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Narrator: Previously
on "American Greed"...
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This is a John Grisham
work of nonfiction.
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Narrator: In South Carolina...
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This case has been
gripping the state for months.
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Narrator:
a well-respected attorney
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from a prominent legal dynasty,
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Alex Murdaugh is trusted
by injured and grieving clients
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to set things right.
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Pinckney: He looked all of us
dead in our eyes
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and told us that we don't have
anything to worry about.
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Narrator:
But behind the scenes,
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this pillar of the community
is allegedly stealing millions.
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Taking things that you
did not earn is stealing.
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Narrator: Then, in 2019,
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a tragic boat crash
involving his son Paul...
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lands the Murdaughs
in the spotlight.
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Bauerlein:
It just quickly became clear
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that things weren't
what they seemed at first.
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Narrator:
Now a horrific double murder
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helps break the spell of this
once-powerful family.
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We are learning disturbing
new details
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on that mysterious double
homicide in South Carolina.
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Narrator: And as light is shined
upon Alex Murdaugh's family,
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they're linked to probes
involving corruption,
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money-laundering,
and multiple mysterious deaths.
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Harris: It is grim,
and it doesn't seem possible
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that one family could be tied
to that many deaths
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in a short period of time.
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Narrator:
With pressure building,
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Murdaugh embarks
on a brand-new greedy scheme.
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Reporter: A shocking new twist
this morning in the case
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of a high-profile family
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at the center
of an unsolved murder mystery.
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Narrator:
Now Murdaugh's alleged victims
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and those who face him in court
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take "American Greed"
inside the story
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as a powerful Southern dynasty
comes crashing down.
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♪♪
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For years, prominent attorney
Alex Murdaugh
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has been hiding
a deep, dark secret.
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An avid hunter
and a son of privilege
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from one of his state's
most powerful legal dynasties,
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he's allegedly been stealing
millions from his clients.
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Working for a powerful law firm
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started by his great grandfather
over 100 years earlier,
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he's been hiding
his alleged scheme
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with the help
of his revered family name.
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Bauerlein: It had been an anchor
of the community for 100 years.
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So who wouldn't give the benefit
of the doubt
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to the... the person who's
the inheritor of that name?
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Narrator: But in 2019,
the deadly boat crash
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involving Murdaugh's
underage son, Paul,
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threatens to shine a light
on the powerful family.
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Reporter:
A Beaufort County grand jury
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made it official today...
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3 charges against
20-year-old Paul Murdaugh.
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Narrator: As scrutiny builds,
new revelations will forever
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alter the Murdaughs' grip
on power in the Lowcountry
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and upend the attorney's
alleged scheme.
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Bamberg: If that boat crash
never happened,
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Alex Murdaugh would probably
still be out here
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smiling in people's face
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while taking their wallet
out of their back pocket.
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Narrator:
But Murdaugh's downfall
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doesn't come all at once.
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And as it unfolds,
an unimaginable tragedy
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will claim the lives
of those closest to him.
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By the summer of 2021,
Murdaugh is in deep trouble.
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A lawsuit involving his son Paul
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and the boat crash
that killed Mallory Beach
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is threatening
to cost him millions
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and reveal the secrets hidden
in his financial records.
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On the night of June 7th,
Paul, 22,
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is home with his 52-year-old
mother, Maggie,
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at Moselle, the family's
1,700-acre hunting estate.
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Bauerlein:
Moselle is far from anything.
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It's rainy. It's rural.
It's dark.
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Narrator: According to news
reports, Paul and Maggie
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are near
the family's dog kennels
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when shots ring out,
shattering the moonlit quiet.
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Bauerlein: Paul was killed
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with two shotgun blasts
at close range...
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[ Gunshots ]
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which is really unusual,
because a shotgun is so powerful
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that almost certainly being shot
once is just...
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It just is so catastrophic.
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And then Maggie was shot
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multiple times
with an AR-type rifle.
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[ Gunshots ]
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It was ter... I mean, honestly,
it was ter...
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I'm told it was terrible.
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Narrator: Authorities
first learn of the crime
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an hour after the killings.
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Murdaugh's lawyer will later
tell a reporter
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that he has an "ironclad alibi,"
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that he was visiting his parents
at the time of the murders.
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So, who could be responsible?
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Bauerlein: From the beginning,
investigators have said
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almost nothing about this case.
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Alex's lawyers have said he
might be a person of interest,
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but they've been adamant
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that he had nothing to do
with the homicides.
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Narrator: A husband being
a person of interest
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is not unexpected
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when a wife and son
have been gunned down.
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And at first, with his alleged
financial crimes still buried,
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Murdaugh is seen largely as
a grieving husband and father.
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Bauerlein: The homicides
were shocking and horrific,
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and the funerals were just
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this massive outpouring
of support and love.
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The mother was killed.
Her son was killed.
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They're a prominent family.
They've been in the news.
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So there was a lot of sympathy.
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Narrator: But sympathy will soon
give way to scrutiny.
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Every part of Murdaugh's life
will now be dissected,
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starting with the tragic
incident
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that first called attention
to the Murdaughs' tight grip
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on power
in South Carolina's Lowcountry.
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[ Boat engine revs, crashes ]
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♪♪
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Just after
the drunken boat incident
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involving Paul Murdaugh,
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one of the survivors,
Anthony Cook,
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told police what he thought
about the likelihood
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of a Murdaugh
ever being held to account.
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It seems that
Paul's longtime friend
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may have been onto something.
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According to lawsuits,
Alex and his father
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showed up at the hospital
shortly after the crash,
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and law-enforcement officials
never breathalyzed Paul
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that night or determined
who was actually driving
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at the time
of the deadly collision.
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Joe McCulloch is
a former prosecutor
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who now represents Connor Cook,
one of the crash survivors.
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Based on my experience
as a prosecutor,
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as a defense lawyer,
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uh, as a professor
at a law school here,
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uh, I'd have to say
I'd give them about a D...
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or worse.
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Narrator: The lead agencies
declined to comment.
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But having controlled the local
prosecutors' office
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for nearly a century,
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the Murdaughs have deep ties
with law enforcement.
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This leaves some to wonder
if these alleged missteps
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can be chalked up to more
than just chaos at the scene.
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McCulloch: Well, I don't think
there's a soul alive
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that wouldn't say the Murdaughs
were a close-knit group.
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And it is a natural instinct,
um,
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for a family to protect family.
