Arthur Greene
As Rosemary Ndlovu stands trial for murdering family members for insurance payouts, Alex Murdaugh, a US lawyer, figured out a murderous scheme that would see his son receive R144 million.
Murdaugh hired an amateur hitman to shoot him in the head – and the scheme did not go as planned.
Murdaugh survived the shooting on 4 September with minimal injuries.
The 53-year-old attorney admitted to the plan on Monday, and he may now face charges of insurance fraud.
Murdaugh is alleged to have provided a firearm to Curtis Edward Smith, 61, and instructed him to shoot him. The murder would then trigger a $10 million payout to Murdaugh’s son.
Smith agreed to do the job – then got it all wrong. Murdaugh only received a “superficial gunshot wound to the head.” According to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), he immediately called emergency services to report the incident.
The following week, a family spokesperson issued a statement to the media, which read: “Alex pulled over after seeing a low tyre indicator light. A male driver in a blue pick-up asked him if he had car troubles. As soon as Alex replied, he was shot.”
While Murdaugh himself has not yet been charged, Smith has been charged with assisted suicide, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, pointing and presenting a firearm, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Murdaugh’s elaborate suicide plot comes after a tumultuous few months for the prominent South Carolina lawyer.
In June, his wife and son, Margaret and Paul, were shot dead outside their home.
Their murders drew suspicion as the previous day Murdaugh had resigned from the law firm Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick.
It was revealed days later that Murdaugh’s resignation came “after the discovery that Alex misappropriated funds in violation of standards and policies.”
It was later revealed by attorney Jim Griffin that Murdaugh was struggling with an opioid addiction and had stolen money from the firm.
Police have not yet made any arrests for the murders of Margaret and Paul Murdaugh, and the investigation is ongoing.
Image source: @NBCNews
