Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Lawyer Turns Himself In After Arranging His Own Murder So Son Could Get Insurance Payout

Lawyer Turns Himself In After Arranging His Own Murder So Son Could Get Insurance Payout
Hampton County Detention Center

A lawyer from South Carolina, whose wife and son were killed in June, turned himself in to Hampton County Law Enforcement Center on Thursday after allegedly arranging to stage his suicide so his surviving son could collect his life insurance payout.

According to a statement from South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Alex Murdaugh faces charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report.



On September 4, Murdaugh, 53, survived a "superficial gunshot wound to the head" on a roadside, and a family member claimed the shooter was an unidentified man in a blue truck.

It turned out the gunman was a former client of Murdaugh.

The man was identified as Curtis Edward Smith, 61, and according to an affidavit to support charges against him, Smith was given the firearm by Murdaugh—with whom he conspired to kill him as part of a life insurance scheme that would have allowed the lawyer's only living son to receive a $10 million payout.

On Thursday, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel issued a statement reading:

"I can assure you that SLED agents will continue working to bring justice to anyone involved with any criminal act associated with these ongoing investigations."
"The arrests in this case are only the first step in that process."

You can watch a news report here.

youtu.be


Murdaugh's late son, Paul, was previously in the news when in 2019 he was involved in a fatal boat crash leading to the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach.

According to court records obtained by CNN, Paul—then 19–pleaded not guilty to charges of boating under the influence causing death.

On June 7 of this year, Murdagh called 911 after discovering his wife, Margaret, and Paul were fatally shot outside their home in Islandton.

Murdaugh decided to end his life after their deaths but believed his life insurance policy had a suicide exclusion, according to one of his attorneys, Dick Harpootlian.

Harpootlian told NBC's Today Show, Murdaugh's September 4 plot "was an attempt on his part to do something to protect" his remaining eldest son.

Twitter users struggled to wrap their head around this case.




Harpootlian added Murdaugh will be returning to an out-of-state rehabilitation center where he is being treated for an opioid addiction his attorneys believe contributed to his misappropriation allegations and the staged suicide.

"He has fallen from grace," his attorney said of Murdaugh's grief over the loss of Margaret and Paul.

"But before any of that falling happened, his wife and son were brutally murdered, and that has had an extraordinary effect on him. So we'd ask you to allow him to go and help heal himself."
The deaths of Margaret and Paul remain unsolved and Murdaugh has denied any responsibility.
There still have been no arrests made in that case.
Social media users were highly suspicious of Murdaugh.


But the plot thickens. SLED just announced they are now revisiting a case involving the 2018 death of the Murdaugh family's longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.

Satterfield's two remaining sons said they never received any settlement money in a wrongful death suit.

A coroner also came forward and said the victim never had an autopsy for her death, and that there was an inconsistency found on her death certificate.


The coroner's request to SLED said:

"The decedent's death was not reported to the Coroner at the time, nor was an autopsy performed."
"On the death certificate, the manner of death was ruled 'Natural,' which is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident."

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less