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Narrator: Shortly after
the killings at Moselle,
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South Carolina newspapers report
that a state grand jury
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is probing possible
obstruction of justice
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involving
the boat-crash investigation.
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What they may be looking at
is suggested in a lawsuit
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filed by Connor Cook.
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In it, Cook alleges
that Alex Murdaugh
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and others used their power
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to attempt to pin
the crime on him, not Paul.
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They did this "through
inadequate investigation,
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a 'whisper campaign' in
the Hampton County community,
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and law enforcement misdirection
and possible obstruction."
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McCulloch: Whether there was
influence brought to bear
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for the benefit of anybody,
for the benefit of the Murdaughs
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or anyone else in this accident
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and the extent
to which it was known
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that Paul Murdaugh
was the driver of this boat;
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the extent to which
that played a role
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in affecting this investigation,
we're still looking at.
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Narrator:
Cook's suit remains open,
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and Murdaugh has denied
the allegations
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that he improperly used
his family's power
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to aid his son.
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But the obstruction
of justice investigation
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is just one of many new probes
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that will cause people to take
an even deeper look at Murdaugh,
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the way he uses
his family's power,
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his alleged decade of thefts,
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and the role of money
in his family's double murder.
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Up next...
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after the deaths of Paul
and Maggie Murdaugh,
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law enforcement looks
at another mysterious death
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and an alleged cover-up
that occurred years earlier.
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Smith's mother
has long contended
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that the evidence
tells a different story,
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that perhaps her son
was beaten to death
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and the crime covered up.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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Narrator: Just days
after the brutal murders
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of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh,
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news breaks of an obstruction
of justice investigation
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concerning the handling
of Paul's involvement
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in the deadly boat crash
two years earlier.
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Bauerlein:
It just quickly became clear
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that things weren't
what they seemed at first,
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that these homicides were...
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Were potentially of a piece
of something much bigger.
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Narrator: This new twist
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rattles the Murdaugh clan's
teetering reputation
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while also raising questions
about their ability
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to make problems disappear.
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In a sworn deposition,
Paul Murdaugh's friend
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Connor Cook puts it this way...
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"Anything they get in,
they get out of."
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But can the family maintain
its grip on the levers of power?
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Reporter: South Carolina
authorities recently reopened
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a 2015 cold case into the death
of 19-year-old Stephen Smith.
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Until recently, that case was
an unsolved hit-and-run case.
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But Smith's mother
has long contended
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that the evidence
tells a different story,
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that perhaps her son
was beaten to death
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and the crime covered up.
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♪♪
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Narrator:
In the dark early-morning hours
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six years before
the double homicide
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at the Murdaugh
hunting property, Moselle,
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on a stretch of road
just a few miles away,
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a passerby discovers a body
in the road.
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[ Telephone rings ]
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When law enforcement arrives,
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they discover the person
in the road
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isn't just injured but dead
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and identify him
as Stephen Smith,
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a 19-year-old who grew up
in Hampton, South Carolina,
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and went to school with Alex
Murdaugh's oldest son, Buster.
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Mike Hemlepp is an attorney
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who now works
for Smith's mother, Sandy.
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Stephen was very outgoing,
very bright.
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Um, he had good friends.
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He was an outgoing,
upbeat young man
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with a very bright future
in front of him.
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Narrator: From the beginning,
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00:13:39,682 --> 00:13:41,617
state highway patrol
investigators
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make clear in their recorded
case notes
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what they think didn't happen
to this well-liked young man.
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00:14:06,342 --> 00:14:09,845
Despite the initial findings
of these investigators...
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00:14:09,879 --> 00:14:11,781
And much to their dismay...
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A pathologist
makes her own finding.
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00:14:14,417 --> 00:14:18,154
Hemlepp: The pathologist
determined it was a hit-and-run
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00:14:18,187 --> 00:14:21,123
because the body
was found in the road.
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To date, as far as I know,
that is the only evidence
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00:14:25,127 --> 00:14:28,297
that it was
a vehicular collision.
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00:14:28,331 --> 00:14:33,102
To me, at first blush, I don't
believe it was a car accident.
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00:14:33,135 --> 00:14:36,639
I believe he was...
He was killed somewhere else,
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and his body was planted there.
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Narrator:
The pathologist did not respond
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to "American Greed's"
request for comment.
248
00:14:45,815 --> 00:14:48,751
A former prosecutor,
Hemlepp is not alone
249
00:14:48,784 --> 00:14:51,887
in doubting
the hit-and-run theory.
250
00:14:51,921 --> 00:14:55,067
Case files reviewed
by "American Greed" show
251
00:14:55,091 --> 00:14:59,261
that in 2015, one highway
patrol investigator
252
00:14:59,295 --> 00:15:02,631
chased down a rumor
he heard repeatedly about
253
00:15:02,665 --> 00:15:06,035
who might be responsible
for Smith's death.
254
00:15:21,050 --> 00:15:23,419
Nothing in the case file
indicates the rumor
255
00:15:23,452 --> 00:15:26,088
was ever substantiated.
256
00:15:26,122 --> 00:15:29,191
To date, no one from
the powerful Murdaugh clan
257
00:15:29,225 --> 00:15:33,162
has been named as a suspect
in Smith's death,
258
00:15:33,195 --> 00:15:35,464
and neither Buster Murdaugh's
attorney
259
00:15:35,498 --> 00:15:37,466
nor the family spokesperson
260
00:15:37,500 --> 00:15:41,871
responded to "American Greed's"
request for comment.
261
00:15:41,904 --> 00:15:45,408
What is clear however is that,
for six years,
262
00:15:45,441 --> 00:15:49,378
the Smith investigation
goes nowhere.
263
00:15:49,412 --> 00:15:53,716
Stephen's case had just
kind of withered on the vine.
264
00:15:53,749 --> 00:15:55,751
Narrator:
But that all changes
265
00:15:55,785 --> 00:15:59,789
after the events
of June 7, 2021.
266
00:15:59,822 --> 00:16:02,825
[ Rifle cocks, fires ]
267
00:16:02,858 --> 00:16:06,896
I think after the murders
of Paul and Maggie,
268
00:16:06,929 --> 00:16:10,066
there had to be
a microscope on Alex.
269
00:16:10,099 --> 00:16:12,268
And so you start thinking about,
270
00:16:12,301 --> 00:16:14,270
"Where did the Murdaugh
name come up?"
