1 00:00:08,241 --> 00:00:09,952 Narrator: In this "American "Greed" special... 2 00:00:09,976 --> 00:00:12,679 This is such a wild story... The unsolved double murder 3 00:00:12,712 --> 00:00:16,750 of a prominent attorney's wife and son is making new headlines. 4 00:00:16,783 --> 00:00:20,453 An unprecedented tale of small-town power... 5 00:00:20,487 --> 00:00:22,989 Bauerlein: If you had a problem, they can make it go away, 6 00:00:23,023 --> 00:00:25,125 but then, you owed them. 7 00:00:25,158 --> 00:00:27,360 Narrator: and big-time greed. 8 00:00:27,394 --> 00:00:29,996 Alex preyed on his victims who were his clients. 9 00:00:30,030 --> 00:00:32,132 They were right in front of him. 10 00:00:32,165 --> 00:00:34,334 Narrator: For a century, the Murdaughs, 11 00:00:34,367 --> 00:00:37,303 a powerful family of lawyers and prosecutors, 12 00:00:37,337 --> 00:00:41,574 hold a tight grip over a large swath of South Carolina. 13 00:00:41,608 --> 00:00:44,444 You didn't want to be on the other end 14 00:00:44,477 --> 00:00:46,012 of what they were working on. 15 00:00:46,046 --> 00:00:50,316 Narrator: But behind the aura of respectability, 16 00:00:50,350 --> 00:00:52,619 prosecutors say Alex Murdaugh is hiding 17 00:00:52,652 --> 00:00:58,358 a trove of devious schemes worth nearly $20 million. 18 00:00:58,391 --> 00:01:02,128 Have you ever heard of a case where the defendant 19 00:01:02,162 --> 00:01:04,364 and the plaintiff's lawyer get together 20 00:01:04,397 --> 00:01:07,467 and say, "We're going to take all the money"? 21 00:01:07,500 --> 00:01:10,837 Newscaster: Prosecutors say his crimes extended to an eight-year money 22 00:01:10,870 --> 00:01:13,273 laundering and painkiller ring. 23 00:01:13,306 --> 00:01:17,344 Narrator: For years, Murdaugh seems untouchable. 24 00:01:17,377 --> 00:01:19,055 But when tragedy strikes... 25 00:01:19,079 --> 00:01:21,548 [ Vehicle crashes ] 26 00:01:21,581 --> 00:01:24,551 Narrator: his alleged crimes come out of the dark... 27 00:01:24,584 --> 00:01:26,586 He never looked like the type of person 28 00:01:26,619 --> 00:01:29,155 that would do something of this nature. 29 00:01:29,189 --> 00:01:30,990 Narrator: and into the light. 30 00:01:31,091 --> 00:01:34,160 Newscaster: It's yet another twist in a stunning series of events 31 00:01:34,194 --> 00:01:36,830 devastating the well-known family. 32 00:01:36,863 --> 00:01:41,234 Narrator: And the once powerful attorney finds himself linked to death... 33 00:01:44,104 --> 00:01:45,638 Narrator: after death... 34 00:01:47,807 --> 00:01:48,942 Narrator: after death... 35 00:01:48,975 --> 00:01:50,310 [ Gunshot ] 36 00:01:53,146 --> 00:01:56,383 Narrator: Now, Murdaugh's victims and those who face off with him 37 00:01:56,416 --> 00:02:00,286 in court take "American Greed" inside the story 38 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,424 that's almost impossible to believe. 39 00:02:04,457 --> 00:02:08,828 Bland: This is a John Grisham work of nonfiction. 40 00:02:08,862 --> 00:02:11,131 You cannot make any of this up. 41 00:02:11,164 --> 00:02:13,400 Because it's all true. 42 00:02:13,433 --> 00:02:21,433 ♪♪ 43 00:02:36,089 --> 00:02:40,760 Narrator: In the early morning hours, in the misty winter dark, 44 00:02:40,794 --> 00:02:42,328 security cameras roll 45 00:02:42,362 --> 00:02:46,766 as 19-year-old Paul Murdaugh emerges from a boat, 46 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:52,939 saddles up to a bar, and quickly downs two shots. 47 00:02:52,972 --> 00:02:54,474 The son of Alex Murdaugh, 48 00:02:54,507 --> 00:02:57,177 a prominent attorney from a powerful legal dynasty 49 00:02:57,210 --> 00:02:59,813 based in Hampton, South Carolina, 50 00:02:59,846 --> 00:03:04,918 Paul is used to getting and doing whatever he wants. 51 00:03:04,951 --> 00:03:07,554 Bauerlein: Well, the Murdaugh family is just a legendary name 52 00:03:07,587 --> 00:03:09,622 in that part of the world for a hundred years, 53 00:03:09,656 --> 00:03:13,259 and essentially were the power brokers not just in Hampton, 54 00:03:13,293 --> 00:03:16,262 but in the region for a very, very, very long time. 55 00:03:16,296 --> 00:03:18,431 Narrator: After swaggering out of the bar, 56 00:03:18,465 --> 00:03:21,901 Paul is seen arguing with some of the five friends 57 00:03:21,935 --> 00:03:24,671 who've joined him for this night out on the water 58 00:03:24,704 --> 00:03:26,506 in his father's boat. 59 00:03:26,539 --> 00:03:28,408 To other members of the party, 60 00:03:28,441 --> 00:03:32,112 the gravity of the moment seems unclear. 