This South Carolina Lawyer Tried To Arrange His Own Murder So His Son Could Collect His $10 Million Life Insurance

In June 2021, the wife and youngest son of Alex Murdaugh were murdered at their rural estate, sending him into a spiral that ended with him hiring a hitman to kill him.

With a wife and two sons, South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh appeared to have it all. That is, until June when his spouse and son were killed in an unsolved murder case. The pain of losing them caused him to fall into a deep depression exacerbated by his long-standing opioid addiction.

By the end of August, Alex Murdaugh had arranged to have himself murdered so that his surviving son could collect the $10 million life insurance, which Murdaugh falsely believed wouldn’t be paid out if he died by suicide.

It was the culmination of years of scandals and accidents that plagued this prominent South Carolina legal dynasty, whose roots in the area go back 111 years.

According to CNN, the 53-year-old attorney was shot in the head in the middle of the street on Sept. 4 but managed to survive. Murdaugh initially told authorities that the gunman was a stranger with a blue truck but has since admitted to having hired the man himself — a former client named Curtis Edward Smith, who also supplied Murdaugh with oxycodone.

The 61-year-old shooter has been charged with assisted suicide, assault, and battery of a high and aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Alex Murdaugh himself was allowed to surrender at the Hampton County jail on Sept. 16. He has been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, as well as with filing a false police report in connection with his 911 call after his failed suicide by proxy.

According to NBC News, Murdaugh orchestrated the failed murder to occur while he was fixing a flat tire that didn’t need fixing. While attorney Richard Harpootlian maintains his grieving client was depressed when he arrived at this decision, Murdaugh’s past has presented some rather pressing questions.

“The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life,” Murdaugh wrote in a public statement. “I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders.”

It appeared that Murdaugh enacted the failed scheme after several months of increasing opioid abuse. He had previously represented Smith in an unrelated case and provided him with a gun and instructions to gun him down in the middle of a South Carolina roadway.

“For the last 20 years, there have been many people feeding his addiction to opioids,” his lawyers said in a statement. “During that time, these individuals took advantage of his addiction and his ability to pay substantial funds for illegal drugs. One of those individuals took advantage of his mental illness and agreed to take Alex’s life, by shooting him in the head.”

While this harrowing saga might now appear concluded, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has noted some strange happenings in Murdaugh’s past. The office has reopened several cases involving mysterious deaths in proximity to Alex Murdaugh and his family.

In 2018, the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, was found dead in their home of a purported “trip and fall accident.” She had served the wealthy family for more than 20 years, although the Hampton County coroner has now noted some troubling inconsistencies in the manner of her death.

“The decedent’s death was not reported to the Coroner at the time, nor was an autopsy performed,” the coroner told SLED in an official request to reopen the case. “On the death certificate the manner of death was ruled “Natural,” which is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident.”

Satterfield’s estate had sued Alex Murdaugh for $500,000 following her death but has yet to receive a penny. This week, her family’s lawyer, Eric Bland, filed another lawsuit against Murdaugh and the Palmetto State Bank on Wednesday. In the meantime, authorities have begun to detangle yet another case with possible connections to the family.

Stephen Smith was found dead in an apparent hit-and-run about 10 miles from the Murdaugh’s rural property in 2015. It remains unclear just how the 19-year-old was connected to Murdaugh, though SLED has found it imperative to reopen an investigation into his death as a result of Murdaugh’s arrest and the recent murders of his 52-year-old wife and 22-year-old son.

Ultimately, Murdaugh has never wavered from his vehement denial of responsibility in regards to his family tragedy.

Two days after he was reported shot in the head, Murdaugh released a public statement in which he announced he was headed to rehab and had resigned from his law firm amidst allegations he had misappropriated millions in funds to sustain his addiction for two decades.

“I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues,” he wrote. “I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.”

As Murdaugh’s attorney Richard Harpootlian said, his losses “took a tremendous toll on him” and sent him into “a massive depression.” Hiring Smith to shoot him merely “was an attempt on his part to do something to protect his child.”

And, according to Harpootlian, Alex Murdaugh’s arrest provided him with sobriety for the first time in months. “We actually had the first conversation we’ve ever had with him where he wasn’t on opioids or oxy,” he said. “And as a result of that, he clearly knew what he had done was wrong.”

And as it stands, Murdaugh is cooperating with SLED on all accounts in hopes that police resources can be redirected back to finding who killed his wife and son.