271
00:16:14,303 --> 00:16:17,015
Narrator:
One place it comes up repeatedly
272
00:16:17,039 --> 00:16:18,874
is the Smith case file,
273
00:16:18,908 --> 00:16:21,310
where one investigator
talks to a witness
274
00:16:21,344 --> 00:16:25,114
about the family's wealth
and power.
275
00:16:47,570 --> 00:16:50,206
And in June 2021,
276
00:16:50,239 --> 00:16:52,808
the South Carolina
Law Enforcement Division
277
00:16:52,842 --> 00:16:55,611
says they're opening
a new investigation
278
00:16:55,644 --> 00:16:59,248
based on information
collected during the probe
279
00:16:59,281 --> 00:17:02,184
of the Murdaugh family
double homicide.
280
00:17:02,218 --> 00:17:05,788
They have not revealed
what that information is.
281
00:17:05,821 --> 00:17:08,391
But still, for Smith's family,
282
00:17:08,424 --> 00:17:11,594
this new development provides
a glimmer of hope
283
00:17:11,627 --> 00:17:16,899
that whoever is responsible
may finally be held to account.
284
00:17:16,932 --> 00:17:19,068
Hemlepp: The whole Smith family
does believe
285
00:17:19,101 --> 00:17:23,906
that there is justice
for Stephen somewhere.
286
00:17:23,939 --> 00:17:25,141
And we know that people know.
287
00:17:25,174 --> 00:17:26,485
We know that people
have information
288
00:17:26,509 --> 00:17:30,346
and if they want
to come forward, they can.
289
00:17:30,379 --> 00:17:35,027
♪♪
290
00:17:35,051 --> 00:17:36,519
Narrator: Coming up...
291
00:17:36,552 --> 00:17:39,655
Alex Murdaugh concocts
a greedy new scheme
292
00:17:39,689 --> 00:17:43,592
involving a gun and $10 million.
293
00:17:43,626 --> 00:17:45,127
[ Gunshot ]
294
00:17:48,531 --> 00:17:53,836
♪♪
295
00:17:57,773 --> 00:18:05,773
♪♪
296
00:18:10,086 --> 00:18:12,621
Narrator: For years,
the Murdaugh family
297
00:18:12,655 --> 00:18:15,124
has dominated a portion
of South Carolina
298
00:18:15,157 --> 00:18:18,728
through their control of both
a local prosecutor's office
299
00:18:18,761 --> 00:18:22,264
and a private law firm
known for winning big.
300
00:18:22,298 --> 00:18:26,669
Following the recent murders
of Alex Murdaugh's wife and son,
301
00:18:26,702 --> 00:18:29,014
authorities have launched
new investigations
302
00:18:29,038 --> 00:18:31,741
into potential obstruction
of justice
303
00:18:31,774 --> 00:18:34,643
and into a mysterious
death near Moselle,
304
00:18:34,677 --> 00:18:37,046
the Murdaugh family
hunting estate.
305
00:18:37,079 --> 00:18:41,117
But Murdaugh's troubles
are just getting started.
306
00:18:41,150 --> 00:18:46,188
Back when the murders
happened, right,
307
00:18:46,222 --> 00:18:51,260
everybody...
"What the heck is going on?"
308
00:18:51,293 --> 00:18:57,299
And then you have
the roadside shooting debacle.
309
00:18:57,333 --> 00:19:02,638
Narrator: That debacle begins
on September 2, 2021.
310
00:19:02,672 --> 00:19:05,775
Though they did not respond
to "American Greed's" request
311
00:19:05,808 --> 00:19:07,309
for comment,
312
00:19:07,343 --> 00:19:11,380
a lawsuit filed by Alex
Murdaugh's revered law firm
313
00:19:11,414 --> 00:19:15,818
says that on that day,
employees of the firm
314
00:19:15,851 --> 00:19:17,996
find evidence
that the lawyer has been
315
00:19:18,020 --> 00:19:22,792
stealing from his clients
and his partners.
316
00:19:22,825 --> 00:19:25,003
Having made this discovery
about the attorney
317
00:19:25,027 --> 00:19:29,432
whose family started the firm,
they say they confront him,
318
00:19:29,465 --> 00:19:34,236
he admits to the thefts,
and he agrees to resign.
319
00:19:34,270 --> 00:19:37,173
But he isn't leaving
without a bang.
320
00:19:51,153 --> 00:19:52,288
[ Gunshot ]
321
00:20:10,072 --> 00:20:12,208
Following Murdaugh's claim
that he's been
322
00:20:12,241 --> 00:20:15,978
the victim of a driveby,
he's airlifted to a hospital
323
00:20:16,012 --> 00:20:20,549
where he's treated
for a superficial head wound.
324
00:20:20,583 --> 00:20:24,587
While he recovers, he seems
to see that his story
325
00:20:24,620 --> 00:20:29,358
of being shot by a random killer
isn't hitting the target.
326
00:20:29,392 --> 00:20:33,529
As soon as that happened,
everybody is like,
327
00:20:33,562 --> 00:20:34,897
"Oh, he faked that.
328
00:20:34,930 --> 00:20:36,599
We live in the country.
329
00:20:36,632 --> 00:20:38,401
People don't miss...
330
00:20:38,434 --> 00:20:41,103
Okay, yeah, no,
something's not right."
331
00:20:41,137 --> 00:20:43,239
Narrator:
Murdaugh later tells police
332
00:20:43,272 --> 00:20:46,609
that after being unmasked
by his law partners,
333
00:20:46,642 --> 00:20:49,278
he decided to end his own life
334
00:20:49,311 --> 00:20:52,848
and make some money
while he was at it.
335
00:20:52,882 --> 00:20:55,351
His attorney, Dick Harpootlian,
336
00:20:55,384 --> 00:20:59,555
tells the "Today" show it's all
part of an alleged scheme
337
00:20:59,588 --> 00:21:01,824
by a broken man to collect
338
00:21:01,857 --> 00:21:04,393
a $10 million
life-insurance payout
339
00:21:04,427 --> 00:21:07,229
for his lone
surviving son, Buster.
340
00:21:07,263 --> 00:21:09,432
He was in a dark, dark,
dark place
341
00:21:09,465 --> 00:21:12,134
and wanted to help his son
in any way he c...
342
00:21:12,168 --> 00:21:14,837
The remaining son, Buster,
in any way he could.
343
00:21:14,870 --> 00:21:16,081
And he thought this was
the only way
344
00:21:16,105 --> 00:21:18,274
he could leave him
with anything.
