lawyer who got shot by former client

What was the name of the lawyer who shot himself?

Author Jeremy Clay tells the strange story of the 19th Century lawyer who accidentally shot himself while demonstrating the innocence of a defendant in a murder trial. "I have foolishly shot myself," winced Clement Vallandigham, sinking into a chair in his hotel room in a mixture of pain and mortification.

Who was the lawyer who was killed in South Carolina?

(CNN) A prominent South Carolina lawyer whose wife and son were shot and killed three months ago arranged for a former client to kill him so that his surviving son could collect a life insurance payout of about $10 million, according to court documents. Alex Murdaugh, 53, was shot in the head on a roadway September 4 but survived.

Who is the lawyer accused of swindling millions?

Murdaugh has been accused of swindling millions. The lawyer was arrested on Oct. 14 and charged with stealing millions of dollars from a settlement intended for the children of a housekeeper who died at the family’s home in 2018. The death was considered an accidental fall at the time.

Did man shoot at him for asking if he was having car trouble?

A man passing by in a pickup truck asked if he was having car trouble and then shot at him, Murdaugh claimed.

Who represented Smith in the lawsuit?

Smith was represented by Murdaugh during a 2015 lawsuit against a forest management company and for a 2013 speeding ticket, according to the New York Times.

Why did Murdaugh shoot Buster?

An affidavit released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division showed that Murdaugh admitted on Monday to having Curtis Edward Smith shoot him in order for his son Buster to collect a life insurance policy , with the insurance plan valued at an estimated $10 million.

Why did Murdaugh ask a former client to kill him?

A day after he was forced out of his family’s law firm for misusing funds on Sept. 3, Mr. Murdaugh reported that he had been shot in the head. He soon admitted that he had actually asked a former client to kill him because he wanted to leave his son Buster with a $10 million insurance payout. Mr. Murdaugh survived.

What was Murdaugh accused of?

5. Mr. Murdaugh has been accused of swindling millions. The lawyer was arrested on Oct. 14 and charged with stealing millions of dollars from a settlement intended for the children of a housekeeper who died at the family’s home in 2018. The death was considered an accidental fall at the time.

What is the mystery of Alex Murdaugh?

A South Carolina mystery. The unraveling of the life of Alex Murdaugh, a prominent lawyer, is at the center of a sprawling saga of mysterious deaths — including the unsolved killing of his wife and son — and allegations of multimillion-dollar swindles. Here are five things to know about the case:

What happened to Murdaugh's wife?

The former client was arrested after Mr. Murdaugh survived being shot in the head on a rural South Carolina road. Mr. Murdaugh’s wife and son had been fatally shot in June.

Did Murdaugh kill his wife?

4. Other strange deaths revolve around the case. Mr. Murdaugh has denied any involvement in the killings of his wife and son, and the police have not identified a suspect. But the case has brought new scrutiny to three other deaths of people who had some association with the family, including a young man found dead along a road in 2015 and a fatal boat crash in 2019.

Was Murdaugh shot?

Before Wednesday, Mr. Murdaugh’s lawyers and spokeswoman had insisted that the shooting on a rural road in Hampton County, S.C., was not self-inflicted. They had said that Mr. Murdaugh had stopped to inspect a flat tire when someone in a truck pulled up and shot him, a story they now admit was false. They said Mr. Murdaugh suffered a skull fracture; he was released from a hospital after two days.

Is the Murdaugh murder unsolved?

1. The “Murdaugh Murders” remain unsolved. The fatal shooting of Mr. Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and their 22-year-old son Paul rocked South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, where the Murdaugh family’s powerful legal dynasty originated. Few details have been released about the attack, and no arrests have been made.

Why did Murdaugh ask a former client to kill him?

A day after he was forced out of his family’s law firm for misusing funds on Sept. 3, Mr. Murdaugh reported that he had been shot in the head. He soon admitted that he had actually asked a former client to kill him because he wanted to leave his son Buster with a $10 million insurance payout. Mr. Murdaugh survived.

What was Alex Murdaugh accused of?

Alex Murdaugh, a member of a powerful legal dynasty in South Carolina, was accused by his firm of misusing funds. A day later, Mr. Murdaugh reported that he had been shot on a rural road.

How much did Murdaugh give for his wife's death?

Over the summer, Mr. Murdaugh offered a $100,000 reward for anyone who had information on the deaths of his wife and son.

What happened to Murdaugh's father?

Three days after their deaths, Mr. Murdaugh’s father, Randolph Murdaugh III, the last member of the family to serve as the region’s top prosecutor, died of natural causes.

What is the mystery of Alex Murdaugh?

A South Carolina mystery. The unraveling of the life of Alex Murdaugh, a prominent lawyer, is at the center of a sprawling saga of mysterious deaths — including the unsolved killing of his wife and son — and allegations of multimillion-dollar swindles. Here are five things to know about the case:

Did Murdaugh resign?

Leaders of the Hampton, S.C., firm said they had discovered that Mr. Murdaugh had misappropriated money from the law office and that he had resigned on Friday. The next day, Mr. Murdaugh told the police he had been changing a tire at the side of a road in Hampton County — where members of his family have established a powerful legal dynasty over three generations — when someone in a truck pulled up and shot him in the head.

Is the Murdaugh murder unsolved?