61 00:03:32,145 --> 00:03:34,981 Bauerlein: You see Mallory and Anthony, her boyfriend, 62 00:03:35,081 --> 00:03:37,984 you know, laughing, holding hands. 63 00:03:38,084 --> 00:03:39,319 It's very poignant 'cause 64 00:03:39,352 --> 00:03:40,663 it almost gives me chills to think about 65 00:03:40,687 --> 00:03:43,156 because you know you're watching the last moments 66 00:03:43,189 --> 00:03:46,526 of this young woman's life. 67 00:03:46,559 --> 00:03:47,827 It's tough to watch, honestly. 68 00:04:01,141 --> 00:04:04,811 Narrator: When authorities arrive, the missing girl's boyfriend, 69 00:04:04,844 --> 00:04:09,649 Anthony Cook, lets them know how unlikely it is that Paul... 70 00:04:09,683 --> 00:04:11,117 Or any Murdaugh... 71 00:04:11,151 --> 00:04:14,354 Will ever face justice in this deadly incident. 72 00:04:25,065 --> 00:04:30,403 Narrator: Alex Murdaugh may seem above the law to people who know him, 73 00:04:30,437 --> 00:04:34,474 but the death on his boat begins to shine a light on his family 74 00:04:34,507 --> 00:04:37,053 that could bring him down. 75 00:04:37,077 --> 00:04:40,747 Bamberg: I can see him sitting there and the walls start closing in 76 00:04:40,780 --> 00:04:43,583 because now he and his entire family 77 00:04:43,616 --> 00:04:48,388 was under a level of scrutiny that they had never, 78 00:04:48,421 --> 00:04:54,627 never experienced in the life of that family. 79 00:04:54,661 --> 00:04:57,597 Narrator: In the months that follow his son's boat crash, 80 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:02,235 an unprecedented tale of power and greed will be revealed. 81 00:05:02,268 --> 00:05:04,504 It's got family drama. 82 00:05:04,537 --> 00:05:06,673 It's biblical. It's Shakespearean. 83 00:05:06,706 --> 00:05:07,941 It's just everything. 84 00:05:08,041 --> 00:05:16,041 ♪♪ 85 00:05:16,716 --> 00:05:17,884 Narrator: Even the setting 86 00:05:17,917 --> 00:05:21,287 of the Murdaugh's real-life Southern gothic tale 87 00:05:21,321 --> 00:05:25,091 feels like something out of a novel. 88 00:05:25,125 --> 00:05:27,827 McCulloch: Well, Hampton County is in what we call the Lowcountry. 89 00:05:27,861 --> 00:05:32,365 It is a different world in a very real sense. 90 00:05:32,399 --> 00:05:36,102 It's almost a trip back in time to Mayberry. 91 00:05:38,171 --> 00:05:39,315 Harris: The biggest building is 92 00:05:39,339 --> 00:05:42,242 Alex Murdaugh's old law firm. 93 00:05:42,275 --> 00:05:43,719 Bauerlein: Everyone knows what the firm is. 94 00:05:43,743 --> 00:05:45,521 For many years, there was never a sign out in front, 95 00:05:45,545 --> 00:05:48,057 and guess what? There's still not. 96 00:05:48,081 --> 00:05:49,916 Narrator: It's not necessary. 97 00:05:49,949 --> 00:05:53,520 For almost nine decades, three generations of Murdaughs 98 00:05:53,553 --> 00:05:57,724 served as prosecutors, also known as solicitors, 99 00:05:57,757 --> 00:06:01,928 over Hampton and four surrounding counties. 100 00:06:02,028 --> 00:06:06,800 The job makes them the main power brokers in the area. 101 00:06:06,833 --> 00:06:09,602 Justin Bamberg is an attorney who will represent 102 00:06:09,636 --> 00:06:14,016 many of Alex Murdaugh's alleged victims. 103 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:15,742 Bamberg: You didn't want to be on 104 00:06:15,775 --> 00:06:20,022 the other end of what they were working on or what they wanted. 105 00:06:20,046 --> 00:06:21,314 You know, I mean they've run 106 00:06:21,348 --> 00:06:23,783 the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office 107 00:06:23,817 --> 00:06:28,421 for a hundred years, tapped in, tied in. 108 00:06:28,455 --> 00:06:30,156 That's law enforcement. 109 00:06:30,190 --> 00:06:31,725 That's EMS. 110 00:06:31,758 --> 00:06:36,730 That's all the people who could make your life difficult. 111 00:06:36,763 --> 00:06:39,232 Narrator: It's a type of power that comes in handy 112 00:06:39,265 --> 00:06:42,135 at the personal injury law firm the Murdaughs 113 00:06:42,168 --> 00:06:45,638 run in tandem with the solicitor's office. 114 00:06:47,540 --> 00:06:49,843 Valerie Bauerlein is a "Wall Street Journal" 115 00:06:49,876 --> 00:06:53,980 reporter now writing a book about the Murdaugh family. 