Paul and Maggie Murdaugh: SC man charged of friend's death shot dead with his mom
ISLANDTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Paul Murdaugh, a 22-year-old man who was charged for the death of a teenager, has been shot dead, along with his mother Maggie Murdaugh.
The fatal shooting took place around 10 pm on Monday, June 7, at a property in Islandton, South Carolina. Later, their bodies were discovered by Colleton County deputies near a dog kennel. In February 2019, 19-year-old Mallory Beach was killed in a boat crash. The speedboat was being steered by Paul Murdaugh who was 20 at the time. He was reportedly boating under influence of alcohol with a group of friends, including Beach and four others. The boat crashed into a piling by the bridge, ejecting all six riders and leading to Beach's death. Her body was recovered seven days after the crash.
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While being interrogated, Murdaugh was reportedly acting 'aggressive' and 'uncooperative' towards the police. On Beach's 20th birthday, three felony criminal charges were filed against Murdaugh — one boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing injury. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond. According to Island Packet, Murdaugh never faced any jail time. Ever since his release, he was been awaiting a trial date for two years.
Who killed Paul and Maggie Murdaugh?
Just three days prior to the shooting of the mother-son duo, Mallory Beach's mother Renee submitted the latest court filings in the wrongful death lawsuit for her daughter.
On the night of June 7, 2021, Paul Murdaugh's father Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his son and wife. According to the coroner, both Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and Paul were shot several times before they died. One of them was killed with an assault rifle while a shotgun was used for the other. Their autopsies are scheduled for later this week.
The Murdaugh family had been influential in the region, since Paul Murdaugh's grandfather, great-grandfather and even great-great-grandfather had been longtime elected solicitors in the area. During the investigation of Beach's death, there had been doubts whether the family's legal leverage had affected the probe. However, it has not yet been found who shot the mother and son and what was the alibi behind the double homicide.