paul was conscionable driving, doing donuts.

Miley Altman told investigators tempers were moving short:

MILEY ALTMAN [police interview]: And, so, Conner starts driving a small spot and past Paul, helium similar stops Conner and he's like, "No this is my boat", like, "let maine thrust …"

MILEY ALTMAN: I saw the span coming …

CONNOR COOK [911 call]: What span is … Paul, what span is this?

First responders' dash cam video captured the mayhem:

OFFICER: Alright, where's everybody other at?

UNIDENTIFIED: At the bridge, astatine the bottommost of the bridge.

OFFICER: Alright, we're inactive missing one? What's her name?

UNIDENTIFIED: Mallory Beach.

Everybody was accounted for, except Mallory Beach.

Stephen Domino: Everybody was crying, scared, shocked, conscionable disquieted astir their friend.

Then-Beaufort County Deputy Sheriff Steven Domino was 1 of the archetypal connected the scene. Paul Murdaugh wasn't saying much, but Mallory's precise distraught fellow Anthony Cook was talking to Deputy Domino.

After Domino got Anthony into his patrol car, Paul Murdaugh came into sight.

Stephen Domino: He was walking up from wherever the vessel was.

ANTHONY COOK [to Domino] Get that m----------- determination distant from me.

Stephen Domino: He really tried to unreserved done maine to get to Paul due to the fact that I conjecture helium saw him smiling.

Nikki Battiste: Paul was smiling portion Anthony's woman is missing successful the water?

Stephen Domino: Correct.

ANTHONY COOK [to Paul Murdaugh]: Why are you f------ smiling similar it's f------ funny? My f------ girlfriend's gone, bro.

That's erstwhile Anthony Cook definitively identified the idiosyncratic helium said was driving the boat:

POLICE DASH CAM VIDEO:

ANTHONY COOK: Do y'all cognize Alex Murdaugh?

STEPHEN DOMINO: Yeah, I cognize that name.

ANTHONY COOK: That's his son.

STEPHEN DOMINO: That's him driving the boat?

ANTHONY COOK: Good luck.

Stephen Domino: That's erstwhile helium indicated that helium couldn't beryllium touched.

Michael DeWitt: You're talking astir Alex Murdaugh's son. Good luck.

MALLORY BEACH AND THE BOAT CRASH

Nikki Battiste: Tell maine astir February 24, 2019.

Lynn Reavis [crying]: I had got a telephone telephone astatine astir 5 o'clock that mornin'. And my sister was callin' to archer maine that Mallory was lost, that she had been successful a vessel crash, and they couldn't find her.

Lynn Reavis says her niece Mallory had already been missing for astir 3 hours, erstwhile her household yet learned the news, but not from police.

Lynn Reavis: One of my cousins had called … our ma and wanted to cognize if she knew astir the vessel crash, that Mallory had been successful it.

Lynn Reavis: They each went … to wherever it had happened … And I conscionable couldn't go.

The hunt went connected for days.

Lynn Reavis: There was radical from different states that came, and … they wanted to help.

On the eighth day, 2 volunteers— brothers— recovered Mallory's assemblage astir 5 miles down the stream from the clang site.

Lynn Reavis: I was astatine home. And idiosyncratic called and said they had recovered her. And I fell isolated [crying].

Inside the vessel clang that killed S.C. teen

Many successful Hampton County were grieving, says Michael DeWitt.

Michael DeWitt: Hundreds of radical attended her funeral.

Lynn Reavis: There were truthful galore people. … it took, like, 4 hours … to greet everybody. … I've ne'er seen truthful galore people.

Reavis says adjacent the Murdaughs were there.

Lynn Reavis: Paul was astatine Mallory's funeral. … And they adjacent went to the — to the cemetery erstwhile we buried her.

Michael DeWitt: And successful the weeks aft that … we're conscionable waiting … Is idiosyncratic going to marque an arrest? Is determination going to beryllium an admittance of guilt oregon responsibility?

A period aft the clang — acrophobic they mightiness ne'er larn what happened to Mallory — the Beach household filed a wrongful decease suit against members of the Murdaugh family. Now the Beach household could depose the survivors astir what led to the fatal vessel crash.

Michael DeWitt: Paul was allegedly acting rash and reckless.

Lynn Reavis: Those children accidental that they begged for him to halt and they begged … "Just fto america out." And helium refused.

Nikki Battiste: And Mallory said she was scared.

Lynn Reavis: Yes. And that hurts my bosom that she was truthful terrified [crying].

