A boating accident, fraud, and then a heinous double-murder. What happened
to Mallory Beach is shrouded in conspiracy – here's why her
parents believe that a powerful family tried to cover it up.
On February 23rd, 2019, Mallory Beach, her boyfriend, Anthony Cook,
Paul Murdaugh, and other friends went out for a fun night in South Carolina.
CBS News describes the then-19-year-old Beach as an ambitious young woman with big dreams.
According to Vox, the group spent the majority of the night partying. Despite being underage,
Paul purchased alcohol before the teens went to an oyster roast. They, however,
did not drive to the gathering — they took his father's boat.
Paul was the son of Alex Murdaugh, a well-known attorney in Hampton County,
South Carolina. In fact, the Murdaugh family had deep ties to Hampton County's legal system;
three generations were elected prosecutors.
"At one time the Murdaugh family,
one of the most powerful and influential families here in South Carolina."
Attorney Ronnie Richter explained to Live 5 News,
"They are benevolent kings in Hampton County. They do wonderful things for
the community. They're loved. But they're also feared. Because they are the law and
as a king — even as a benevolent king — they have the power to smite you."
The group of five, consisting of Mallory Beach, Anthony Cook, Paul Murdaugh, Morgan Doughty,
Connor Cook, and Miley Altman, left the oyster roast at midnight. Although they had been out
for hours, Paul did not want the night to end and drove the boat to Beaufort, South Carolina.
Using fake IDs, Paul and another boy headed to a bar while the rest of the group stayed
behind. ABC7 New York writes that they both had two shots before returning to their friends and
the boat. By all accounts, Paul was allegedly highly intoxicated at this point and acting
brash. Nevertheless, Vox notes that Paul made it clear that he was to drive the boat home.
CBS News reports that they left the dock at 1:15 a.m. Soon after, Paul became increasingly
hostile and aggressive. He argued with his then-girlfriend Morgan and drove the boat
erratically. Morgan later revealed that Beach said she was frightened by the ordeal. Suddenly,
Paul increased the boat's speed and crashed into the Archers Creek Bridge. Paul, Anthony,
and Beach all ended up in the water. Beach never emerged.
ABC7 New York reports that Connor Cook called 911 as the frantic young
passengers searched for Mallory Beach to no avail.
"We're in a boat crash on Archer's Creek. We have someone missing."
When the police arrived, they noted that Anthony Cook was enraged at Paul Murdaugh. CBS News states
that Anthony told an officer on the scene that Paul had been driving the now-wrecked boat at
the time of the crash. They tested Paul's blood and found it was three times over the legal limit.
A nurse described him as, quote, "the most intoxicated and uncooperative of those involved."
CBS News writes that the search for Beach involved divers and helicopters. It ended
with the discovery of her body eight days later, on March 3rd, 2019. She had drowned and suffered
blunt force trauma. Tragically, this was only the beginning of the Beach family's sorrows.
ABC7 New York writes that Paul Murdaugh's father, Alex Murdaugh, and his grandfather,
Randolph Murdaugh, thwarted the authorities' efforts to speak to him in the hospital after
the crash. According to Vox, Alex reportedly discouraged the rest of the group from naming
Paul as the driver of the boat to ensure his son's name was cleared. According to ABC7 New York,
Renee Beach, Mallory Beach's mother, decided to sue Alex, Paul's older brother Buster Murdaugh,
and the convenience store that sold Paul alcohol. Paul had used his brother's ID
to make the purchase. Renee cited fear of a coverup by the Murdaughs as her reasoning for
the lawsuit. However, all parties involved denied any wrongdoing. Despite this, Paul faced three
felony counts of boating under the influence in April 2019. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Paul Murdaugh awaited trial as a free man for over two years, but the young defendant
never got his day in court. On June 7th, 2021, Paul, then 22, and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh,
were shot to death at Moselle, a Murdaugh-owned property in Islandton, South Carolina.
Vox notes that Alex Murdaugh called 911 after he found his wife and son's bodies. Although the
authorities were suspicious of Alex, they did not arrest him at this point in time. However,
by early September that year, shocking details emerged about Alex — the law
firm he worked at alleged that he had mishandled his client's funds.
"You have mail fraud. You have wire fraud. You have bank fraud."
Moreover, Alex reportedly attempted to have a friend shoot and kill him
to ensure his son Buster Murdaugh would get his life insurance policy. This plan did not
work out — Alex survived and confessed to the arrangement. Alex then revealed that he was
addicted to opioids and subsequently went to rehab. Shortly thereafter,
he was arrested for fraud. According to NPR, Alex allegedly embezzled funds from
the estate of Gloria Satterfield. Vox explains that Satterfield was Murdaugh's housekeeper who
died at Moselle in 2018. By May 2022, Alex was facing 79 charges for forgery and more.
"There's just no bounds of decency to this man."
The New York Times states that Alex was charged with Paul and Maggie's murder in July 2022.
Prosecutors believe that he may have killed his wife and son to
prevent his financial crimes from coming to light.
Upon Paul Murdaugh's death, all charges related to Mallory Beach's death were dropped. Despite this,
Beaches' family is confident that Paul was behind the wheel the night of the boat crash. Likewise,
they were distressed by his murder. Beach's father, Phillip Beach, explained,
"We've heard that statement, that 'You finally got justice.' This is not justice for us. These
people were brutally murdered and he did not deserve it. Neither did his mama."
ABC News 4 reported that the Beach family settled a lawsuit with Buster
Murdaugh and the estate of Maggie Murdaugh for an undisclosed amount in January 2023.
This news came a year after the Beach family decided to file a $50 million
claim on top of their other lawsuits regarding Beach's death. However,
at the time of this publication, the family has yet to settle with
Alex Murdaugh and the convenience store that sold the then-underage Paul alcohol.
The Greenville News writes that Beach's family is keeping her memory alive with Mal's Palz,
a charity founded to build an animal shelter in Hampton County, South Carolina.
CNN states that Alex Murdaugh pleaded not guilty
to murdering his wife and son. His murder trial began in January 2023.