345
00:21:18,307 --> 00:21:20,343
Narrator: Harpootlian says
that Alex thought
346
00:21:20,376 --> 00:21:23,612
he couldn't collect
on the insurance policy
347
00:21:23,646 --> 00:21:25,648
if he killed himself.
348
00:21:25,681 --> 00:21:27,616
So, Harpootlian says,
349
00:21:27,650 --> 00:21:31,887
he asked someone else
to pull the trigger.
350
00:21:31,921 --> 00:21:33,255
Harpootlian: He called this guy
351
00:21:33,289 --> 00:21:35,224
who met him
on the side of the road,
352
00:21:35,257 --> 00:21:37,493
agreed to shoot him in the head.
353
00:21:37,526 --> 00:21:40,429
30 minutes later, this guy's
shooting him in the head,
354
00:21:40,463 --> 00:21:42,665
didn't try to persuade him
not to do it,
355
00:21:42,698 --> 00:21:44,800
didn't hesitate at all.
356
00:21:44,834 --> 00:21:46,669
Narrator:
But the shooting fails,
357
00:21:46,702 --> 00:21:50,139
and a few months later,
Murdaugh will tell a relative
358
00:21:50,172 --> 00:21:53,843
about the moments
after he was shot.
359
00:22:07,490 --> 00:22:10,459
Once he begins to see things
clearly,
360
00:22:10,493 --> 00:22:13,496
Murdaugh makes a decision.
361
00:22:13,529 --> 00:22:16,298
According to an arrest
warrant affidavit,
362
00:22:16,332 --> 00:22:20,403
nine days after the incident,
he tells authorities
363
00:22:20,436 --> 00:22:25,408
he set up his own shooting
as part of a greedy scheme.
364
00:22:25,441 --> 00:22:28,177
Reporter: NBC News has now
learned that Alex Murdaugh
365
00:22:28,210 --> 00:22:30,846
will turn himself
into police today.
366
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,216
This comes after he admitted
paying another man to shoot him
367
00:22:34,250 --> 00:22:38,988
in an elaborate
$10 million insurance scam.
368
00:22:39,088 --> 00:22:40,222
Narrator: Coming up...
369
00:22:40,256 --> 00:22:42,591
Caught dead-to-rights
in a botched
370
00:22:42,625 --> 00:22:45,695
murder-for-hire insurance
plot worth millions,
371
00:22:45,728 --> 00:22:51,133
accusations arise about the
depths of Alex Murdaugh's greed.
372
00:22:51,167 --> 00:22:53,202
Bland: Gloria Satterfield isn't
one of those people
373
00:22:53,235 --> 00:22:55,237
who was gonna get
pushed down the stairs.
374
00:22:55,271 --> 00:22:56,872
But we just don't know.
375
00:22:56,906 --> 00:23:03,446
♪♪
376
00:23:06,658 --> 00:23:14,658
♪♪
377
00:23:18,036 --> 00:23:20,014
Narrator:
Paul and Maggie Murdaugh
378
00:23:20,038 --> 00:23:23,542
aren't the first people to die
due to a tragedy
379
00:23:23,575 --> 00:23:27,079
at the family's 1,700-acre
hunting estate, Moselle.
380
00:23:27,112 --> 00:23:29,648
[ Telephone rings ]
381
00:23:40,258 --> 00:23:42,036
Prosecutors say that
in the months
382
00:23:42,060 --> 00:23:43,261
that followed the death
383
00:23:43,295 --> 00:23:45,597
of the Murdaugh's
long-time employee,
384
00:23:45,630 --> 00:23:47,299
Gloria Satterfield,
385
00:23:47,332 --> 00:23:49,768
Murdaugh worked
with his buddy, Cory Fleming,
386
00:23:49,801 --> 00:23:53,505
to steal a half-million-dollar
settlement from her sons,
387
00:23:53,538 --> 00:23:57,743
Tony Satterfield
and Brian Harriot.
388
00:23:57,776 --> 00:24:01,480
For years, no one knows about
the millions of dollars
389
00:24:01,513 --> 00:24:04,616
Murdaugh has allegedly
been stealing from them
390
00:24:04,650 --> 00:24:06,251
and other clients.
391
00:24:06,284 --> 00:24:08,353
But that's about to change.
392
00:24:11,323 --> 00:24:14,459
Following the Murdaughs' recent
string of tragedies,
393
00:24:14,493 --> 00:24:18,463
a reporter uncovers a court
filing revealing the settlement
394
00:24:18,497 --> 00:24:22,634
paid by Murdaugh's insurers
to the Satterfields.
395
00:24:22,668 --> 00:24:24,302
It's news to them.
396
00:24:24,336 --> 00:24:27,539
Hadwin: We saw where it came out
that there was a settlement,
397
00:24:27,572 --> 00:24:29,474
and we saw that it was
a legal document
398
00:24:29,508 --> 00:24:31,643
and it's like, "What do
they mean, a settlement?
399
00:24:31,677 --> 00:24:32,711
We never heard anything."
400
00:24:32,744 --> 00:24:35,314
Alex didn't say anything
to the boys or none of us.
401
00:24:35,347 --> 00:24:38,150
They haven't given nothing
at that time.
402
00:24:38,183 --> 00:24:39,651
"Some money's
been given somewhere.
403
00:24:39,685 --> 00:24:41,787
This went somewhere.
We need to find out."
404
00:24:41,820 --> 00:24:47,659
So that's when my brother Eric
called Eric Bland's law firm,
405
00:24:47,693 --> 00:24:52,531
and, um, that's when the ball
started rolling then.
406
00:24:52,564 --> 00:24:55,600
Narrator: For a decade,
prosecutors say Murdaugh
407
00:24:55,634 --> 00:24:58,937
has been aided in his alleged
financial crimes
408
00:24:58,970 --> 00:25:01,840
through the good-old-boy
network.
409
00:25:01,873 --> 00:25:05,344
But Eric Bland
is a Philly-born outsider,
410
00:25:05,377 --> 00:25:07,279
and a tough-as-nails lawyer
411
00:25:07,312 --> 00:25:09,781
who has made a career
in South Carolina
412
00:25:09,815 --> 00:25:13,852
going after other attorneys
when they go rogue.
413
00:25:13,885 --> 00:25:17,823
I'm a lawyer that sues lawyers,
which is a rare thing to do.
