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A federal judge last week ruled that a Pennsylvania-based insurance company is not on the hook for any potential liabilities generated by suspended South Carolina attorney Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh or his son Richard Alexander “Buster” Murdaugh, Jr. in connection with the death of a teen in a 2019 boating accident.
“He expected one thing,” the judge said while referring to Murdaugh’s purchase of insurance. “He received something else.” The judge said that’s a problem for the Murdaughs — and not a problem the courts can fix.
This image taken by a South Carolina coroner shows a boat owned by Alex Murdaugh and allegedly operated by Paul Murdaugh after it crashed into a bridge pier on Feb. 23, 2019. (Image obtained from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request by Law&Crime.)
The insurance case is tightly connected to an underlying lawsuit concerning the death of Mallory Beach, 19. According to multiple civil lawsuits, Beach died when Alex’s son (and Buster’s brother) Paul Murdaugh bought alcohol using Buster’s driver license at a convenience store. Paul allegedly became drunk after the purchase and operated a boat owned by his father Alex. Paul allegedly crashed into a bridge pier; Beach, one of his passengers, died as a result of the Feb. 23, 2019 collision. Civil litigation against the Murdaughs ensued.
Paul Murdaugh was captured by a security camera leaving a Parker’s convenience store carrying several cases of alcohol prior to the boat crash which killed Mallory Beach. (Image obtained from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request by Law&Crime.)
