What we know about Paul Murdaugh boat crash, why it's being discussed in Alex Murdaugh trial

Amber Roberson, Greenville News
·2 min read
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As courtroom proceedings continue in Alex Murdaugh's double-murder trial, a Colleton County judge will allow questions related to a fatal 2019 boat crash in Beaufort County to be raised.

Judge Clifton Newman ruled Thursday that the testimony, while not directly related to the deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh in June 2021 for which Alex Murdaugh is being tried, would be allowed. He explained the decision arose from the Wednesday afternoon cross examination of two of Paul's friends, Rogan Gibson and Will Loving, which Newman said "opened the door" to discussion of the crash.

"You have opened the door for the state to respond by asking questions," Newman told Murdaugh's attorney Jim Griffin Thursday. "That opened the door for the state to address the issue."

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February 2019 boat crash killed Mallory Beach, injured others

Paul Murdaugh was among six people on board a Sea Hunt boat owned by Alex Murdaugh when it crashed into a bridge near Archer's Creek on Feb. 23, 2019. Mallory Beach went into the water, and her body was not recovered until a week later.

The boat occupants were "grossly intoxicated," according to police reports from the night of the crash.

The fatal 2019 Murdaugh boat crash continues to have major implications, including a possible impact on the pending Murdaugh family murder trial.
The fatal 2019 Murdaugh boat crash continues to have major implications, including a possible impact on the pending Murdaugh family murder trial.

What criminal charges did Paul Murdaugh face relating to the boat crash?

Paul Murdaugh, 19 at the time, was charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was awaiting trial at the time of his death.

Civil lawsuits following boat crash

Shortly after Mallory Beach's death, Beach's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh, his oldest son Richard Murdaugh Jr., who allegedly provided Paul with his driver's license to purchase alcohol under the legal age, and Gregory M. Parker, Inc. d/b/a Parker's Corporation, the convenience store chain that allegedly sold the alcohol to minors, among others.

The suit was amended in February 2022 -- three years after Beach's death -- to  include the estates of the late Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, alleging that the Murdaugh parents condoned the underage drinking that led to the crash.

Additional civil suits were filed by Anthony Cook, Beach's boyfriend at the time of her death, as well as Connor Cook.

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The charges against Paul Murdaugh were officially dismissed two months after his death.

Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the South Carolina Attorney General's Office, said at the time that the investigation into the fatal boat crash remained open.

Michael DeWitt Jr. contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Alex Murdaugh trial: What we know about Paul's 2019 boat crash