414
00:25:17,856 --> 00:25:21,860
Um, and when I heard the story,
I did not believe it.
415
00:25:21,893 --> 00:25:26,598
Narrator: Still, Bland
and his partner take the case.
416
00:25:26,631 --> 00:25:31,870
At first, Bland says they think
a single insurance company
417
00:25:31,903 --> 00:25:36,375
paid out a half million dollars
meant for the Satterfield boys.
418
00:25:36,408 --> 00:25:39,344
But he soon learn
there's a second payout
419
00:25:39,378 --> 00:25:40,779
from a second insurer
420
00:25:40,812 --> 00:25:43,882
that brings the total
settlement amount
421
00:25:43,915 --> 00:25:46,585
to much, much higher.
422
00:25:46,618 --> 00:25:50,188
Within a week and a half
after getting subpoena responses
423
00:25:50,222 --> 00:25:52,424
and starting to hear
from other people,
424
00:25:52,457 --> 00:25:55,560
uh, in the legal profession,
I quickly learned
425
00:25:55,594 --> 00:25:58,130
that it was more than $505,000
426
00:25:58,163 --> 00:26:01,400
and it turned out to be
$4.3 million.
427
00:26:01,433 --> 00:26:03,468
Narrator:
As he digs through records,
428
00:26:03,502 --> 00:26:06,371
Bland sees that
of this $4.3 million,
429
00:26:06,405 --> 00:26:09,908
Murdaugh allegedly
moved nearly $3.4 million
430
00:26:10,008 --> 00:26:11,310
meant for Tony and Brian
431
00:26:11,343 --> 00:26:12,854
through the account
he's set up in the name
432
00:26:12,878 --> 00:26:17,049
of a legitimate company
called Forge Consulting.
433
00:26:17,082 --> 00:26:19,284
They say they are
totally unaware
434
00:26:19,318 --> 00:26:23,322
of Murdaugh's use of their name.
435
00:26:23,355 --> 00:26:24,589
I just couldn't believe it.
436
00:26:24,623 --> 00:26:26,758
You're talking about
$3.4 million.
437
00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:30,762
This is not an insignificant
amount of money.
438
00:26:30,796 --> 00:26:32,764
Narrator:
Following these discoveries,
439
00:26:32,798 --> 00:26:37,502
Bland's firm files suit
not just against Murdaugh
440
00:26:37,536 --> 00:26:41,440
but against many other entities
he says should have known
441
00:26:41,473 --> 00:26:46,445
what the lawyer was up to
and should have stopped him.
442
00:26:46,478 --> 00:26:49,614
Everybody seemed to have
dropped the ball
443
00:26:49,648 --> 00:26:54,286
because the person standing
before you comes with this,
444
00:26:54,319 --> 00:26:58,090
um, reputation of honor
and appearance of honor
445
00:26:58,123 --> 00:26:59,491
wearing a suit and a tie.
446
00:26:59,524 --> 00:27:01,259
"This guy would never do that.
447
00:27:01,293 --> 00:27:03,195
So it doesn't say
Forge Consulting,
448
00:27:03,228 --> 00:27:04,363
it only says Forge.
449
00:27:04,396 --> 00:27:07,299
It's okay.
It's Alex Murdaugh."
450
00:27:07,332 --> 00:27:09,868
Narrator: The Satterfield
family's suit is filed
451
00:27:09,901 --> 00:27:13,739
at the same time
as Murdaugh's arrest on charges
452
00:27:13,772 --> 00:27:17,542
related to his failed
murder-for-hire plot.
453
00:27:17,576 --> 00:27:21,580
And soon, the South Carolina
Law Enforcement Division
454
00:27:21,613 --> 00:27:24,149
announces they are investigating
455
00:27:24,182 --> 00:27:27,319
more than just theft
from Satterfield.
456
00:27:27,352 --> 00:27:30,522
They want to know
what caused her death.
457
00:27:30,555 --> 00:27:34,359
Was it the dogs that
Alex Murdaugh said it was?
458
00:27:34,393 --> 00:27:36,662
You know, if I'm standing
at the top of the stairs,
459
00:27:36,695 --> 00:27:39,898
I can assure you, there's a line
at least 500 yards long
460
00:27:39,931 --> 00:27:42,367
for people who are ready
to push me down the stairs.
461
00:27:42,401 --> 00:27:44,336
Gloria Satterfield isn't
one of those people
462
00:27:44,369 --> 00:27:46,405
who was gonna get
pushed down the stairs.
463
00:27:46,438 --> 00:27:48,507
But we just don't know.
464
00:27:48,540 --> 00:27:50,018
Narrator: To get more insight,
465
00:27:50,042 --> 00:27:53,278
South Carolina Law Enforcement
Division investigators
466
00:27:53,312 --> 00:27:54,813
announce in 2022
467
00:27:54,846 --> 00:27:58,026
that they plan to take
an extraordinary step.
468
00:27:58,050 --> 00:27:59,694
Reporter: Tonight,
the housekeeper who died
469
00:27:59,718 --> 00:28:01,553
after falling on stairs
outside the home
470
00:28:01,586 --> 00:28:04,556
of once-prominent South
Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh
471
00:28:04,589 --> 00:28:07,859
is set to be exhumed.
472
00:28:07,893 --> 00:28:12,798
Not only we have to go through
the pain of missing Gloria,
473
00:28:12,831 --> 00:28:15,734
but now we have to go
through the other pain
474
00:28:15,767 --> 00:28:20,982
with having to disturb her
and have her exhumed
475
00:28:21,006 --> 00:28:24,276
and then have to go
through all that again,
476
00:28:24,309 --> 00:28:26,645
that we have to rebury her.
477
00:28:30,015 --> 00:28:31,316
Narrator: Up next...
478
00:28:31,350 --> 00:28:33,385
just when you think
you've heard it all,
479
00:28:33,418 --> 00:28:36,722
the Murdaugh story
takes its wildest turn yet.
480
00:28:36,755 --> 00:28:40,459
Is Alex Murdaugh a drug lord?
481
00:28:48,867 --> 00:28:50,402
Want more "Greed"?
482
00:28:50,435 --> 00:28:53,372
Follow us on Instagram,
connect on Facebook,
483
00:28:53,405 --> 00:28:56,074
and listen to
the "American Greed" podcast
484
00:28:56,108 --> 00:28:58,477
wherever you get your podcasts.
485
00:28:58,510 --> 00:28:59,845
We'll be right back.