116 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,417 Bauerlein: The solicitor gets to decide who gets prosecuted for a case. 117 00:06:57,450 --> 00:06:59,419 If you had a problem or a run-in with the law 118 00:06:59,452 --> 00:07:00,920 and you went to the Murdaugh firm, 119 00:07:01,021 --> 00:07:02,889 they can make it go away sometimes, 120 00:07:02,922 --> 00:07:05,692 but then, you owed them. 121 00:07:05,725 --> 00:07:08,328 Narrator: According to attorney Justin Bamberg, 122 00:07:08,361 --> 00:07:10,230 the ability to decide how 123 00:07:10,263 --> 00:07:13,667 and when the law is enforced as solicitors 124 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:16,736 gives the Murdaughs a leg up at their private law firm 125 00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:20,373 when they try a case before a local jury. 126 00:07:20,407 --> 00:07:22,118 Bamberg: What do you think people are going to do? 127 00:07:22,142 --> 00:07:23,710 You go to pick your jury 128 00:07:23,743 --> 00:07:26,946 and there's the mother of this boy 129 00:07:27,047 --> 00:07:29,649 who the solicitor's office could have dropped the hammer on 130 00:07:29,683 --> 00:07:34,721 and didn't because Solicitor Murdaugh looked out. 131 00:07:34,754 --> 00:07:36,956 Well, people are going to pay it forward. 132 00:07:37,057 --> 00:07:40,427 The cases came to the Murdaugh law firm 133 00:07:40,460 --> 00:07:44,831 because if you had a personal injury lawsuit, 134 00:07:44,864 --> 00:07:47,534 you were going to win 135 00:07:47,567 --> 00:07:50,136 and you were probably going to win more money 136 00:07:50,170 --> 00:07:51,938 than you would anywhere else. 137 00:07:51,971 --> 00:07:55,051 A case in Richland County that would settle for $500,000 138 00:07:55,075 --> 00:08:00,113 could just as easily settle here for $5 to $10 million dollars. 139 00:08:00,146 --> 00:08:03,783 Narrator: Alex Murdaugh is born into this dynasty of wealth 140 00:08:03,817 --> 00:08:07,020 and influence in 1968. 141 00:08:07,053 --> 00:08:09,756 When he becomes a lawyer in 1994, 142 00:08:09,789 --> 00:08:14,394 Murdaugh uses his gift of gab, and his powerful name, 143 00:08:14,427 --> 00:08:17,263 to build his own book of clients. 144 00:08:17,297 --> 00:08:21,267 Joe McCulloch will later file suit against Alex Murdaugh. 145 00:08:21,301 --> 00:08:23,403 He was a lawyer who based on his reputation 146 00:08:23,436 --> 00:08:27,140 and the family's strength of reputation 147 00:08:27,173 --> 00:08:29,876 probably enabled him to settle many, many cases 148 00:08:29,909 --> 00:08:35,024 without ever the fear of having to try the case. 149 00:08:35,048 --> 00:08:39,028 Narrator: According to an archived version of his firm's website, 150 00:08:39,052 --> 00:08:43,032 Murdaugh's practice focuses on personal injury law, 151 00:08:43,056 --> 00:08:44,958 where he purports to help clients 152 00:08:45,058 --> 00:08:49,696 injured or killed in accidents or by defective products. 153 00:08:49,729 --> 00:08:54,043 All of these clients are in terrible need of an experienced 154 00:08:54,067 --> 00:08:56,436 advocate to fight for them. 155 00:08:56,469 --> 00:09:00,874 It's absolutely the lowest point for most of these folks' lives. 156 00:09:00,907 --> 00:09:03,376 And he's just that regular run-of-the-mill 157 00:09:03,410 --> 00:09:06,146 country white guy from around here. 158 00:09:06,179 --> 00:09:07,990 "Hey, bo, I'm going to take care of you. 159 00:09:08,014 --> 00:09:09,282 You hear? 160 00:09:09,315 --> 00:09:10,559 You don't have anything to worry about. 161 00:09:10,583 --> 00:09:14,821 I promise you. I got you." 162 00:09:14,854 --> 00:09:18,191 Narrator: Among the clients who turn to Alex Murdaugh for help 163 00:09:18,224 --> 00:09:21,261 is the family of Hakeem Pinckney. 164 00:09:21,294 --> 00:09:24,397 A young deaf man, Pinckney's life is upended 165 00:09:24,431 --> 00:09:28,501 in a horrific car accident in 2009 166 00:09:28,535 --> 00:09:31,538 that also involves his mother, Pamela. 167 00:09:33,506 --> 00:09:35,575 Pinckney: Hakeem had got thrown out on his head, 168 00:09:35,608 --> 00:09:39,045 so he ended up having spinal cord injury from that. 169 00:09:39,079 --> 00:09:40,380 They operated on him. 170 00:09:40,413 --> 00:09:43,149 He became a quadriplegic. 171 00:09:43,183 --> 00:09:46,152 He ended up in a facility in Augusta, Georgia 172 00:09:46,186 --> 00:09:49,522 on a ventilator. 173 00:09:49,556 --> 00:09:53,159 Narrator: Pamela Pinckney says a friend refers her to a lawyer 174 00:09:53,193 --> 00:09:55,462 who kindly meets her at the hospital 175 00:09:55,495 --> 00:09:58,164 where she too is recovering. 176 00:09:58,198 --> 00:09:59,733 It's Alex Murdaugh. 