Alex Murdaugh's cousin Curtis Edward Smith granted bond in botched suicide-for-hire scheme
WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA: Curtis Edward Smith, a distant cousin of convicted South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, has been granted bond by Judge Clifton Newman in the Richland County Courthouse. Smith is accused of agreeing to shoot and kill Murdaugh in a bizarre botched assisted suicide plot in a bid to secure an $11 million life insurance payout for Murdaugh's son, Buster Murdaugh.
Smith, a former law firm client and alleged drug dealer of Murdaugh, had his $250,000 bond reinstated and will be released on house arrest with a GPS monitor. Smith faces several charges, including lying to police and owning a firearm, in connection with the botched plot.
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'I have not been able to get any medical treatment for my pain'
Smith's attorneys said his time in jail had taken a toll on his health, with the defendant claiming to have gained 55 pounds during the period as per the Daily Mail. He told the court, "My sugar's off the charts. I got titanium rods and screws in my back, and I have not been able to get any medical treatment for my pain for eight months."
'Good and decent man'
Despite the charges against him, Smith's attorneys maintain that their client is a "good and decent man" who was set up by Murdaugh to take the blame for the botched plot. They claim that Murdaugh never paid Smith to shoot him and that they believe Murdaugh planned to kill Smith and pin the murders on him. "People always say he was paid. He wasn't paid. He was doing what he always did, being manipulated by Alex. I think that Alex fully intended to shoot Eddie and make him the killer, and all of these problems would have gone away," Smith's attorney Aimee Zmroczek said in a statement.
During his trial, Murdaugh admitted asking 'Cousin Eddie' to shoot him, saying, "I knew all this was coming to a head, I knew how humiliating it was going to be for my son (Buster). I had been through so much." Murdaugh initially claimed he had been the target of a drive-by shooting, before admitting to police a week later that he had coordinated the plot. Both he and Smith were arrested and charged over the incident. In June 2022, Smith was also charged in connection with Murdaugh's financial fraud schemes.
'If you fail to follow the court's order, there will be no deviation, no leniency in any way'
While granting Smith bond, Judge Newman acknowledged his cooperation with authorities. However, the judge also warned Smith that if he violated his bond conditions, the court would not hesitate to take strict action against him. "If you fail to follow the court's order, there will be no deviation, no leniency in any way. The court will deal with you appropriately," Judge Newman said as per the Daily Mail.
Despite the legal troubles faced by both men, their families have maintained their innocence. Smith's attorneys have previously claimed that Murdaugh's conviction served as his cousin's exoneration. "Smith is a good and decent man who was, like so many others, manipulated and taken advantage of by Murdaugh, and we look forward to the opportunity to present his story at trial," Zmroczek said. Judge Newman has set a status conference for April 21 in Hampton County to discuss Smith's various charges.