Comments

"The skin hung from my back like a rugged cloth"

"The skin hung from my back like a rugged cloth" Sumiteru Taniguchi was 16 years old when the atomic bomb fell over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. He worked as a letter carrier when the blast threw him from his bicycle. He recalled: "When I woke up, the skin of my left arm from the shoulder to the tip of my fingers was trailing like a rag. I put my hand to my back and found my clothing was gone, and there was slimy, burnt skin all over my hand." The heat from the bomb had melted the skin on his back and left arm, he remembered that he did not feel any pain. Confused and disoriented, Taniguchi searched for help in the chaos: "Bodies burned black, voices calling for help from burning and collapsed buildings, people with flesh falling off and their guts falling out... This place became a sea of fire. It was hell." He stumbled upon a group of survivors which helped cutting off loose parts of the skin, and then carried to a hill to rest among other wounded. ...

Leonard Siffleet about to be beheaded with a sword by a Japanese soldier, 1943

Leonard Siffleet about to be beheaded with a sword by a Japanese soldier, 1943 A photograph of the Japanese soldier Yasuno Chikao an instant before he strikes off Siffleet’s head was taken from the body of a Japanese casualty later in the war, 1943 A Japanese soldier executes an Australian POW Leonard Siffleet was an Australian Special Forces radio operator, sent on a mission to Papua New Guinea to establish a coast watching station. In September 1943, his patrol was sent to Japanese-held New Guinea, to recon the Japanese forces stationed there. Siffleet and two other Australian soldiers were captured by local natives friendly to the Japanese and turned over to the Japanese. All three men were interrogated, tortured, and confined for approximately two weeks before being taken down to Aitape Beach on the afternoon of 24 October 1943. Bound and blindfolded, surrounded by Japanese and native onlookers, they were forced to the ground and executed by beheading, on the orders of Vice-Admiral...

History’s Worst Execution Methods: Flaying

History’s Worst Execution Methods: Flaying Flaying — better known as “skinning alive” — has a long and grotesque history. Records of the practice exist as far back as the Neo-Assyrian Empire (beginning in 911 B.C.), but it has cropped up in most civilizations at one time or another, including Medieval Europe (where it tended to be used as a punishment for traitors) and in the ritual human sacrifices made by the Aztecs in Mexico (the Aztecs, at least, are believed to have skinned the body after the sacrifice had been made). Various techniques have been utilized in the many different cultures in which flaying has been employed, but the basis remains the same: Slowly, excruciatingly slicing the skin from the body while keeping the victim alive for as long as possible (and when feasible, removing the skin intact). Rendering Of Flaying Wikimedia Commons Carvings from the Assyrian period show the process beginning with incisions to the thighs or buttocks, while the European method — pictured...

This historic photograph was taken in Nagasaki, in September 1945, shortly after the atomic bombing of this city on August 9, 1945

This historic photograph was taken in Nagasaki, in September 1945, shortly after the atomic bombing of this city on August 9, 1945. A 10-year-old boy stands military stretched and waits his turn at the funeral bonfire to cremate his little brother who died in the bombing. A soldier from the funeral team noticed the boy was tired of standing with the burden and offered to lay the dead child on the ground. He replied, "It's not heavy. This isn't hard for me. This is my brother.'' The author of the shot Joe O’Donnell wrote in his memoir, “I saw a boy walking for about ten years. He carried a child on his back. Those days in Japan, we often saw children playing with their younger siblings by sitting them on their backs, but this boy was clearly different. I thought he was here for some good reason. He had no shoes on. His face was all hard. The child's head was spinning from side to side as if he were sleeping. The boy just stood there for five or ten minutes. Peop...

August 8, 1982. A line drive foul ball hits a four year old boy in the head at Fenway

August 8, 1982. A line drive foul ball hits a four year old boy in the head at Fenway August 8, 1982. A line drive foul ball hits a four year old boy in the head at Fenway. Jim Rice, realizing in a flash that it would take EMTs too long to arrive and cut through the crowd, sprang from the dugout and scooped up the boy. He laid the boy gently on the dugout floor, where the Red Sox medical team began to treat him. When the boy arrived at the hospital 30 minutes later, doctors said, without a doubt that Jim's prompt actions saved the boy's life. Jim returned to the game in a blood-stained uniform. A real badge of courage. After visiting the boy in the hospital, and realizing the family was of modest means, he stopped by the business office and instructed that the bill be sent to him! Undiluted Relationship and information bring you undiluted serial killer story, serial killers facts, murder, true crime, true crimecommunity, horror, truecrime addict, crime , tedbundy , homicide ,h...

