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Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced South Carolina lawyer, faced another trial this week – accused of “orchestrating a campaign” to blame an innocent teenager for his son’s fatal boat crash drunk in 2019.
The addict attorney’s son, Paul, was on trial for the accident when he was found shot dead alongside his mother Maggie Murdaugh, 52, in June this year.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, Connor Cook, one of the people on the boat at the time of the crash, claimed Murdaugh had cheated on him to protect his son – even though he knew he had been “Drunk and traveling at excessive speeds” when the crash killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
Murdaugh – currently in rehab on bail for orchestrating his own shootout in a doomed life insurance scam – immediately “searched for all or most of the ship’s passengers in an attempt to control the narrative of this. that happened, “insisted Cook’s lawsuit.
While Cook, 19, was taken to x-rays for a broken jaw, Murdaugh cornered him and told him to “keep his mouth shut” when asked who was operating the boat, according to the lawsuit.
Murdaugh then “encouraged and instructed” Cook to retain attorney Cory Fleming, who also ordered him to “refuse to be questioned by law enforcement,” the lawsuit said.
But Murdaugh made no mention of how Fleming was his college roommate, best friend and godfather to his drunken son, according to the lawsuit.
Without mentioning the “conflict of interest”, all of the advice given “was to the benefit of Paul and [Alex] Murdaugh and against the interests of Fleming’s new client, ”Cook said, according to the lawsuit.
This made him an “involuntary Paul Murdaugh protection officer” – instead exposing Cook to “the potential to be charged” and held responsible for the accident, according to the lawsuit.
“Murdaugh and others were campaigning for Connor Cook to be held criminally and civilly responsible for the boat accident,” the court documents said.
This included “a” whispering campaign “against him – as well as” misguided law enforcement and possible obstruction of the investigation. “
The lawsuit noted that Murdaugh’s son had not been tested for his blood alcohol level despite “his obvious intoxication” and “the loud and angry statements of at least one of the passengers that Paul Murdaugh was driving. the boat “which belonged to his father. .
The lawsuit claimed Paul had his father’s “express permission” to drive his boat when he knew he would “often drink to the point of drunkenness” even while driving “family vehicles, including boats” .
The lawsuit also names Buster Murdaugh – the surviving son of the lawyer, for whom he allegedly tried to get $ 10 million in his assisted suicide plot – for allowing his brother to use his ID to purchase the alcohol. The store and the employee who sold it to him are also named.
Together, they are “responsible for all damages” because of “their negligent, negligent, grossly negligent and reckless acts and omissions,” the lawsuit said.
A spokeswoman for Alex Murdaugh told the Post and Courier that his attorneys would not be able to comment until they could review the lawsuit with their client, who is in rehab for an addiction. opioids reported.
“Right now, their focus is on supporting Alex’s recovery,” spokeswoman Amanda Loveday said.
Fleming could not be reached immediately for comment, the outlet said.
The double murder of Paul Murdaugh and his mother – whose bodies were found by Alex – has yet to be resolved. No suspect has been named.
The same force also announced last week that it is now investigating the suspicious death of Murdaugh’s longtime housekeeper at her home, as well as up to $ 4 million in insurance money that has been collected but never passed on to his family.
Murdaugh is also under a state investigation into allegations he stole money from his family law firm, which fired him and led to his suspension from his right to practice law in the state.
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