1. The “Murdaugh Murders” remain unsolved. The fatal shooting of Mr. Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and their 22-year-old son Paul rocked South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, where the Murdaugh family’s powerful legal dynasty originated. Few details have been released about the attack, and no arrests have been made.

Who shot Murdaugh?

Murdaugh allegedly provided Smith, a 61-year-old from Colleton County, with a firearm and directed Smith to shoot him in the head, the affidavit states. The purpose of the scheme was for Smith to kill Murdaugh so that his son could collect the life insurance payout, according to the affidavit.

Where was Murdaugh's wife killed?

Murdaugh called 911 and reported he found them shot dead outside of their home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of Hilton Head Island, according to authorities.

What is the Murdaugh case?

Murdaugh's lawyer, Jim Griffin, told CNN's Martin Savidge they have been informed an arrest warrant has been issued for Murdaugh on charges of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Murdaugh plans to voluntarily surrender Thursday at the Hampton County jail, no later than 2 p.m., according to Griffin.

Has Murdaugh's murder been solved?

The killings have not been solved, and Murdaugh has denied responsibility. The investigation into their deaths also led authorities to reopen the 2015 unsolved death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith in Hampton County.

Is Jim Griffin's client without fault?

In a statement, attorneys Harpootlian and Jim Griffin said their client "is not without fault" but added his "life has been devastated by an opioid addiction."

Is SLED investigating Alex Murdaugh?

SLED said it is opening an investigation based upon a request from the Hampton County coroner that highlights inconsistencies in the ruling of Satterfield's manner of death, as well as information gathered during SLED's other ongoing investigations involving Alex Murdaugh.

Where was Paul Murdaugh shot?

Murdaugh’s shooting took place nearly three months after his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and his son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were shot to death at their family hunting lodge in Islandton.

Why did Alex Murdaugh plot to kill his son?

Alex Murdaugh, a prominent South Carolina lawyer whose wife and son were fatally shot in June, plotted to have a man kill him so that his other son could collect a $10 million insurance payout, authorities said.

Why did Murdaugh resign?

A day before Murdaugh’s shooting, the law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED), asked him to resign after they uncovered his alleged misuse of millions of dollars, most of which he spent on buying opioids, according to Murdaugh’s lawyer. SLED said it was investigating these allegations. Murdaugh’s law license was also suspended on Sept. 8.

How many generations of Murdaughs have been prosecuted?

Three generations of Murdaughs have served as state prosecutors spanning eight decades, and the increasingly bizarre twists to this case have brought scrutiny to their legal dynasty. Some accused the powerful and well-connected Murdaugh family of trying to protect Paul Murdaugh from legal consequences. No one has been charged so far in Paul and Maggie’s deaths.

Who said Murdaugh's son would not receive the $10 million policy if he died?

Harpootlian said that Murdaugh mistakenly believed that his son, Buster, would not receive the $10 million policy if he died by suicide.

Did Harpootlian respond to Buzzfeed News?

Harpootlian did not respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for comment.

Why was Murdaugh arrested?

On Wednesday, police issued a warrant for Murdaugh’s arrest on charges of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, saying the attorney hired a man named Curtis Edward Smith to kill him.

Why did Murdaugh surrender to police?

South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh surrendered to police Thursday after police said he paid a former client to kill him in order to pass on a $10 million life insurance payout to his last surviving son, just months after Murdaugh’s wife and other son were shot dead in a case that has not been solved.

How did Paul Murdaugh's wife die?

The Murdaugh family, which has produced prominent South Carolina lawyers for generations, has been connected to at least four sudden deaths over the past few years. Just three months before he was shot in the head, Murdaugh’s wife and son were shot and killed at the family’s hunting lodge. No arrests have been made. At the time of his killing, Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on charges of boating under the influence after crashing the family’s boat into a bridge in 2019, killing 19-year-old passenger Mallory Beach. Beach’s mother filed a wrongful death suit against the Murdaughs, alleging family members attempted to prevent police officers from investigating the crash. In 2018, the family’s longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield died in the Murdaugh home, with the family saying she had tripped and fallen. On Wednesday, South Carolina authorities announced they had opened a criminal investigation into her death, which was ruled by the coroner as “natural,” though an autopsy was never completed, according to USA Today. The day before Murdaugh was shot, he resigned from his family’s law office after being accused of misappropriating funds, telling colleagues in a statement he planned to enter a rehabilitation program to treat his opioid addiction.

Who was the shooter in the Murdaugh shooting?

The shooter, Curtis Edward Smith, was charged with assisted suicide, insurance fraud and several other counts in the Sept. 4 shooting of Alex Murdaugh on a lonely highway in Hampton County, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a statement.

Why did Murdaugh want Smith to kill him?

Murdaugh wanted Smith to kill him so his surviving son would get his $10 million life insurance policy, state agents said.

How old was Maggie Murdaugh when she was killed?

Still unsolved are the June 7 killings of 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh and her 22-year-old son Paul Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife and son at their Colleton County home. Both had been shot multiple times.

Did Murdaugh investigate Satterfield's death?

State police said other information gathered during their Murdaugh investigations also led them to look into Satterfield's death. They didn't provide additional details.

Did Smith sell Murdaugh drugs?

Smith sold Murdaugh drugs, and the lawyer found his former client Saturday and “30 minutes later this guy is shooting him in the head. Didn’t try to persuade him not to do it,” Harpootlian said.