Prisoner Joe Arridy, who had an IQ of 46, gives his toy train to another prisoner before he is executed for a terrible crime he did not commit, 1939

Prisoner Joe Arridy, who had an IQ of 46, gives his toy train to another prisoner before he is executed for a terrible crime he did not commit, 1939 Joe Arridy was a man who lived in Pueblo, Colorado and his parents were Syrian. While growing up, Joe displayed signs that he was severely intellectually disabled. He began to talk a lot later than the average toddler and he could not form long sentences, instead he spoke a few words at a time. In psychology, this can be a sign that cognitive capabilites in a child are low, which means problem solving, counting, understanding basic concepts and knowing right from wrong will often be very challenging for that individual. Joe attended one year of elementary school before being pulled out as it was too difficult for him. Joe's father then admitted him to the State Home. Joe lived here on and off for a few years. It was also reported that Joe was mistreated and often beaten by the local neighbourhood kids. Joe, at the age of 21, left Puebl...

John Scopes arrested for teaching evolution, May 5, 1925

John Scopes arrested for teaching evolution, May 5, 1925 History Science teacher John Scopes is prosecuted for teaching the theory of evolution at a Tennessee public school, 1925 The Scopes Trial, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was the 1925 prosecution of science teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school, which a recent bill had made illegal. The trial featured two of the best-known orators of the era, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow, as opposing attorneys. The trial was viewed as an opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of the bill, to publicly advocate for the legitimacy of Darwin’s theory of evolution, and to enhance the profile of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The Scopes trial, formally The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, and commonly referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was an American legal case from July 10 to July 21, 1925, in which a high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating...

IN 1998 ,SONY ACCIDENTALLY SOLD 700,000 CAMCORDERS THAT COULD SEE THROUGH PEOPLE’S CLOTHES

In 1998, Sony accidentally sold 700,000 camcorders that had the technology to see through people’s clothes Yes You heard it right,in year 1998 sony sold 700,00 camcorder that had technology to see through your clothes,well what was that? lets check out.. The cameras had special lenses that use infrared light (IR) to see through some types of clothing,such as on dark colored, thin clothing – like swimsuits. The main factor is how well the fabric absorbs IR light waves. It’s not for regular digicams, but rather for camcorders with a IR night vision mode, and the resolution is low. Sony recalled the camcorders when they found out about this, but the night vision camcorders that they subsequently released,some people figured out how to modify the camera to get the see-through-clothing functionality and hundreds of the modified cameras are for sale on the Internet. The camera with all the filters sells for about $700 brand new, and is easy to obtain.Sony said it has no responsibility f...

A cop trying to pin down a striker during the RCA Victor (Consumer electronics company) strike at Camden, New Jersey, USA, 2 July 1936.

A cop trying to pin down a striker during the RCA Victor (Consumer electronics company) strike at Camden, New Jersey, USA, 2 July 1936. Was unable to find a historical retelling of events but by looking at some articles from the time I was able to piece some things together from Time and the New York Post. It appears the main demands by the strikers was an abolition of RCA's company union (a worker organization which is dominated or unduly influenced by an employer, and is therefore not an independent trade union), and a 20% wage increase. Things started off peacefully with the strikers picketing the plant and the strikers and the RCA trying to drown out each other's music that was being played on loudspeaker. RCA then started to employ strikebreakers (scabs) and then things appeared to have escalated from there. With strikers accused of “jabbing girl employees with pins” and hurling eggs filled with paint and the scabs were accused of throwing red pepper, hot metal and “light ...

Hannelore Schmatz.

Hannelore Schmatz. On October 2, 1979, 39-year-old Hannelore Schmatz and her team led by her husband, had reached the summit of Mount Everest via the southern route. On their way down, the expedition was forced to stop about 100 meters shortof Camp IV (there are four camps before the summit), where Schmatz collapsed and died from exhaustion. Another climber, American Ray Genet, also died, but the rest of the team survived. In the ensuing years, Schmatz’s body haunted people climbing the southern route. Her body was recognizable because it appeared to be sitting casually, still dressed in the clothes she died in. Also, even though she was dead, her eyes were openand her hair would blow in the wind. In 1984, a Nepalese police officer and a Sherpa tried to move Schmatz’s body, but they died in the process. After about 20 years, the wind pushed Schmatz’s body into a valley below where it remains to this day. Undiluted Relationship and information bring you undiluted serial killer story, se...

Vwegba Blogging World

Search This Blog

Search on Wikipedia

SO Sad! Transgender Woman Pleads For Life Before Mob Beat Her To Death. click image to read story

Featured Post

10 Reasons Why Men Should Quit Watching Po*n