177 00:09:59,766 --> 00:10:03,403 Pinckney: He looked all of us dead in our eyes and our face 178 00:10:03,436 --> 00:10:07,107 and told us that we don't have anything to worry about. 179 00:10:07,140 --> 00:10:13,146 He said he's our attorney and that he have our best interests. 180 00:10:13,179 --> 00:10:15,315 He would never do anything to hurt us 181 00:10:15,348 --> 00:10:18,018 and he's like family to us. 182 00:10:18,051 --> 00:10:20,020 I just took his word as his bond. 183 00:10:20,053 --> 00:10:22,088 That's what I did. 184 00:10:22,122 --> 00:10:24,424 Narrator: Like many in the Hampton area, 185 00:10:24,457 --> 00:10:26,493 Pinckney thinks the Murdaugh name 186 00:10:26,526 --> 00:10:28,395 is one that can be trusted. 187 00:10:28,428 --> 00:10:29,896 And who could blame her? 188 00:10:29,929 --> 00:10:33,900 After all, the family has been "the law" here 189 00:10:33,933 --> 00:10:36,169 for nearly a century. 190 00:10:36,202 --> 00:10:39,639 But, as the saying goes, absolute power 191 00:10:39,673 --> 00:10:42,375 corrupts absolutely. 192 00:10:42,409 --> 00:10:45,679 Alex's clients were never his best interest. 193 00:10:45,712 --> 00:10:49,716 His best interest was always his pocket. 194 00:10:49,749 --> 00:10:51,084 Narrator: Up next, 195 00:10:51,117 --> 00:10:55,188 the depths of Alex Murdaugh's alleged fraud revealed. 196 00:10:55,221 --> 00:10:56,856 If you have a criminal mind, 197 00:10:56,890 --> 00:10:59,225 that's a bank sitting right in front of you. 198 00:10:59,259 --> 00:11:00,927 Narrator: And later... 199 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,529 the tragic crash that threatens 200 00:11:02,562 --> 00:11:05,432 to topple the Murdaugh dynasty forever. 201 00:11:07,901 --> 00:11:13,606 ♪♪ 202 00:11:26,219 --> 00:11:28,955 ♪♪ Narrator: In the Lowcountry of South Carolina, 203 00:11:28,988 --> 00:11:32,292 attorney Alex Murdaugh has all the trappings of wealth 204 00:11:32,325 --> 00:11:38,298 and success that his well-known last name implies. 205 00:11:38,331 --> 00:11:43,136 It's all on display on his wife, Maggie's, Facebook page. 206 00:11:43,169 --> 00:11:45,305 There, pictures show her husband 207 00:11:45,338 --> 00:11:48,441 standing outside a private plane, 208 00:11:48,475 --> 00:11:51,444 attending black-tie affairs in New York, 209 00:11:51,478 --> 00:11:54,614 sitting courtside at University of South Carolina 210 00:11:54,647 --> 00:11:56,549 basketball games, 211 00:11:56,583 --> 00:12:01,287 and vacationing with his whole happy family. 212 00:12:01,321 --> 00:12:04,057 There are also shots of the Murdaugh clan 213 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:06,226 riding around in a variety of boats 214 00:12:06,259 --> 00:12:08,461 and other toys at the family's home 215 00:12:08,495 --> 00:12:12,699 and hunting property, Moselle. 216 00:12:12,732 --> 00:12:14,634 Bauerlein: Moselle is 1,700 acres. 217 00:12:14,668 --> 00:12:17,737 That's 20 minutes from town practically. 218 00:12:17,771 --> 00:12:21,641 A lot of hunting, really good hunting property out there. 219 00:12:21,675 --> 00:12:24,177 Narrator: Murdaugh is an avid hunter, 220 00:12:24,210 --> 00:12:26,546 and it's here, in the sprawling woods, 221 00:12:26,579 --> 00:12:30,517 that he entertains friends and associates. 222 00:12:30,550 --> 00:12:35,288 But behind his lordly existence, prosecutors say Murdaugh 223 00:12:35,321 --> 00:12:38,324 is using his family's powerful legal legacy 224 00:12:38,358 --> 00:12:41,094 to lure in trusting clients 225 00:12:41,127 --> 00:12:43,563 so he can rob them blind. 226 00:12:45,699 --> 00:12:51,171 After the Pinckney family's horrific car crash in 2009, 227 00:12:51,204 --> 00:12:52,706 they turn to Murdaugh, 228 00:12:52,739 --> 00:12:57,577 believing he will work to get them what they deserve. 229 00:12:57,610 --> 00:13:01,548 Then, in October 2011, Hakeem Pinckney, 230 00:13:01,581 --> 00:13:06,252 just 21, dies in a nursing home. 231 00:13:06,286 --> 00:13:07,854 That was... 232 00:13:07,887 --> 00:13:12,325 It was like someone just ripping my heart out of my body. 233 00:13:12,359 --> 00:13:15,462 Narrator: While Pinckney is left to bury her son, 234 00:13:15,495 --> 00:13:19,065 prosecutors say Murdaugh senses opportunity, 235 00:13:19,099 --> 00:13:21,968 helping the family sue a tire company 236 00:13:22,068 --> 00:13:26,439 whose faulty product allegedly caused the crash. 237 00:13:26,473 --> 00:13:28,942 A tread separated from around the tire 238 00:13:28,975 --> 00:13:32,579 and that was the nature of us having the accident. 