486
00:29:04,149 --> 00:29:11,523
♪♪
487
00:29:11,556 --> 00:29:14,826
Narrator:
On October 14, 2021,
488
00:29:14,860 --> 00:29:17,262
Alex Murdaugh is arrested
in Florida
489
00:29:17,295 --> 00:29:21,066
on new charges related
to his alleged thefts
490
00:29:21,099 --> 00:29:24,736
from the sons
of Gloria Satterfield.
491
00:29:24,770 --> 00:29:26,471
For the second time
in just a month,
492
00:29:26,505 --> 00:29:29,508
Murdaugh is in police custody
this morning
493
00:29:29,541 --> 00:29:33,011
facing two new felony charges.
494
00:29:33,045 --> 00:29:35,814
Narrator: Days after
he's booked into jail,
495
00:29:35,847 --> 00:29:38,317
Murdaugh attends a bond hearing.
496
00:29:38,350 --> 00:29:42,020
There, one of the Satterfields'
attorneys, Eric Bland,
497
00:29:42,054 --> 00:29:45,257
asks the judge to set
a high bond amount
498
00:29:45,290 --> 00:29:48,560
as a message
to white-collar criminals.
499
00:30:00,305 --> 00:30:06,011
The judge goes one step further,
denying bond altogether,
500
00:30:06,044 --> 00:30:10,449
and Murdaugh is sent to jail
while he awaits trial.
501
00:30:10,482 --> 00:30:14,386
As he lingers there,
he tells his still-grieving son,
502
00:30:14,419 --> 00:30:18,223
Buster, just how uncomfortable
life has become
503
00:30:18,256 --> 00:30:21,259
far away
from his 1,700-acre estate.
504
00:30:33,338 --> 00:30:35,807
Meanwhile, more clients
who turned
505
00:30:35,841 --> 00:30:38,343
to the once-respected
lawyer for help
506
00:30:38,377 --> 00:30:41,346
will learn that,
like the Satterfields,
507
00:30:41,380 --> 00:30:45,083
they've allegedly
been victimized, too.
508
00:30:45,117 --> 00:30:48,320
Among those who hear
this unwelcome news
509
00:30:48,353 --> 00:30:51,623
is the family
of Hakeem Pinckney...
510
00:30:51,657 --> 00:30:54,926
A deaf, quadriplegic young man.
511
00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,329
Yeah, it was a shock to me
512
00:30:57,362 --> 00:31:00,632
because he never looked like
the type of person
513
00:31:00,666 --> 00:31:04,569
that would do something
of this nature... embezzler.
514
00:31:04,603 --> 00:31:08,340
I just... I just don't
see it in him.
515
00:31:08,373 --> 00:31:11,777
Narrator: Prosecutors allege
Murdaugh and others colluded
516
00:31:11,810 --> 00:31:14,646
to steal approximately
$1 million
517
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,281
from Pinckney's family.
518
00:31:16,315 --> 00:31:19,184
According to their lawyer,
Justin Bamberg,
519
00:31:19,217 --> 00:31:22,454
in 2022, as compensation,
520
00:31:22,487 --> 00:31:25,290
they received settlements
of an undisclosed amount
521
00:31:25,324 --> 00:31:28,894
from Murdaugh's former law firm
and the local bank,
522
00:31:28,927 --> 00:31:31,530
whose former C.E.O.,
Russell Laffitte,
523
00:31:31,563 --> 00:31:34,499
is accused
of helping Murdaugh steal
524
00:31:34,533 --> 00:31:36,568
and launder their money.
525
00:31:36,601 --> 00:31:39,371
Neither the firm nor the bank
nor Laffitte
526
00:31:39,404 --> 00:31:43,175
responded to "American Greed's"
request for comment.
527
00:31:45,610 --> 00:31:49,581
By early 2022,
Murdaugh faces indictments
528
00:31:49,614 --> 00:31:53,185
of taking approximately
$8.5 million
529
00:31:53,218 --> 00:31:56,688
from his law partners
and more than a dozen clients,
530
00:31:56,722 --> 00:32:00,926
including the Pinckney family
and the Satterfields.
531
00:32:01,026 --> 00:32:06,698
But many ask, "What was Murdaugh
doing with all this money?"
532
00:32:06,732 --> 00:32:11,203
The answer, prosecutors say,
lies... at least in part...
533
00:32:11,236 --> 00:32:13,605
With the man he allegedly hired
to shoot him
534
00:32:13,639 --> 00:32:17,876
by the side of the road...
Curtis Edward Smith...
535
00:32:17,909 --> 00:32:20,646
A.k.a. Cousin Eddie.
536
00:32:23,181 --> 00:32:25,651
Smith is Murdaugh's
former client
537
00:32:25,684 --> 00:32:28,920
and a relative who has sometimes
done odd jobs
538
00:32:28,954 --> 00:32:32,090
for his distant cousin.
539
00:32:32,124 --> 00:32:34,426
But attorney Eric Bland
and others will see
540
00:32:34,459 --> 00:32:38,263
that they have a strange
financial relationship.
541
00:32:40,098 --> 00:32:42,567
According to a state
grand jury indictment,
542
00:32:42,601 --> 00:32:47,739
between 2013 and 2021,
Murdaugh wrote checks to Smith
543
00:32:47,773 --> 00:32:54,179
and his close associates
worth more than $2.4 million.
544
00:32:54,212 --> 00:32:57,416
So, what happened
to all that money?
545
00:32:57,449 --> 00:32:59,060
Bland:
Eddie Smith isn't a wealthy man.
546
00:32:59,084 --> 00:33:00,619
Doesn't live
a wealthy lifestyle.
547
00:33:00,652 --> 00:33:01,887
Doesn't live in a mansion.
548
00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,623
Doesn't drive a Mercedes.
549
00:33:04,656 --> 00:33:08,126
Narrator: Murdaugh's attorneys
offer an explanation.
550
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,895
It was uncovered
that he had perhaps...
551
00:33:09,928 --> 00:33:14,166
Well, not, perhaps...
He had converted some client
552
00:33:14,199 --> 00:33:17,769
and law-firm money
to his own use, and, again,
553
00:33:17,803 --> 00:33:20,372
spent most of that on opioids.
554
00:33:20,405 --> 00:33:23,308
Narrator: They say their client
has been addicted to oxycodone
555
00:33:23,342 --> 00:33:28,780
for 20 years,
and that Smith is his dealer.
