Police charge ‘hitman’ who was ‘hired by South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh to kill HIM for $10M life insurance policy that would go to his son’ after his wife and other son were shot dead in still-unsolved case
- South Carolina investigators say Alex Murdaugh orchestrated his own shooting
- He was shot in the head but not killed in the September 4 roadside shooting
- Alleged accomplice Curtis Edward Smith, 61, was arrested on Tuesday
- Cops say it was a conspiracy to get life insurance payout to Murdaugh’s son
- Murdaugh, 53, was allegedly shot in the head and injured on a rural road
- His wife and son were fatally shot at the family hunting lodge on June 7
- Murdaugh is under investigation for allegedly misallocating company funds
- He entered rehab for opioid addiction after resigning from the firm in disgrace
South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh orchestrated his own shooting in a botched scheme for his surviving son to collect a $10 million life insurance payment, investigators say.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed on Tuesday that an alleged accomplice in the scheme had been arrested, after Murdaugh admitted to hiring a man to murder him, WCBD-TV reported.
Curtis Edward Smith, 61, was arrested on charges of assisted suicide, assault and battery, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.
‘Mr. Murdaugh provided a statement to SLED admitting to the scheme of having Mr. Smith murder him for the purpose of his son collecting a life insurance policy valued at approximately ten million dollars,’ the agency said in a statement.
Murdaugh, who is in rehab for opioid addiction and under investigation for misallocating millions from his law firm after the unsolved murder of his wife and son in June, has not yet been arrested or charged. SLED says further charges are expected in the case.
Murdaugh is seen with his wife and son, who were shot dead at the family hunting lodge on June 7. Someone allegedly fired at Murdaugh himself on a rural roadside on September 4
Investigators work the scene where Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head and injured on Sept. 4, 2021 after he had car trouble on a rural road in in Hampton County, S.C.
Murdaugh, 53, who hails from one of South Carolina’s most prominent legal families, was allegedly shot in the head on September 4 while changing a car tire by the side of a road in Hampton County.
Murdaugh was alone at the time of the incident, but managed to dial 911 after being struck by the bullet. He was subsequently airlifted to hospital where he underwent treatment before being released.
On June 7, Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul were both shot to death at the family’s hunting lodge in a case that remains unsolved.
Murdaugh is also the subject of a criminal investigation over allegations that he misappropriated funds from the private law firm where he was a partner.
The roadside shooting came just days after Murdaugh resigned from the firm over claims that he had misallocated millions of dollars.
Following the roadside shooting, Murdaugh said he was seeking treatment for drug addiction.
On Monday, SLED announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into Murdaugh over the alleged missing funds, the latest twist in the family’s tragic and strange saga.
In making the announcement SLED Chief Mark Keel said, ‘As Chief of SLED, I continue to urge the public to be patient and let this investigation take its course.’
Murdaugh was changing the tire on his car on this rural road in Hampton County when someone shot him from a passing car, according to his attorney
It was Murdaugh who made the frantic 911 call shortly after 10pm June 7 in which he told the dispatcher that he had returned home to the gruesome scene of his dead wife and son’s bodies near dog kennels on the property.
In what appeared to be a nod to growing impatience over the lack of any suspect or information on either Maggie and Paul or Alex’s shootings, Chief Keel noted, ‘Investigative decisions we make throughout this case and any potentially related cases must ultimately withstand the scrutiny of the criminal justice process.
‘As with all cases SLED is committed to conducting a professional, thorough and impartial criminal investigation, no matter where the facts lead us.’
Murdaugh last week had his license to practice law revoked by the South Carolina Supreme Court, indefinitely.
Three generations of Murdaughs have served as solicitor for the state’s 14th Circuit Court, the equivalent of a district attorney.
Developing story, more to follow.
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