239 00:13:32,612 --> 00:13:35,682 Narrator: Prosecutors say in an indictment 240 00:13:35,715 --> 00:13:39,061 that the Pinckneys receive a multimillion dollar settlement 241 00:13:39,085 --> 00:13:41,955 from the tire manufacturer. 242 00:13:41,988 --> 00:13:43,923 It progressed very fast. 243 00:13:43,957 --> 00:13:45,067 It settled out of court. 244 00:13:45,091 --> 00:13:47,560 We didn't even go to court. 245 00:13:47,594 --> 00:13:49,829 Narrator: The Pinckneys get some of their money, 246 00:13:49,863 --> 00:13:54,601 and Murdaugh collects hefty fees for representing them. 247 00:13:54,634 --> 00:13:58,705 But prosecutors say he wants more. 248 00:13:58,738 --> 00:14:01,374 Two months after Hakeem Pinckney's death, 249 00:14:01,408 --> 00:14:04,911 prosecutors say he begins working with Russell Lafitte, 250 00:14:04,944 --> 00:14:09,582 an executive at a local bank, to skim from the family. 251 00:14:11,418 --> 00:14:15,355 These two old friends then allegedly use a large chunk 252 00:14:15,388 --> 00:14:17,323 of the Pinckneys' settlement 253 00:14:17,357 --> 00:14:20,560 as their own personal slush fund. 254 00:14:22,729 --> 00:14:26,332 The bank has not been implicated in any criminal wrongdoing, 255 00:14:26,366 --> 00:14:29,302 and neither its legal representative nor Lafitte, 256 00:14:29,336 --> 00:14:32,605 who has pled not guilty to state and federal charges, 257 00:14:32,639 --> 00:14:37,410 responded to "American Greed's" request for comment. 258 00:14:37,444 --> 00:14:41,281 But Bamberg says he knows exactly what Murdaugh 259 00:14:41,314 --> 00:14:43,983 and the banker were up to. 260 00:14:44,084 --> 00:14:47,454 This is money that was intended to compensate people 261 00:14:47,487 --> 00:14:51,591 who had lived through one of the most traumatic experiences, 262 00:14:51,624 --> 00:14:54,961 if not the most traumatic experience, 263 00:14:54,994 --> 00:14:58,074 most people can imagine. 264 00:14:58,098 --> 00:15:01,010 And their money got taken. 265 00:15:01,034 --> 00:15:02,936 And the people involved 266 00:15:03,036 --> 00:15:09,175 didn't care one way about a brokenhearted mother 267 00:15:09,209 --> 00:15:14,681 or the memory of a deaf quadriplegic young man. 268 00:15:17,517 --> 00:15:20,820 Indictments say Murdaugh is just getting started 269 00:15:20,854 --> 00:15:27,036 in a years-long scheme to steal from his suffering clients. 270 00:15:27,060 --> 00:15:31,264 Alex Murdaugh was strategic. 271 00:15:31,297 --> 00:15:36,045 He picked people who wouldn't question him. 272 00:15:36,069 --> 00:15:38,304 He picked people who were trusting. 273 00:15:38,338 --> 00:15:41,341 And he picked minorities. 274 00:15:41,374 --> 00:15:44,577 One was a long-time friend of the family. 275 00:15:44,611 --> 00:15:49,082 He had a state trooper that came to him for help, 276 00:15:49,115 --> 00:15:53,453 that he allegedly took money from. 277 00:15:53,486 --> 00:15:57,424 Narrator: Murdaugh allegedly hides his theft by telling clients 278 00:15:57,457 --> 00:16:01,327 that their settlement amount is less than it actually is, 279 00:16:01,361 --> 00:16:03,096 that he can't disburse their money 280 00:16:03,129 --> 00:16:06,066 until their litigation is completed, 281 00:16:06,099 --> 00:16:09,703 and that their money is being used to pay for medical bills, 282 00:16:09,736 --> 00:16:14,274 private investigators, and accident reconstructions. 283 00:16:14,307 --> 00:16:17,477 No one seems to question him. 284 00:16:17,510 --> 00:16:21,023 Alex preyed on his victims who were his clients. 285 00:16:21,047 --> 00:16:22,682 They were right in front of him. 286 00:16:22,716 --> 00:16:27,354 And there's millions of dollars that come his way every year, 287 00:16:27,387 --> 00:16:29,422 and if you have a criminal mind, 288 00:16:29,456 --> 00:16:32,692 that's a bank sitting right in front of you. 289 00:16:32,726 --> 00:16:35,729 Narrator: According to the South Carolina Supreme Court, 290 00:16:35,762 --> 00:16:39,366 Murdaugh has admitted to stealing millions from clients 291 00:16:39,399 --> 00:16:43,169 and his own law firm. 292 00:16:43,203 --> 00:16:45,572 With no one keeping tabs on the lawyer 293 00:16:45,605 --> 00:16:49,642 whose last name stands for the law in the Lowcountry, 294 00:16:49,676 --> 00:16:55,982 prosecutors say Murdaugh's crimes go on for years. 295 00:16:56,082 --> 00:16:58,852 Harris: It's hard to believe that this guy, the arrogance... 