Prestigious lawyer orchestrated his own murder to get his son to collect $ 10 million in insurance, but something went wrong

A complex and unfortunate plot that involves the death of three direct relatives -two of them for a murder still uncertain-, Insurance of $ 10 million and another million dollars missing from a law firm, as well as the failed attempt to hire a drug dealer to assassinate him put Alex Murdaugh in the limelight of U.S. law enforcement news .

This prominent South Carolina lawyer found the bodies of his wife and one of their children three months ago and in early September attempted to orchestrate his own death so that his other son would receive life insurance of $ 10 million. But something went wrong: the expected fatal blow just grazed his headstate police reported on Tuesday.

Shooter, Curtis Edward Smith, he was charged with assisted suicide, insurance fraud and various other charges in the shoot. The incident happened on September 4 on a remote road in Hampton County, the state’s Law Enforcement Division said in a statement.

According to Murdaugh’s Lawyer VersionSmith sold him drugs and took advantage of his mental illness and deep depression for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and their son Paul, as well as his father’s death from cancer the same week. They said that Murdaugh told them everything that happened on Monday and that they had called state police to share his confession about the assisted suicide attempt..

“I didn’t want law enforcement spending more time on this bogus crime instead of focusing on solving the Maggie and Paul murders,” attorney Dick Harpootlian said on the show. Today.

Murdaugh was not charged Tuesday night, but MPs called him a co-accused and said more charges were expected. Harpootlian has said he hopes his client will be charged with his own shooting, but doesn’t think he knows who killed his wife and son. “It is clear that he is devastated by their death. He did not murder themHarpootlian said.

Murdaugh gave Smith the gun to kill him and Smith followed Murdaugh to Old Salkehatchie Road, firing a shot at the lawyer as he stood in the road.said a state official in an affidavit.

But that bullet only grazed Murdaugh’s head and he was able to call 911 for help., according to the authorities. Murdaugh’s attorney said last week his skull was fractured by the bullet and Harpootlian said the gunshot temporarily blinded Murdaugh.

Murdaugh wanted Smith to kill him so his surviving son would receive his $ 10 million life insurance policy, state agents said. Smith left after the shooting and disposed of the gun, authorities said.

Smith sold drugs to Murdaugh, and the lawyer was reunited with his old client on Saturday and “30 minutes later this guy shoots him in the head.” He didn’t try to persuade him not to do it, ”Harpootlian said.

Murdaugh said last week through a family spokesperson that he pulled over after the low tire pressure warning light came on on his Mercedes SUV. A man passing by in a van asked if he had a car problem and shot him.

Agents said Smith, 61, confessed on Tuesday and was charged with assisted suicide, highly aggravated assault and battery, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit a crime. insurance fraud, distribution of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

The June 7 murders of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, remain unsolved.. Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife and son at their home in Colleton County. Both had received several strokes.

Murdaugh announced two days after the shooting that he was going to rehab for a opioid addiction. He apologized to his family and said he was leaving his law firm. His lawyer’s license has been temporarily suspended. “The murders of my wife and my son created an incredibly difficult time in my life. I made a lot of decisions that I really regret, ”Murdaugh said without going into detail.

Hours later, law firm PMPED announced that Murdaugh had taken money from the company and had been fired from the company. The amount was not announced, but Murdaugh’s firm and lawyers suggested that could exceed a million dollars.

Murdaugh’s attorneys are conducting their own death investigation and have a potential suspectHarpootlian said, refusing to elaborate on anything other than saying “the reason would be personal.”

Along with the Maggie and Paul Murdaugh murders and the shooting of Alex Murdaugh, the state’s law enforcement division is also investigating the missing money, should anyone try to obstruct an investigation into a boating accident in 2019 which Paul Murdaugh was ultimately charged with; and a trailing death blow in July 2015 in Hampton County.

Murdaugh’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather served as lawyers in the area for over 80 years, and other family members were prominent civilian lawyers in the area.

(With AP information)

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