Alex Murdaugh Settles Lawsuit Over Son’s Deadly Boat Crash

Alex Murdaugh has reached a settlement in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from a 2019 boat crash that claimed the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, a tragedy linked by prosecutors to Murdaugh’s subsequent murder of his wife Maggie Murdaugh and son Paul Murdaugh.

The agreement involves a $500,000 payout from an insurance policy held on the boat, marking the end of the lawsuit that uncovered Murdaugh’s financial misdeeds and his attempts to steal millions from clients and his law firm.

The lawsuit was initiated by Beach’s family after Paul Murdaugh, Alex’s youngest son, crashed the boat into a Beaufort County bridge while under the influence of alcohol.

At the time of the accident, Paul Murdaugh was found to have a blood-alcohol level exceeding 0.28 percent, significantly over the legal limit. The crash not only resulted in Beach’s death but also injured several other passengers on the boat.

The Beach family had previously secured over $15 million in settlements from various parties, including the convenience store chain Parker’s Kitchen and the family hosting an oyster roast attended by the group.

They also pursued lawsuits against the bar that served Paul Murdaugh liquor just before the crash and against his older brother Buster Murdaugh, whose identification was used to purchase alcohol.

Initially, a dispute with the boat’s insurer, Progressive, hindered the settlement process. Progressive refused to pay out until Alex Murdaugh was removed as a defendant in the Beach family’s case.

Following the assurance from special receivers that all Murdaugh assets would be accounted for, the Beach family agreed to conclude the case. Judge Daniel Hall confirmed the insurer’s payment in an order filed Monday.

In related developments, other passengers injured in the boat crash have also settled their lawsuits against Murdaugh and additional parties involved.

Currently, Alex Murdaugh, 56, is serving a life sentence without parole for the murders of his wife Maggie Murdaugh and son Paul Murdaugh in June 2021 at their Colleton County home. Despite his denial of the killings, he is appealing his convictions.

Even if Alex Murdaugh’s appeal is successful, he remains incarcerated due to his admission of stealing approximately $12 million from clients and his law firm, including funds meant for an accident survivor who was left paralyzed and a trust for children whose parents were killed in crashes. This led to a 40-year federal prison sentence.

Prosecutors argue that shortly before the murders, Murdaugh was preparing for a financial hearing regarding the Beach lawsuit, in the belief that investigations would reveal his thefts.

They contend that the killings were a calculated move to delay proceedings and resolve Murdaugh’s financial troubles.

The lawsuit, widely referred to as the “Boat Case,” exposed the Murdaugh family’s extensive influence over the justice system in Hampton County and illustrated their long-held power. Witnesses reported that during hospital visits, Paul and Alex Murdaugh attempted to manipulate accounts of the crash, further indicating the family’s attempts to control the narrative surrounding the tragedy.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press