In her deposition, Paul Murdaugh's then-girlfriend Morgan Doughty said, "Paul and one got into an statement due to the fact that I didn't instrumentality his side." He slapped her and spit connected her, she said — and kept leaving the boat's instrumentality to combat with her. "Whenever it was done," she said, "he would spell backmost and instrumentality implicit again." Authorities judge each that question explains the past moments recorded by the boat's Garmin device.

At 2:20 a.m., the Garmin recorded the vessel slowing down and past speeding up. Seconds later, the Garmin shows the vessel coming to an abrupt halt erstwhile it struck a piling implicit astatine the Archers Creek Bridge.

In his deposition, Connor Cook said that the greeting of the clang helium held backmost from telling investigators that Paul was driving the vessel due to the fact that helium was afraid. And, portion astatine the infirmary being treated for a breached jaw, helium says helium was told by Alex Murdaugh that helium "didn't request to archer anyone who was driving."

Michael DeWitt: Alex … reportedly went from country to country to effort to pass with the different vessel clang passengers and get them each connected the aforesaid page.

A infirmary information defender said helium overheard Alex Murdaugh connected his compartment telephone say, "She's gone. Don't worry."

Lynn Reavis: That wounded erstwhile I work that. Because … we were asleep. Did not cognize thing was goin' on. … Instead of worryin' astir … who's drivin' the vessel … Let america know.

Michael DeWitt: I deliberation that from time one, crushed zero, the effort was … what tin we bash to get Paul retired of this?

In fact, successful a caller lawsuit, Connor Cook claims Alex Murdaugh tried to framework him arsenic the operator of the boat, not Paul.

Michael DeWitt: How tin we make a unreality of disorder … and say, "Can you beryllium who was drivin' the boat?"

At the hospital, Paul Murdaugh's humor intoxicant level was tested by doctors treating him. Several hours aft the crash, the 19-year-old was 3 times implicit the ineligible bounds and was allegedly inactive acting out.

Michael DeWitt: He was getting belligerent with the nurse's staff, according to tribunal records, conscionable being large and troublesome.

But that morning, and for weeks to come, galore felt that Paul Murdaugh was not treated similar a fishy successful a crime.

Lynn Reavis: We didn't deliberation helium was gonna beryllium charged.

Nikki Battiste: Why?

Lynn Reavis: Because it was takin' truthful long. We conscionable didn't deliberation we'd spot that day. And past for it to hap connected her birthday.

Nearly 2 months aft the vessel crash, connected what would person been Mallory's 20th birthday, Paul Murdaugh was charged with 3 felony counts, including boating nether the power of intoxicant oregon drugs, and causing the decease of Mallory Beach. He pleaded not guilty.

Michael DeWitt: An serviceman of the tribunal came guardant with handcuffs to formally apprehension him, fingerprint him … and they were waved away. … like, we don't request that, you know? … So, helium was ne'er handcuffed.

In his booking photograph, Paul Murdaugh is wearing his thoroughfare clothes.

Nikki Battiste: Were you amazed that Paul Murdaugh ne'er spent a time successful jail?

Stephen Domino: I don't cognize … however it happened. My idiosyncratic opinion, yes.

Bond was acceptable astatine $50,000.

Michael DeWitt: And we spot from quality reports aft this, that Paul continued to unrecorded his lifestyle.

OFFICER [dash cam video]: How you doing sir?

PAUL MURDAUGH: Good, sir.

About a twelvemonth later, Paul got a speeding summons portion towing a boat.

OFFICER: The crushed I pulled you over, you were bookin' it. OK, I got you astatine 78.

PAUL MURDAUGH: 78?

OFFICER: Yes.

Two years aft charges were filed, determination was inactive nary proceedings day set, erstwhile connected June 7, 2021, Alex Murdaugh called constabulary and said he'd recovered his woman and lad Paul changeable dead.

ALEX MURDAUGH: Maggie and Paul.

911 OPERATOR: Maggie is her name?

ALEX MURDAUGH: Yes, ma'am. And delight hurry.

A MOTHER AND SON MURDERED

June 7, 2021, arsenic Paul Murdaugh was awaiting proceedings successful the decease of Mallory Beach, a fusillade of gunfire erupted connected the Murdaugh household estate.

ALEX MURDAUGH [to 911]: This is Alex Murdaugh astatine 4147 Moselle Road.

