South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh may know who killed his wife and son — and that their slayings reportedly fueled his opioid addiction.
Dick Harpootlian, one of Murdaugh’s attorneys and a South Carolina state senator, told “Today” that Alex Murdaugh’s depression over June’s slayings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, 52 and 22, led him to embezzle money from his law firm to fund his pill abuse. The lawyer also claimed that the day Alex Murdaugh was found shot in the head, he attempted to acquire a large number of opioids and decided to end his life.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Murdaugh called 911 and said he had been shot in rural Hampton County. A day earlier, he resigned from his family law firm amid allegations he misappropriated funds. Two days after the shooting, Murdaugh said he was entering rehabilitation for drugs.
Authorities now believe Alex Murdaugh had an ex-client, Curtis Edward Smith, 61, shoot him so his surviving son would receive a $10 million life insurance payout.
“He believed that $10 million policy had a suicide exclusion. Suicide exclusions are only good for two years, and he didn’t realize that. So he arranged to have this guy shoot him,” Harpootlian explained to the “Today” show.
Smith was arrested on Tuesday and 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.
Harpootlian also claimed there is no link between Alex Murdaugh’s shooting and the shooting that killed his wife and son.
No arrests have been made in connection with Maggie and Paul Murdaugh’s murders. Alex Murdaugh has not yet been criminally charged in connection with the alleged life insurance plot.
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[Featured image: L-R-Buster, Maggie, Paul, Alex/Facebook