296 00:16:58,885 --> 00:17:01,287 To think that he wasn't going to get caught, 297 00:17:01,321 --> 00:17:03,456 that he just continued to do it over and over again. 298 00:17:03,490 --> 00:17:05,492 But then you're like, "How could he not think 299 00:17:05,525 --> 00:17:07,460 he was gonna get away with it?" 300 00:17:10,296 --> 00:17:11,531 Narrator: Up next... 301 00:17:11,564 --> 00:17:14,034 a sudden death at Murdaugh's house... 302 00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:21,274 Narrator: and the lawyer gets away with his biggest score yet. 303 00:17:21,307 --> 00:17:23,476 You know, often times, somebody steals with a pen, 304 00:17:23,510 --> 00:17:26,413 it's just as dangerous as somebody who steals with a gun. 305 00:17:26,446 --> 00:17:31,584 ♪♪ 306 00:17:42,206 --> 00:17:47,945 ♪♪ 307 00:17:48,046 --> 00:17:51,783 Narrator: For years, Alex Murdaugh has been living high on the hog 308 00:17:51,816 --> 00:17:55,153 thanks to his alleged theft from suffering clients 309 00:17:55,186 --> 00:17:59,190 who turn to him at the lowest points in their lives. 310 00:17:59,223 --> 00:18:02,093 Like plenty of people of wealth and privilege, 311 00:18:02,126 --> 00:18:06,197 Murdaugh is too busy for some jobs. 312 00:18:06,230 --> 00:18:11,002 Out at Moselle, the family's 1,700-acre hunting estate, 313 00:18:11,035 --> 00:18:13,538 he employs a woman named Gloria Satterfield 314 00:18:13,571 --> 00:18:18,142 to work for his family as a nanny and housekeeper. 315 00:18:18,176 --> 00:18:21,879 Her sons... Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott... 316 00:18:21,913 --> 00:18:26,751 Say taking care of others is what she does best. 317 00:18:26,784 --> 00:18:32,023 Loving, kind, you know, comforting, protective mother. 318 00:18:32,056 --> 00:18:35,893 Narrator: The love she shows her own children is said to extend 319 00:18:35,927 --> 00:18:38,763 to Murdaugh, his wife, Maggie, and their two boys, 320 00:18:38,796 --> 00:18:43,201 Paul, on the left, and Buster, on the right. 321 00:18:43,234 --> 00:18:45,737 Hadwin: You know, she took pride in what she done, 322 00:18:45,770 --> 00:18:47,505 and she wasn't just a housekeeper. 323 00:18:47,538 --> 00:18:50,441 She was more than that. She was family. 324 00:18:50,475 --> 00:18:58,082 She did for Alex's sons, Buster and Paul, like they were hers. 325 00:18:58,116 --> 00:19:00,385 Narrator: But after years on the job, 326 00:19:00,418 --> 00:19:03,554 on February 2, 2018, 327 00:19:03,588 --> 00:19:05,723 at the brick steps leading into the house 328 00:19:05,757 --> 00:19:10,028 at the Murdaughs' rural estate, tragedy strikes. 329 00:19:10,061 --> 00:19:12,430 [ Line ringing ] 330 00:19:34,852 --> 00:19:38,356 Narrator: Three weeks after her accident at the Murdaugh home, 331 00:19:38,389 --> 00:19:41,693 Satterfield's life comes to an end. 332 00:19:41,726 --> 00:19:45,129 That day, when I went to leave her, 333 00:19:45,163 --> 00:19:47,465 I told her I loved her and "I'll see you tomorrow", 334 00:19:47,498 --> 00:19:50,902 and that's when she said, "I love you too" and that was it. 335 00:19:52,870 --> 00:19:54,906 That's the last words we had. 336 00:19:56,941 --> 00:20:01,346 Narrator: For the family, it's an unimaginable tragedy. 337 00:20:01,379 --> 00:20:05,383 But prosecutors and others allege that Murdaugh knows 338 00:20:05,416 --> 00:20:08,720 how to find the silver lining. 339 00:20:08,753 --> 00:20:12,590 Eric Bland will later represent Satterfield's sons. 340 00:20:12,623 --> 00:20:16,661 And Alex is such a devious person, 341 00:20:16,694 --> 00:20:19,063 such an evil-minded person 342 00:20:19,097 --> 00:20:21,966 that he thinks in ways that normal people don't think. 343 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,003 And so, from the start, I believe that he saw this 344 00:20:25,036 --> 00:20:30,274 as a financial avenue for him to be able to recover money. 345 00:20:30,308 --> 00:20:34,212 Narrator: Murdaugh's devious scheme to steal from the Satterfields 346 00:20:34,245 --> 00:20:40,184 begins when he does something most lawyers would never do. 347 00:20:40,218 --> 00:20:44,389 He openly accepts blame for his employee's death 348 00:20:44,422 --> 00:20:48,826 by saying his dogs caused her fall. 349 00:20:48,860 --> 00:20:52,196 Hadwin: He just said that the dogs tripped her up, 350 00:20:52,230 --> 00:20:53,564 and that's all we knew, 351 00:20:53,598 --> 00:20:57,168 and if anyone questioned us, just to tell them 352 00:20:57,201 --> 00:20:59,404 that they could talk to him. 353 00:20:59,437 --> 00:21:03,241 Narrator: The Satterfield family says that after admitting fault, 354 00:21:03,274 --> 00:21:08,546 Murdaugh tells them he wants to make things right financially. 