At 10:07 p.m., a panicked-sounding Alex Murdaugh called 911 saying helium had conscionable arrived location to find his woman of astir 28 years, Maggie, and their lad shot.

911 DISPATCHER: Is helium moving astatine all? Your son? I cognize you said that she was shot. But what astir your son?

ALEX MURDAUGH: Nobody — they're not — neither 1 of them's moving.

First responders rushed to the Murdaugh household hunting lodge, a sprawling 1,770-acre spot successful Colleton County. But it was excessively precocious — 52-year-old Maggie and her 22-year-old lad Paul were dead.

This spot of refuge wherever the household had spent their escaped clip hunting and enjoying the outdoors — wherever Paul had honed his shooting skills alongside his begetter and member — was present a gruesome transgression scene.

Nikki Battiste: Describe the absorption of the assemblage aft the treble homicide.

Michael DeWitt: Shock … A batch of radical cognize them. So, determination was grief and—and dismay from a lotta people.

Mallory Beach's aunt, Lynn Reavis, was 1 of those people.

Lynn Reavis: The thought of the fearfulness that they went through, I cried.

Nikki Battiste: Who would privation to termination a parent and son? That's what I can't halt thinking.

Lynn Reavis: We've thought astir it excessively … Things similar that shouldn't beryllium happenin' successful our small community.

But what happened successful this small assemblage soon became nationalist and planetary news.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, known arsenic SLED — the state's apical investigative bureau — took implicit the case

Michael DeWitt: The Colleton County coroner estimates that they were killed betwixt 9 and 9:30 p.m. … They were recovered reasonably adjacent to 1 different connected the crushed adjacent the canine kennels.

Maggie, a canine lover, was said to person spent a batch of clip astatine the kennels with the hunting dogs.

Michael DeWitt: Sources archer media that Maggie was killed with immoderate benignant of automatic firearm similar an AR-15 of immoderate sort. And Paul was killed with a shotgun and they were some changeable aggregate times.

At the clip the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division  hadn't named immoderate suspects, but that didn't halt societal media sleuths from espousing theories. 

Michael DeWitt: One, Alex Murdaugh had somethin' to bash with it … The different mentation was it's — this was someway related to the vessel crash. Somebody wanted justness that they didn't deliberation they would get successful the courts, successful narration to the vessel crash.

Alex claims to person an airtight alibi. He was astatine the infirmary visiting his sick begetter erstwhile the shootings took place. But alibi's tin beryllium deceiving, says Professor Stoughton.

Seth Stoughton: Sometimes the idiosyncratic down the execution is not the aforesaid idiosyncratic arsenic the 1 who pulls the trigger.

Nikki Battiste: You deliberation determination could beryllium a deed antheral possibly?

Seth Stoughton: We've surely seen different cases wherever determination are hired killers, hired guns. I wouldn't privation to suggest that is the lawsuit here. But … sometimes, radical … are astute … astir however they bash atrocious things.

Some are asking if Alex hired the antheral present accused of shooting him.

"48 Hours" interviews antheral accused of shooting S.C. lawyer Alex Murdaugh successful alleged assisted termination plot 04:14

Nikki Battiste: Did Alex ever prosecute you arsenic a deed man?

Curtis Smith: No.

Nikki Battiste: Did you termination Maggie oregon Paul Murdaugh?

Curtis Smith: No.

At a caller hearing, CBS News analogous and "48 Hours" contributor Nikki Battiste questioned Murdaugh household lawyer Dick Harpootlian astir the treble murder.

Nikki Battiste: Did Alex termination his woman and son?

Dick Harpootlian: No.

Nikki Battiste: Does helium person immoderate thought who did?

Dick Harpootlian: No

Recent reports astir the Murdaugh matrimony person raised questions astir a imaginable motive.

Michael DeWitt: People magazine, which cited unnamed instrumentality enforcement sources, claimed that … Maggie and Alex did not person a bully narration and they were gonna get a divorce. And she was consulting with an out-of-town attorney.

Nikki Battiste: Were determination immoderate problems successful Maggie and Alex's marriage?

Dick Harpootlian: Absolutely none, none. And – spot me, I was with them for astir 2 years … Always affectionate, ever courteous … conscionable a representation of home bliss.

And what astir the oldest motive successful the book? Money.

Nikki Battiste: Did Maggie and Paul Murdaugh person beingness security policies?

Dick Harpootlian: They didn't person immoderate insurance.

Nikki Battiste: They did not person beingness security policies connected Maggie and Paul?

Dick Harpootlian: They had nary insurance.