556
00:33:28,814 --> 00:33:31,049
But not everyone buys it.
557
00:33:31,083 --> 00:33:32,460
Well, if you believe
Dick Harpootlian,
558
00:33:32,484 --> 00:33:36,455
he was consuming more opioids
than 10 elephants
559
00:33:36,488 --> 00:33:39,624
could consume over
a 10-year period of time.
560
00:33:39,658 --> 00:33:41,360
I don't believe that.
561
00:33:41,393 --> 00:33:43,795
Narrator: Smith has pled
not guilty to charges
562
00:33:43,829 --> 00:33:47,799
that he aided Murdaugh
in the murder-for-hire plot.
563
00:33:47,833 --> 00:33:50,802
Though he would not be
interviewed for this program,
564
00:33:50,836 --> 00:33:53,739
he has denied helping
Murdaugh shoot himself
565
00:33:53,772 --> 00:33:56,508
and providing him with drugs.
566
00:33:56,541 --> 00:34:00,479
But in June 2022, the story
that has more twists
567
00:34:00,512 --> 00:34:04,416
than a Lowcountry estuary
takes another one.
568
00:34:04,449 --> 00:34:07,486
[ Lightning and thunder crash ]
569
00:34:07,519 --> 00:34:11,823
That month, a state grand jury
charges Smith and Murdaugh
570
00:34:11,857 --> 00:34:13,825
with laundering Murdaugh's money
571
00:34:13,859 --> 00:34:18,497
through all those
hundreds of checks to Smith.
572
00:34:18,530 --> 00:34:20,832
They allege
that a large chunk of it
573
00:34:20,866 --> 00:34:23,435
has been used not
just to consume,
574
00:34:23,468 --> 00:34:27,773
but to acquire
and distribute oxycodone.
575
00:34:48,060 --> 00:34:49,861
[ Police radio chatter ]
576
00:34:49,895 --> 00:34:53,799
In the wake of the boat crash
and the Murdaugh double murder,
577
00:34:53,832 --> 00:34:56,568
the once-respected lawyer
has now been accused
578
00:34:56,601 --> 00:35:00,872
of attempting to arrange his own
killing for insurance money...
579
00:35:00,906 --> 00:35:02,307
[ Gunshot ]
580
00:35:02,341 --> 00:35:05,777
stealing millions from
clients and his own firm,
581
00:35:05,811 --> 00:35:08,880
and taking part
in a years-long money-laundering
582
00:35:08,914 --> 00:35:11,616
and drug-trafficking conspiracy.
583
00:35:13,618 --> 00:35:16,421
The murders of his wife and son
have also led
584
00:35:16,455 --> 00:35:19,791
to a new investigation
of obstruction of justice
585
00:35:19,825 --> 00:35:21,760
in that boat-crash case,
586
00:35:21,793 --> 00:35:25,097
as well as probes
of the mysterious deaths
587
00:35:25,130 --> 00:35:28,900
of Stephen Smith
and Gloria Satterfield.
588
00:35:28,934 --> 00:35:30,602
All this adds up to theories
589
00:35:30,635 --> 00:35:34,106
about what Murdaugh
might be capable of.
590
00:35:34,139 --> 00:35:37,275
[ Rifle cocks ]
591
00:35:37,309 --> 00:35:38,644
Up next...
592
00:35:38,677 --> 00:35:41,680
how will it all end
for Alex Murdaugh?
593
00:35:51,723 --> 00:35:56,528
♪♪
594
00:36:00,449 --> 00:36:08,449
♪♪
595
00:36:10,459 --> 00:36:14,430
Narrator: By the summer of 2022,
a year has passed
596
00:36:14,463 --> 00:36:18,134
since the gruesome murders
of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh,
597
00:36:18,167 --> 00:36:22,071
which remain unsolved.
598
00:36:22,104 --> 00:36:24,473
Reporter: The South Carolina
Law Enforcement Division
599
00:36:24,507 --> 00:36:26,985
has suggested their deaths
were homicides
600
00:36:27,009 --> 00:36:30,046
but have made no arrests
related to their killings.
601
00:36:30,079 --> 00:36:32,915
Narrator: Since Alex Murdaugh
first called police
602
00:36:33,015 --> 00:36:34,583
to report their deaths...
603
00:36:42,091 --> 00:36:45,861
he's been accused
of a wide swath of crimes.
604
00:36:48,064 --> 00:36:50,800
For generations, the Murdaughs
have ruled the area
605
00:36:50,833 --> 00:36:53,011
surrounding Hampton County.
606
00:36:53,035 --> 00:36:56,405
Now their name has been stripped
from the law firm
607
00:36:56,439 --> 00:37:00,977
Murdaugh's great grandfather
started in the early 1900s.
608
00:37:01,010 --> 00:37:04,146
Most folks around here
are like me.
609
00:37:04,180 --> 00:37:07,316
We grew up in working-class
or poor families.
610
00:37:07,350 --> 00:37:10,453
How do you think people feel
about a family
611
00:37:10,486 --> 00:37:12,755
with 100 years
of generational wealth
612
00:37:12,788 --> 00:37:15,524
not only getting wealthier
off of doing these cases,
613
00:37:15,558 --> 00:37:20,196
like Hakeem Pinckney
where you make millions in fees,
614
00:37:20,229 --> 00:37:23,332
but then you're also
stealing millions, too?
615
00:37:23,366 --> 00:37:27,980
Like, people are...
People are pissed.
616
00:37:28,004 --> 00:37:31,273
Narrator: As the months drag on,
lawyer Eric Bland
617
00:37:31,307 --> 00:37:34,276
and his law partner
help the Satterfields
618
00:37:34,310 --> 00:37:39,582
collect $7.5 million in
settlements from various parties
619
00:37:39,615 --> 00:37:44,120
who Bland says could have
stopped Murdaugh's theft
620
00:37:44,153 --> 00:37:47,356
but failed to do so.
621
00:37:47,390 --> 00:37:50,626
Murdaugh himself has admitted
he's liable
622
00:37:50,660 --> 00:37:56,565
for $4.3 million taken from the
sons of his former housekeeper.
623
00:37:56,599 --> 00:38:00,169
Locked up at a jail
in Columbia, South Carolina,
624
00:38:00,202 --> 00:38:02,972
he still faces at least
a dozen lawsuits
625
00:38:03,005 --> 00:38:05,007
involving former clients,
626
00:38:05,041 --> 00:38:07,810
Mallory Beach
and the boat-crash survivors,
627
00:38:07,843 --> 00:38:10,179
his firm, his insurer,
628
00:38:10,212 --> 00:38:13,382
and those who say
he owes them money.
