Judge freezes Alex Murdaugh's money as lawsuits grow

3 years ago 231

CHESTERFIELD, S.C. – A justice Tuesday ordered autarkic representatives to instrumentality implicit the finances of a salient South Carolina lawyer whose woman and lad were killed 5 months agone and has since recovered himself portion of a half-dozen authorities investigations and a fig of lawsuits.

Judge Daniel Hall sided with an lawyer suing Alex Murdaugh connected behalf of the household of a 19-year-old pistillate killed successful a clang connected Murdaugh's vessel which prosecutors said his precocious lad was driving and filed transgression charges.

The family's suit says Murdaugh is trying to hide millions of dollars they could perchance cod successful their suit and helium could displacement wealth betwixt chartless accounts and perchance merchantability disconnected spot and a vessel aft helium turned each his affairs implicit to his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh.

“They person refused from time 1 to springiness maine immoderate information," lawyer Mark Tinsley said.

A lawyer for Murdaugh argued astatine a proceeding earlier the justice Friday that helium has not been recovered liable successful immoderate civilian suits since his woman and lad were killed and has security to screen if helium is required to wage damages.

Attorney John Tiller besides argued if Murdaugh loses power of his assets, that would unfastened the doorway for akin things to hap successful countless different cases if the idiosyncratic who sues thinks the suspect does not person capable insurance.

Murdaugh, 53, remains successful the Richland County jailhouse without enslaved aft being charged with stealing astir $3 cardinal successful security payments meant for the sons of his housekeeper, who died successful a 2018 autumn successful his home. His ineligible squad did not instantly respond to a petition to remark connected Tuesday’s ruling.

A justice handling the Murdaugh transgression cases past period asked for a study connected his intelligence authorities earlier considering whether to acceptable bond. A day for a proceeding has not been set.

Murdaugh inherited portion of a ineligible empire successful tiny Hampton County, South Carolina. Murdaugh’s father, gramps and great-grandfather were each elected prosecutors. The family’s instrumentality firm, located successful the astir awesome gathering successful municipality aft the courthouse, has spent a period winning multimillion-dollar verdicts.

Remaining unsolved present for astir 5 months are the deaths of Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, 52, and their lad Paul, 22. Murdaugh said helium returned to their agrarian Colleton County location to find them changeable to death. Tight-lipped authorities constabulary person neither named immoderate suspects nor ruled anyone out. Murdaugh has adamantly denied having thing to bash with their killings.

The deaths pb to 5 much transgression investigations into Murdaugh, from whether helium stole wealth from the family's century-old PMPED Law Firm to the events astir his housekeeper's decease and security payout to whether helium oregon his household tried to obstruct the probe into the vessel crash.

While the transgression investigations into Murdaugh proceed — helium besides has been charged with trying to arrange his ain death truthful his surviving lad could get a $10 cardinal beingness security policy — the civilian lawsuits against him are besides piling up.

Murdaugh faces astatine slightest six lawsuits seeking wealth arsenic damages, from claims implicit the 2019 fatal vessel clang to allegations helium stole accidental decease security settlements meant for his housekeeper's sons and wealth from his family's century-old instrumentality steadfast to his ain member saying Murdaugh owes him $46,500 connected $90,000 loaned successful September successful portion to get Murdaugh into cause rehab.

The judge's determination Tuesday lone deals with the suit from the household of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. She died aft Murdaugh's vessel deed a Beaufort County span successful February 2019 and her assemblage was recovered 7 days later.

Prosecutors accidental Paul Murdaugh was driving the vessel recklessly portion intoxicated and charges against him were dropped aft helium and his parent were killed astatine the family's Colleton County location successful June.

Lawyers successful 2 different lawsuits against Alex Murdaugh filed akin motions asking to person the autarkic lawyers reappraisal and catalog each of Murdaugh’s assets and o.k. whether helium tin walk money. They volition get portion of immoderate ineligible settlements oregon judgements against Murdaugh successful the cases they are involved.

Those cases impact a antheral connected the vessel who said the Murdaugh household tried to falsely pin him arsenic the boat’s operator on with the household of Murdaugh’s late housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. The Murdaughs said she died aft a autumn successful the family’s location successful 2018.

Murdaugh has been charged with pocketing astir $3 cardinal worthy of security settlements that was expected to spell to Satterfield’s estate.

Prosecutors person accused Murdaugh of illegally diverting the wealth to his accounts. They said helium past paid disconnected a $100,000 recognition paper bill, transferred much than $300,000 to his begetter and $735,000 to himself.

“He’s surviving beauteous good for idiosyncratic with nary assets. He has a situation manager,” Tinsley said astatine Friday's hearing.

Last week, astatine slightest 2 much lawsuits were filed against Murdaugh looking to cod debts. His aged PMPED Law Firm sued, saying they loaned him $470,000 successful 2021 and has not been paid back. The instrumentality steadfast has a separate suit against Murdaugh seeking wealth they said helium stole from them. That suit didn't specify and amount, but ineligible papers person suggested it is successful the millions.

Also Randolph Murdaugh IV sued his brother, saying $90,000 helium loaned earlier his apprehension to assistance his member marque payroll and aft the apprehension for rehab has not been paid backmost minus a $43,500 tractor and rotary cutter that tribunal papers said were fixed to the member aft Alex Murdaugh archetypal tried to merchantability it.

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Follow Jeffrey Collins connected Twitter astatine https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.

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