Getting to the information successful this lawsuit volition beryllium a challenge, says Professor Stoughton.

Seth Stoughton: Investigators are going to person a hellhole of a clip sorting done each of the imaginable explanations and motives … fixed the antithetic contacts and connections here. I bash not envy them that job.

As investigators were attempting to untangle the snarls of grounds successful the treble murders, they came crossed different lawsuit with a transportation to the Murdaughs. The mysterious decease of Stephen Smith.

WHAT HAPPENED TO STEPHEN SMITH?

Just 15 days aft the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, SLED made a stunning announcement: It had recovered accusation portion investigating the treble murders that led the bureau to unfastened a caller probe into an aged case: the decease of 19-year-old Stephen Smith.

Nikki Battiste: Tell me, who is Stephen Smith?

Michael DeWitt: Stephen Smith was a young antheral surviving successful Hampton County. He had a sister. They — they were twins.

Openly cheery and well-liked, Stephen attended the aforesaid precocious schoolhouse arsenic Buster Murdaugh. They were successful the aforesaid class, but seemingly travelled successful antithetic circles; neither friends nor enemies. After graduation, Buster went to assemblage to survey authorities and planetary affairs.

Stephen went to a assemblage assemblage to prosecute his imagination of becoming a nurse. But each those dreams came to a abrupt halt connected a two-lane state roadworthy sometime successful the aboriginal greeting hours of July 8, 2015. What happened to Stephen has been the taxable of rumors and speculation ever since.

Michael DeWitt: A passerby calls 911.

911 DISPATCH: Hampton County 911, where's your emergency?

CALLER: I spot idiosyncratic laying out.

911 DISPATCH: ... and is it successful the roadworthy oregon connected the broadside of the road?

CALLER: He successful the roadway. Somebody's gonna deed him, it's dark.

Stephen Smith was recovered dormant astatine the country from blunt unit trauma to the head.

Stephen's yellowish Chevy was recovered astir 3 miles distant — his wallet inside, the state headdress unscrewed. Initial reports by the S.C. Highway Patrol claimed Stephen ran into car occupation and was apt walking erstwhile helium was struck and killed by a vehicle.

But precocious released audio interviews amusement immoderate officers connected the lawsuit did not hold with that hit-and-run theory:

TROOPER DAVID.B. ROWELL | S.C. Highway Patrol: Nothin' astatine the country appeared that it was a vehicular accident.

TROOPER DAVID.B. ROWELL: … walked some shoulders of the highway, eastbound and west, looking for immoderate grounds … didn't spot thing that appeared to beryllium vehicular involved.

Michael DeWitt: There was nary conveyance debris, nary breached headlight oregon overgarment scrapes or— oregon anything.

Seth Stoughton: When idiosyncratic is deed by a car, they're precise often knocked retired of their shoes.

Nikki Battiste: Stephen Smith's shoes were inactive connected erstwhile helium was found?

Seth Stoughton: They were, and they were escaped … It surely raises questions arsenic to whether hit-and-run is the close conclusion.

Stephen's mother, Sandy Smith, told the CBS affiliate WTOC she didn't judge the hit-and-run script either.

SANDY SMITH: The lone harm to his assemblage was his head. From his close oculus socket to the backmost of his head. His close enarthrosis was dislocated.

Seth Stoughton: When idiosyncratic is struck by a car going astatine speed, I don't mean 70 mph, I mean adjacent thing similar 25, 30, 35 mph … you fly, bodies get pushed a agelong mode … the assemblage rolls and moves and there's — there's roadworthy burn, there's rash marks, there's grounds often connected the road.

Sandy Smith told Michael DeWitt's paper she believed her lad was murdered.

Michael DeWitt: She believed it was — a hatred transgression related successful immoderate mode to his sexuality, and successful our interviews with her she pleaded to the public, "If anybody knows anything, please, I privation answers."

Investigators similar Trooper Todd Proctor spent months talking to Stephen's friends, family, and imaginable emotion interests trying to get those answers.

TROOPER TODD PROCTER: You're the ninth idiosyncratic that I've talked to truthful acold astir this.

CLASSMATE: OK.

TROOPER TODD PROCTER: So, so, hopefully immoderate radical are gonna commencement talking.

In recorded audio interviews, 1 sanction kept coming up implicit and implicit again. Stephen's sister Stephanie heard that sanction aggregate times.

STEPHANIE NICOLE SMITH | Stephen's duplicate sister [to S.C. Highway Patrol]: I went into the store and a clump of radical kept coming up to maine and said, "hey bash you cognize the Murdaugh boys are down it."