355 00:21:08,579 --> 00:21:11,516 The lawyer has a big insurance policy, 356 00:21:11,549 --> 00:21:14,052 and he tells the family he wants to help them 357 00:21:14,085 --> 00:21:16,220 file a claim against him 358 00:21:16,254 --> 00:21:20,591 so they can collect whatever settlement might come. 359 00:21:20,625 --> 00:21:23,394 He's like, "Hey, you know, I know she's going to have 360 00:21:23,428 --> 00:21:24,705 some medical bills and stuff, you know, 361 00:21:24,729 --> 00:21:28,099 so let me try to help you out with that." 362 00:21:28,132 --> 00:21:30,968 Narrator: But prosecutors say Murdaugh is more interested 363 00:21:31,069 --> 00:21:35,707 in helping himself to the insurance proceeds. 364 00:21:35,740 --> 00:21:39,677 To do so, he knows he can't represent the boys 365 00:21:39,711 --> 00:21:42,914 and go after his own insurer. 366 00:21:42,947 --> 00:21:48,419 He needs to set them up with a lawyer, one who he can trust. 367 00:21:48,453 --> 00:21:51,889 He was like, "You know, I can't represent you through myself 368 00:21:51,923 --> 00:21:53,567 'cause it would be like a conflict of interest, 369 00:21:53,591 --> 00:21:56,627 so, you know, I'm going to send you to my buddy in Beaufort, 370 00:21:56,661 --> 00:21:58,796 you know, Cory Fleming." 371 00:21:58,830 --> 00:22:00,732 Narrator: Cory Fleming's LinkedIn profile 372 00:22:00,765 --> 00:22:05,069 says he once worked for Murdaugh's father, 373 00:22:05,103 --> 00:22:07,505 and there's plenty Murdaugh doesn't reveal 374 00:22:07,538 --> 00:22:11,018 about the depth of their friendship. 375 00:22:11,042 --> 00:22:13,945 He didn't tell them that he grew up with Cory, 376 00:22:14,045 --> 00:22:16,180 that they went to college together, 377 00:22:16,214 --> 00:22:20,027 that Cory was the godfather of Paul, his son. 378 00:22:20,051 --> 00:22:21,919 Narrator: According to a lawsuit, 379 00:22:21,953 --> 00:22:26,457 once Fleming begins to "represent" the Satterfields, 380 00:22:26,491 --> 00:22:30,061 he asks Murdaugh's insurer to pay up, 381 00:22:30,094 --> 00:22:34,699 and Murdaugh leans on the company to make sure they do. 382 00:22:34,732 --> 00:22:36,934 Bland: Alex said to his insurance company, 383 00:22:36,968 --> 00:22:39,737 "If you don't settle within the policy limits, 384 00:22:39,771 --> 00:22:41,639 this case is going to go to trial. 385 00:22:41,673 --> 00:22:44,776 I'm going to be before my jurors and I'm going to stand up 386 00:22:44,809 --> 00:22:46,978 and tell them it's my fault, 387 00:22:47,078 --> 00:22:50,481 my responsibility for Gloria's death." 388 00:22:50,515 --> 00:22:54,552 Narrator: As the insurer gets closer to writing a big check, 389 00:22:54,585 --> 00:22:56,988 Murdaugh knows he can only pocket the money 390 00:22:57,088 --> 00:23:01,001 if the boys never learn that there's been a payout. 391 00:23:01,025 --> 00:23:04,495 Tony is then serving as personal representative - 392 00:23:04,529 --> 00:23:08,666 or PR... For his mother's estate. 393 00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:11,703 The job means he'll approve any settlement 394 00:23:11,736 --> 00:23:14,906 that Murdaugh's insurer offers. 395 00:23:14,939 --> 00:23:17,608 As the insurance payment gets closer, 396 00:23:17,642 --> 00:23:21,579 Murdaugh asks a local banker named Chad Westendorf 397 00:23:21,612 --> 00:23:23,848 to take over the position. 398 00:23:23,881 --> 00:23:27,151 Man: Today is February 22, 2022. 399 00:23:27,185 --> 00:23:29,029 The time is approximately... 400 00:23:29,053 --> 00:23:32,757 Narrator: As Westendorf will later make clear in a video deposition, 401 00:23:32,790 --> 00:23:37,261 his only qualification seems to be his friendship with Murdaugh. 402 00:23:37,295 --> 00:23:41,966 Man: What made you more qualified to be PR than Tony? 403 00:23:42,066 --> 00:23:43,267 I don't know. 404 00:23:43,301 --> 00:23:47,047 Man: Okay. What was your job? 405 00:23:47,071 --> 00:23:51,051 As PR, tell me what you were supposed to do. 406 00:23:51,075 --> 00:23:52,744 I don't know. 407 00:23:52,777 --> 00:23:57,081 Narrator: Westendorf has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing 408 00:23:57,115 --> 00:24:01,786 and did not respond to "American Greed's" request for comment. 