Alex Murdaugh plotted murder of his wife and son for SIX MONTHS, says Mallory Beach attorney
WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA: Attorney Mark Tinsley believes that Alex Murdaugh plotted the murder of his wife and son for over half a year due to mounting pressure to obscure his financial crimes. Tinsley represents the family of Mallory Beach, who died in an infamous boat crash in 2019. The accident was allegedly caused by Murdaugh's son, Paul, who was 19 at the time.
Tinsley still considers that the tragic event may have fueled the former lawyer's motive. The attorney testified at the disgraced legal scion's trial, and said that he started to suspect that Murdaugh was planning to claim the lives of his family for months following the discovery process for his civil lawsuit against the patriarch.
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Tinsley requested to have the images included in his lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh for the incident after coming across pictures that "documented that Maggie knew about Paul's drinking", an issue that was blamed for the boat crash. It would have protected Maggie from her own suit.
The infamous boat crash incident
Alex Murdaugh's life took a dramatic turn following the February 2019 boat crash involving Paul which even became a central event in his high profile murder trial. Prosecutors said that the accident may have fueled his decision to kill as a way to prevent his financial crimes from being discovered.
Paul, who was underage at the time of the event, killed Beach and injured others while allegedly driving his parent's boat at high speed while drunk before crashing into a bridge. Tinsley subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Murdaugh and others.
#AlexMurdaugh Trial 2/13/23
— ESNEET ⛵️ (@esneet4113) February 13, 2023
😳Was Maggie Murdaugh 🎯⁉️
Y does Alex Murdaugh keep pointing out Paul/boat crash but not Maggie as possible target? We know NOW her will/tampered. EVERYTHING IN HER NAME 6/7/21 & STOLEN💸💵->GONE.
CCSO & 14th DA was OG investigators on6/7 as AM wanted pic.twitter.com/aNnLIOQ5ti
What did Tinsley say?
Tinsley told The Interview Room that Murdaugh refused the request, forcing him to sue Maggie to include the pictures. "Was shocking to me... the denial of those requests to admit indicated that he was already contemplating (murder)", he said.
The attorney said after he began representing the family he first visited Maggie's Facebook page, "which had picture and video after picture and video of Paul with alcohol." He added, "Paul in the boat with alcohol. Paul loading the coolers. Paul sitting on the sandbar with beer between his legs... Those photographs clearly documented that Maggie knew about Paul’s drinking."
#AlexMurdaugh caught Ls🧑🏽⚖️ in prison without possibility of parole Friday 4 the murders of wife and son. Made false testimony on black peoples. Another #CarolynBryant false testimony on blackmen for crimes not committed. Rest in piss man💦👨⚰️👎🏾 pic.twitter.com/KDdfVPqPxk
— TheCompany (@Yay_Bryce) March 19, 2023
Tinsley said he sent the images to Murdaugh's attorney, and in November 2020 he requested to include the images in the civil case to "admit that Maggie knew, that all of the things that by then had been sanitized from her FB account, were imputed to (Alex) for purposes of liability." However, his "olive branch" to Murdaugh was denied which shocked Tinsley. "So, here’s a way to protect your wife, this person that you love more than anything, to keep her from being sued," he said.
Tinsley was thus forced to sue Maggie to admit the evidence in the lawsuit. As Maggie was killed in June 2021, before he could complete suing her, he instead had to sue her estate since Alex was the beneficiary. "It was shocking to me," he added. "And it wasn’t until after the murders that I really put two and two together why he would do that."
Why did Tinsley's suspicions heightened?
The attorney said that his suspicions Murdaugh was planning to kill his wife were heightened due to a 'disturbing' conversation the now convicted lawyer had with Maggie's sister, Marion Proctor. Proctor testified during Murdaugh's trial that she asked him if Maggie had suffered after she was shot, to which Alex said no, adding "whoever did this had been planning for a long time."
"I think he told the truth then," said Tinsley. The wrongful death suit is scheduled to go to trial in August but Murdaugh, who is serving two life sentences, is not expected to take the stand. Convenience store Parker's Kitchen, which allegedly sold Paul alcohol on the night of the crash, is also being sued.