Disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh has been officially removed from a wrongful death lawsuit following a $500,000 settlement with the family of Mallory Beach, who died in a tragic boat crash in February 2019. This development, confirmed by court documents, brings a partial close to the legal aftermath of the fatal accident, which also involved Murdaugh’s son Paul, who was accused of driving the boat under the influence at the time of the crash.
Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old student at the University of South Carolina, was on board the boat with Paul Murdaugh and friends when it crashed into the Archers Creek Bridge near Parris Island. The collision threw Beach overboard, and after an extensive search, her body was discovered in a nearby river eight days later. Beach’s death sparked a lengthy legal battle as her family sought accountability for the crash.
According to law enforcement officials, Paul Murdaugh, who was also 19, was allegedly operating the boat while intoxicated. Witnesses and authorities indicated that the group had been drinking on the evening of the accident, and Paul had been observed purchasing alcohol at a Parker’s Kitchen convenience store in Ridgeland earlier that night. In 2019, Paul was charged with three felony counts, including boating under the influence causing death. However, he never stood trial due to his death in June 2021, when he and his mother, Maggie, were killed at the family’s Colleton County hunting estate. Alex Murdaugh, now serving a life sentence, was later convicted for the murders of his wife and son.
In October 2023, a court filing detailed that Murdaugh’s insurance provider, Progressive, agreed to pay $500,000 as part of a settlement with the Beach family. However, the payment was contingent upon Murdaugh’s removal from the wrongful death lawsuit. The filing stated, “Progressive will only proceed with this payout on the condition that Alex Murdaugh is released from the litigation.” This $500,000 payout was the latest in a series of legal resolutions linked to the case.
The financial settlement from Progressive adds to a prior settlement agreement reached with Parker’s Corporation. In July 2023, the Beach family settled with Parker’s for $15 million. The convenience store chain was implicated in the lawsuit because Paul Murdaugh, who was underage, allegedly purchased alcohol there before the crash. A judge approved this settlement after a prolonged period of negotiation.
The legal proceedings surrounding the wrongful death lawsuit have drawn significant attention, particularly given Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile criminal cases. Murdaugh, once a prominent Lowcountry attorney, was disbarred following allegations of extensive financial misconduct. Prosecutors argued that financial strains and the looming Beach lawsuit motivated Murdaugh to kill his wife and son, fearing that his theft of millions from clients would soon be exposed. In March 2023, a jury convicted him on two counts of murder for the deaths of Paul and Maggie, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
In addition to the murder charges, Murdaugh faced further legal consequences for his financial misdeeds. In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to 22 financial-related charges, with the court ordering him to pay $8.7 million in restitution to his victims. He received an additional 40-year sentence for these offenses, intensifying the overall penalties for the crimes he committed.
Despite Murdaugh’s criminal convictions and ongoing life sentence, the civil litigation involving Mallory Beach’s tragic death had lingered until this month’s settlement. Following Progressive’s $500,000 payout, the court closed the Beach family’s wrongful death lawsuit, bringing an end to the legal proceedings related to the fatal boat crash.
The Beach family’s attorney commented, “This resolution provides a measure of closure to the family, who has endured unimaginable loss and prolonged litigation. Our hope is that the Beach family can now begin the process of healing.”
This settlement marks the final chapter in the legal cases connected to the fatal boat crash that took Mallory Beach’s life, a tragedy that ultimately set off a chain of events ending with multiple convictions and financial penalties for Alex Murdaugh.
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