Man arrested for helping Alex Murdaugh attempt suicide. They both have admitted the shooting on the side of the road was a set-up. It actually happened, seems like the hired hand couldn't get the job done.
HAMPTON — State investigators have arrested a suspect on allegations he shot prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh in the head over the Labor Day weekend as part of an attempted fraud scheme to collect on a $10 million insurance policy.
State Law Enforcement Division agents arrested Curtis Edward Smith on Sept. 14 in connection with the non-fatal shooting, according to SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby.
Smith, 61, is charged with assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. He remained in custody the night of Sept. 14 at the Colleton County jail.
Murdaugh, 53, allegedly admitted in a statement to state investigators Sept. 13 he asked Smith to kill him so his son could collect a life insurance policy worth approximately $10 million, according to arrest warrant affidavits. Affidavits describe Murdaugh as a co-defendant in the alleged conspiracy, though he has not been charged in the case.
The shooting occurred on Sept. 4, one day after Murdaugh resigned from his family’s law firm amid accusations he had embezzled money from the legal practice.
That day, Smith followed Murdaugh to rural Old Salkehatchie Road, where he shot the attorney as he stood in the roadway, the affidavit states. Smith then drove to an unknown location, where he disposed of the gun, the affidavit states.
Murdaugh survived the shooting and was airlifted to a Savannah hospital. He was treated there for a head wound until leaving for rehab two days later, saying he was battling personal issues that had worsened since the June killings of his son and wife.
Murdaugh allegedly provided Smith with the gun he used in the attempted killing, the affidavit states. Smith confirmed to investigators after his arrest he was present during the shooting and he got rid of the gun, authorities said.
Smith has also been charged with distribution of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, Crosby said, indicating additional charges are expected in the case.
The full nature of Smith’s relationship with Murdaugh remained unclear late Sept. 14. Court records indicate Murdaugh represented Smith in a speeding case in Colleton County in 2013 and in a personal injury civil case the previous year.
Smith’s arrest came one day after SLED opened a criminal investigation into Murdaugh in connection with money missing from the legal practice his great-grandfather founded, the PMPED Law Firm in Hampton.
The law firm has said Alex Murdaugh resigned Sept. 3 after it was discovered he had “misappropriated funds in violation of PMPED standards and policies.” The firm has not disclosed an amount, but one unidentified member told The New York Times the missing money totaled in the millions.
The following day, Murdaugh called 911 and reported that he had been shot in Hampton County. His attorney, Jim Griffin, indicated Murdaugh was checking on a flat tire on his late wife’s Mercedes-Benz when a truck turned around and a gunman opened fire on the attorney, wounding him in the head.
SLED described the wound as “superficial,” but Griffin has maintained it was a significant injury that fractured Murdaugh’s skull, caused hemorrhaging and left entry and exit wounds. He was still hospitalized when he released a statement indicating he was entering rehab for treatment of unspecified issues. Griffin and Murdaugh’s publicist later confirmed he was battling substance abuse.
The S.C. Supreme Court suspended Alex Murdaugh’s law license two days later.
Randy Murdaugh, his brother and former colleague, said in a statement at the time he was “shocked” to learn of his brother’s drug addiction and “stealing of money.”
The ongoing revelations have marked a stunning turn of fortunes for a family whose name was synonymous with wealth, power and prestige in this southernmost corner of South Carolina’s Lowcountry.
Three generations of Murdaughs served as the region’s top prosecutor, an office they collectively held for more than eight decades. Alex Murdaugh previously worked part time for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which was once run by his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Now, he finds himself under intense scrutiny by law enforcement.
In addition to the Sept. 4 shooting, SLED has been working to solve the killings of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, whose bodies were reportedly discovered by Alex Murdaugh on the night of June 7. Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother, 52, were said to have been shot with two separate guns. No arrests have been made nor suspects identified in the double homicide, despite the Murdaugh family offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
