Alex Murdaugh: Disgraced lawyer accused of murdering his wife and son says cousin Eddie Smith killed them
ISLANDTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who was charged and arrested for the June 2021 double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul, is now accusing his cousin Curtis Eddie Smith, the hit man he allegedly hired to kill him of the murders. Murdaugh's legal counsel has supported the claim that police overlooked a shred of evidence linking Smith to the murders.
Murdaugh is in custody on charges including stealing millions from his law firm to fund his opioid addiction. He continues to maintain his innocence and blames Smith for the deaths of his wife and son. In a recent court filing, Murdaugh's attorneys claim police turned a blind eye to a lie detector test in which Smith was questioned about the murders. Smith told authorities he was "nowhere near" the Murdaugh family home on the night of the murders and had been at his house with friends. However, the test revealed that he had lied.
READ MORE
'He's up to something': Alex Murdaugh's wife Maggie texted friend before brutal murder
Murdaugh murders: Alex Murdaugh shot in head, 3 months after wife and son were killed
Smith is also behind bars after police said Murdaugh hired Smith to shoot him in the back of his head weeks after Maggie and Paul's death for an alleged insurance scam. During the same polygraph test, Smith advocated another theory saying, Maggie was having an affair with the groundskeeper when Paul walked in and discovered the ordeal. The groundskeeper in panic murdered both Maggie and Paul. Smith did not provide details about the groundskeeper nor did he explain how he thought that may be probable.
Nevertheless, Smith's attorney remarked that he is not guilty of murdering Maggie and Paul and that he has an "ironclad" alibi to prove it. He claims that "Eddie Smith continues to be a victim of Alex Murdaugh and his deeds." He further adds that "since the murders, Murdaugh has been trying to insinuate Smith's involvement in the case" and that is a continuation to that."
Days after police learned that Murdaugh hired Smith as a hitman, his case made another shocking revelation into the 2018 death of the Murdaugh family's housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after suffering a fall at the family's home. Her son sued Murdaugh for allegedly stealing money he paid them through an insurance company after he filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
The deaths of Maggie and Paul also shed light on a previous scandal involving the death of a 19-year-old girl on a boat driven by Paul. Paul was allegedly driving a boat intoxicated when he crashed, sending Mallory Beach overboard. Seven days later, her body was found five miles away from the crash site. Although Paul never pleaded guilty to the crime. Alex allegedly developed an opioid addiction after the death of his wife and son. Police claim, his failed attempt to kill himself through Smith was an insurance scam for the sake of his remaining son, Buster.