Neither member has ever been named a fishy and the Murdaugh household lawyer has not responded to "48 Hours"' petition for remark connected the Smith case. But Smith household lawyer Andy Savage said publically the absorption connected the Murdaugh household whitethorn beryllium unfounded: "There are suspects we person successful show that are unconnected to Murdaugh …"

The pathologist ruled the blunt caput trauma that killed Stephen could've perchance travel from interaction with the broadside presumption reflector of a passing truck.

Now-former Trooper Todd Proctor told Fox News helium didn't judge it past and helium doesn't judge it now:

TODD PROCTOR [to Fox News]: It looked similar it was much staged. Like perchance the assemblage had been placed successful the roadway.

The lawsuit was ne'er solved and went acold until the House of Murdaugh came crumbling down 1 ceramic astatine a time.

Michael DeWitt: It's astir been a lawsuit of episodic tv where, "Tune successful this week and we'll spot what's adjacent from Hampton County, location of the Murdaughs."

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF THE MURDAUGH'S HOUSEKEEPER

On September 6, 2021, 2 days aft being shot, Alex Murdaugh recovered himself erstwhile again making beforehand leafage news, erstwhile helium stunned the satellite by releasing this statement: "I person made a batch of decisions that I genuinely regret," helium said — and announced helium was leaving the instrumentality firm.

Alex Murdaugh was present saying helium has been addicted to opioids for 2 decades, a astonishment to many.

Seth Stoughton: The thought of a 20-year-old superior opioid addiction does not look accordant with Alex Murdaugh's palmy signifier arsenic an attorney.

It wasn't lone claims of cause maltreatment present staining Murdaugh's reputation.

Murdaugh has besides been accused of stealing millions from his ain instrumentality steadfast and was asked to resign the day before helium was shot.

Michael DeWitt: Friday, the instrumentality steadfast has a travel to Jesus gathering with him … we cognize you're allegedly stealing money, you're retired … Saturday, the reported shooting … Monday, Alex releases a connection saying, "I'm going into rehab."

Then came the quality astir wherefore Murdaugh had allegedly hired Curtis Smith. He says it was to marque his termination look similar murder, truthful his lad Buster could cod a $10 cardinal security payout.

Seth Stoughton: I judge 1 of the archetypal statements was that due to the fact that helium did not cognize whether his beingness security would wage retired successful the lawsuit of a termination … he's a lawyer who was perfectly susceptible of speechmaking his security policy.

Murdaugh's confession sent Curtis Smith to jailhouse for 2 days, until helium posted a $55,000 enslaved for his alleged relation successful the shooting, and different $5,000 for possession of methamphetamine, recovered successful his location erstwhile helium was arrested.

Curtis Smith: They conscionable arrested maine based connected what helium said.

According to Smith, determination was nary fraud scheme. Alex Murdaugh called him that time to assistance with a level tire. When helium arrived, Smith says helium recovered a hopeless man, holding a gun.

Curtis Smith: He's lasting determination with it similar this [points his digit similar a weapon retired successful beforehand of him]. And helium said, you know, "you got to instrumentality attraction of this." And I said, "well, I can't bash it." … And helium told me, helium turned his head. I conscionable grabbed his arm, enactment it down his head, took the weapon from him.

Smith says the weapon went disconnected successful the struggle, but helium managed to instrumentality it from Alex and "dispose of it." Then helium got retired of determination arsenic accelerated arsenic helium could.

Nikki Battiste: Why did you permission the scene?

Curtis Smith: I didn't cognize thing other to do. He was alive.

Jonny McCoy: He was alive, and the weapon was retired of his hand.

Curtis Smith's defence attorney, Jonny McCoy.

Nikki Battiste: Some radical would think, telephone the police, telephone someone.

Jonny McCoy: Well … Alex Murdaugh is the police. He's a prosecutor. … Curtis didn't study thing due to the fact that there's nary transgression … He saved his life.

South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh surrenders aft allegedly plotting his ain killing 04:13

On September 16, 2021, facing charges of security fraud, conspiracy, and filing a mendacious constabulary report, Alex Murdaugh turned himself in. No plea has been entered yet.

Michael DeWitt: The information that a Murdaugh sat successful a seat successful a jumpsuit with handcuffs is somethin' I've ne'er seen successful my lifetime.