629
00:38:13,416 --> 00:38:16,319
But some of his alleged victims,
630
00:38:16,352 --> 00:38:20,089
people who turned to him at the
lowest points in their lives,
631
00:38:20,122 --> 00:38:23,893
say no lawsuit
will ever set things straight.
632
00:38:23,993 --> 00:38:26,095
No, I'll never be made whole.
633
00:38:28,431 --> 00:38:31,977
Narrator:
Two of Murdaugh's alleged
financial co-conspirators,
634
00:38:32,001 --> 00:38:35,338
attorney Cory Fleming
and banker Russell Laffitte,
635
00:38:35,371 --> 00:38:37,807
who prosecutors say
helped Murdaugh
636
00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:39,542
steal and launder money,
637
00:38:39,575 --> 00:38:44,380
are also charged in the case
and have both pled not guilty.
638
00:38:44,413 --> 00:38:46,682
Both Fleming and Laffitte
have said
639
00:38:46,716 --> 00:38:50,753
they are victims of
Murdaugh's fraud and misconduct.
640
00:38:51,721 --> 00:38:57,259
For his part, Murdaugh is facing
84 charges from 16 indictments
641
00:38:57,293 --> 00:39:01,631
that could land him more than
500 years in prison.
642
00:39:02,865 --> 00:39:04,834
Still, in a phone call from jail
643
00:39:04,867 --> 00:39:08,170
with his surviving son, Buster,
the once-prominent lawyer
644
00:39:08,204 --> 00:39:12,141
seems to find humor
about the many horrific crimes
645
00:39:12,174 --> 00:39:13,676
he's been charged with.
646
00:39:21,317 --> 00:39:24,720
In the coming months,
the tally of illegal... stuff
647
00:39:24,754 --> 00:39:30,159
that Murdaugh has "allegedly"
done will only increase.
648
00:39:30,192 --> 00:39:32,361
On July 12, 2021,
649
00:39:32,395 --> 00:39:36,232
the South Carolina Supreme
Court disbars Alex Murdaugh,
650
00:39:36,265 --> 00:39:38,234
saying he's admitted
to taking money
651
00:39:38,267 --> 00:39:40,169
from his law firm,
652
00:39:40,202 --> 00:39:43,539
stealing $4.3 million
from the Satterfields,
653
00:39:43,572 --> 00:39:48,711
and orchestrating his own
shooting for insurance money.
654
00:39:48,744 --> 00:39:50,246
Just days later,
655
00:39:50,279 --> 00:39:54,083
the final shoe drops on
the once-respected attorney.
656
00:39:54,116 --> 00:39:56,118
Guthrie:
Now to a dramatic twist
657
00:39:56,152 --> 00:39:57,429
in a high-profile
South Carolina murder case.
658
00:39:57,453 --> 00:39:59,588
Alex Murdaugh is now charged
659
00:39:59,622 --> 00:40:02,858
with the murder
of his wife and son.
660
00:40:02,892 --> 00:40:06,495
Narrator: On July 14th,
a grand jury indicts Murdaugh
661
00:40:06,529 --> 00:40:09,432
on charges
of killing his wife with a rifle
662
00:40:09,465 --> 00:40:12,401
and his son with a shotgun.
663
00:40:21,043 --> 00:40:23,746
Following Murdaugh's indictment,
664
00:40:23,779 --> 00:40:26,615
prosecutors say there's evidence
showing him
665
00:40:26,649 --> 00:40:29,352
with his wife and son...
[ Gunshots ]
666
00:40:29,385 --> 00:40:33,522
about an hour and 20 minutes
before calling 911.
667
00:40:33,556 --> 00:40:35,157
Reporter:
Two sources close to the case
668
00:40:35,191 --> 00:40:37,760
tell NBC News authorities
have cellphone video
669
00:40:37,793 --> 00:40:40,529
that they believe puts him
at the scene of the murders
670
00:40:40,563 --> 00:40:42,565
shortly before
they took place...
671
00:40:42,598 --> 00:40:44,533
Evidence that would appear
to contradict
672
00:40:44,567 --> 00:40:47,169
his previous timeline of events.
673
00:40:51,974 --> 00:40:55,544
Narrator: At the bond hearing,
prosecutor Creighton Waters
674
00:40:55,578 --> 00:40:57,546
gives the first official hints
675
00:40:57,580 --> 00:41:00,993
of how the South Carolina
Law Enforcement Division,
676
00:41:01,017 --> 00:41:02,752
or SLED,
677
00:41:02,785 --> 00:41:06,088
made the case that many
thought might never be cracked.
678
00:41:15,131 --> 00:41:19,635
While not giving much away,
Waters also hints at a motive...
679
00:41:19,669 --> 00:41:23,639
That the murders
were all about the money.
680
00:41:47,363 --> 00:41:50,366
Murdaugh's attorneys have said
681
00:41:50,399 --> 00:41:53,202
he had no reason
to kill his wife and son,
682
00:41:53,235 --> 00:41:54,470
that he loved both of them,
683
00:41:54,503 --> 00:41:56,639
and that he was
unfairly singled out
684
00:41:56,672 --> 00:41:59,508
by law enforcement from day one.
685
00:42:12,254 --> 00:42:14,624
Now Murdaugh's fate
will be decided
686
00:42:14,657 --> 00:42:17,827
before a jury of his peers
at a courthouse
687
00:42:17,860 --> 00:42:23,666
where generations of Murdaughs
have wielded their legal power.
688
00:42:23,699 --> 00:42:27,169
Whatever the outcome
of Alex Murdaugh's many cases,
689
00:42:27,203 --> 00:42:30,773
it's clear that the lawyer's
actions have taken a toll
690
00:42:30,806 --> 00:42:33,909
on his family's
once-revered name.
691
00:42:33,943 --> 00:42:36,912
Bland: The Murdaugh name
has been burned up.
692
00:42:36,946 --> 00:42:39,915
He has single-handedly destroyed
693
00:42:39,949 --> 00:42:44,620
whatever goodwill and good deeds
that family has ever done.
694
00:42:44,654 --> 00:42:52,654
♪♪
695
00:42:56,966 --> 00:42:59,635
Captions by VITAC...
696
00:43:05,308 --> 00:43:13,308
♪♪