Despite the superior charges against him, Alex Murdaugh was released connected $20,000 bond, and allowed to spell backmost to rehab successful Florida. While there, investigators were looking into each of his concern dealings erstwhile the database of missing wealth and suspicious deaths orbiting Alex Murdaugh's satellite grew longer, and present included, Gloria Satterfield.

Ronnie Richter: Gloria was the housekeeper for the Murdaugh household for much than 20 years.

Ronnie Richter is an lawyer for the Satterfield family.

Ronnie Richter: She virtually helped rise Alex Murdaugh's sons, Paul and Buster.

In 2018, the 57-year-old died aft a trip-and-fall mishap astatine the Murdaugh estate, the precise aforesaid spot wherever Maggie and Paul would beryllium recovered dormant successful 2021.

Ronnie Richter: What's been reported is that she was astatine the location that time connected the beforehand steps. The dogs got a small rambunctious and gave her a propulsion and she fell down the stairs.

Back then, Satterfield's decease was not questioned. Instead, it was ruled "natural," and nary autopsy was ever performed.

Ronnie Richter: There is thing earthy astir a 57-year-old pistillate falling down a formation of steps and dying from caput trauma.

At Gloria's funeral, Murdaugh did thing precise odd, says Richter. He recommended Satterfield's sons record a wrongful decease lawsuit, against him. Alex adjacent steered them toward an lawyer — his erstwhile assemblage roommate and Paul Murdaugh's godfather, Cory Fleming.

Ronnie Richter: A batch of spot was placed successful some Alex and successful Cory to bash the close things, and it truly went southbound from the outset.

Court documents amusement a $4.3 cardinal payout by Alex Murdaugh's security company, but nary of the wealth ever went to Satterfield's family.

Nikki Battiste: Where did that wealth go?

Michael DeWitt: Well, allegedly it went into Alex Murdaugh's pocket.

On September 15, 2021, SLED announced it was opening a transgression probe into Satterfield's decease and the handling of her estate.

Then, connected October 14:

NORAH O'DONNELL | CBS Evening News, October 14, 2021: Another twist successful the Alex Murdaugh case. The caller transgression charges the disgraced lawyer is facing.

Alex Murdaugh past faced 2 felony charges for his alleged relation successful the Satterfield security fraud. No plea was entered successful this lawsuit either, but this time, a justice ordered Alex Murdaugh to beryllium held without bond. He's been successful the Richland County jailhouse since October 16.

And the household of Mallory Beach anticipation Murdaugh is investigated for obstruction of justness successful the probe into Mallory's death.

For the household of Mallory Beach, the grieving continues.

Lynn Reavis: There's conscionable days wherever you conscionable wanna outcry each time long.

Nikki Battiste: What would justness perchance look similar for your household now?

Lynn Reavis: Now I conscionable deliberation if the suit would beryllium settled, truthful we tin get connected with our lives. Because Mallory died astir 3 years ago. And each clip these stories travel out, it's similar it happens each implicit again.

Mallory Beach's household has created the nonprofit Mal's Palz to support her passionateness for animals live and to rise wealth to physique a caller carnal structure for the Hampton County, SC, community.

CASE UPDATES

July 14, 2022: A expansive assemblage indicted Alex Murdaugh for 2 counts of execution and 2 counts of possession of a limb successful transportation with the decease of his woman Maggie and his lad Paul.

According to his attorneys: "Alex wants his family, friends and everyone to cognize that helium did not person thing to bash with the murders of Maggie and Paul. He loved them much than thing successful the world."

Murdaugh was already facing 84 prior transgression charges. He has not entered a plea for immoderate of those charges, astir related to fraud and theft.

March 2, 2023: A South Carolina assemblage recovered disgraced erstwhile attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his woman and lad astatine their state property successful June 2021.

After a six-week trial, jurors deliberated for little than 3 hours earlier returning the four guilty verdicts in transportation with the murders of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh was besides recovered blameworthy connected 2 counts of possession of a limb during a crime.

On March 3, helium was sentenced tosentenced to two consecutive beingness presumption successful prison.

Produced by Judy Rybak, Liza Finley and Claire St. Amant. Richard Barber is the producer-editor. Ryan Smith is the improvement producer. Emily Wichick is the tract producer. Kat Teurfs is the subordinate producer. Michael Loftus and Julianna Dunphy are the broadcast associates. Jud Johnston, Michelle Harris, Diana Modica, Marcus Balsam and Kevin Dean are the editors. Anthony Batson is the elder broadcast producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is enforcement producer.

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