409 00:24:01,819 --> 00:24:04,122 But once he's been put in place, 410 00:24:04,155 --> 00:24:08,660 the Satterfield boys are left completely in the dark. 411 00:24:08,693 --> 00:24:13,097 Man: How many times did you meet with Tony Satterfield 412 00:24:13,131 --> 00:24:14,232 and Brian Harriott? 413 00:24:14,265 --> 00:24:15,733 I didn't. 414 00:24:15,767 --> 00:24:19,013 How many times did you ever speak to Tony or Brian? 415 00:24:19,037 --> 00:24:20,772 I didn't. 416 00:24:20,805 --> 00:24:23,541 How many documents did you send to Tony 417 00:24:23,574 --> 00:24:25,777 and Brian in connection with the work 418 00:24:25,810 --> 00:24:28,379 that you did as personal representative of the estate 419 00:24:28,413 --> 00:24:29,747 of Gloria Satterfield? 420 00:24:29,781 --> 00:24:32,250 None. 421 00:24:32,283 --> 00:24:37,031 Narrator: Now, Murdaugh can really get to work. 422 00:24:37,055 --> 00:24:38,556 According to Eric Bland, 423 00:24:38,589 --> 00:24:42,160 the day after Westendorf is appointed as the new PR, 424 00:24:42,193 --> 00:24:45,596 the banker asks a judge to approve a settlement 425 00:24:45,630 --> 00:24:49,200 from Murdaugh's insurer to Tony and Brian 426 00:24:49,233 --> 00:24:52,670 for a half-million dollars. 427 00:24:52,704 --> 00:24:54,072 But prosecutors say Murdaugh 428 00:24:54,105 --> 00:24:58,676 and Fleming keep the money for themselves. 429 00:24:58,710 --> 00:25:00,678 You know, you have serial gunslingers. 430 00:25:00,712 --> 00:25:02,113 You have serial killers. 431 00:25:02,146 --> 00:25:04,515 He's just a serial pen-slinger, and, you know, 432 00:25:04,549 --> 00:25:06,384 oftentimes, somebody steals with a pen, 433 00:25:06,417 --> 00:25:09,754 it's just as dangerous as somebody who steals with a gun. 434 00:25:12,156 --> 00:25:13,224 Narrator: Up next, 435 00:25:13,257 --> 00:25:14,892 the devious scheme prosecutors 436 00:25:14,926 --> 00:25:18,830 say Alex Murdaugh concocts to hide his thefts 437 00:25:18,863 --> 00:25:22,233 and the client who's allegedly left to suffer. 438 00:25:22,266 --> 00:25:27,338 And Alex watched Brian Harriott get pushed out on the street 439 00:25:27,372 --> 00:25:29,240 while he's sitting on his money. 440 00:25:29,273 --> 00:25:34,946 ♪♪ 441 00:25:49,527 --> 00:25:52,730 ♪♪ Narrator: To get his hands on a half-million dollar settlement 442 00:25:52,764 --> 00:25:55,199 belonging to the Satterfield boys, 443 00:25:55,233 --> 00:25:59,837 attorney Alex Murdaugh can't just write himself checks. 444 00:25:59,871 --> 00:26:01,773 That would be too obvious. 445 00:26:01,806 --> 00:26:04,308 He needs a way to move their funds 446 00:26:04,342 --> 00:26:07,779 to himself that looks legit. 447 00:26:07,812 --> 00:26:10,581 In personal injury cases with payouts, 448 00:26:10,615 --> 00:26:13,051 lawyers sometimes help their clients set up 449 00:26:13,084 --> 00:26:15,720 what's called a structured settlement, 450 00:26:15,753 --> 00:26:19,190 A fund that will pay out chunks of money over time 451 00:26:19,223 --> 00:26:21,926 instead of delivering it all at once. 452 00:26:22,026 --> 00:26:23,795 And the leading provider of that service 453 00:26:23,828 --> 00:26:25,930 in this part of the world is Forge Consulting. 454 00:26:26,030 --> 00:26:28,700 And they have a big office in Columbia, the capital. 455 00:26:28,733 --> 00:26:31,269 Bamberg: Forge Consulting, the real Forge, 456 00:26:31,302 --> 00:26:35,306 is a 150,000% valid company. 457 00:26:35,340 --> 00:26:37,175 Alex figured out a way 458 00:26:37,208 --> 00:26:42,313 to take advantage of the good name of Forge Consulting 459 00:26:42,347 --> 00:26:46,884 by creating his own personal accounts in the name of Forge, 460 00:26:46,918 --> 00:26:51,322 which then allowed him to steal people's money. 461 00:26:51,356 --> 00:26:56,227 Narrator: To do this, prosecutors say in multiple criminal indictments, 462 00:26:56,260 --> 00:26:59,597 Murdaugh simply opens accounts at Bank of America 463 00:26:59,630 --> 00:27:04,168 claiming he's doing business as "Forge." 464 00:27:04,202 --> 00:27:06,537 The prosecutors say that he created this entity, 465 00:27:06,571 --> 00:27:10,174 this bogus Forge, to hide money 466 00:27:10,208 --> 00:27:13,077 and to make it look like he was sending 467 00:27:13,111 --> 00:27:15,389 the settlement dollars to the place it was supposed to go. 468 00:27:15,413 --> 00:27:17,915 Bland: There's a brilliance in its simplicity. 469 00:27:18,016 --> 00:27:21,653 It's like he spent more time thinking about being a criminal 470 00:27:21,686 --> 00:27:25,323 than just being a lawyer for his clients. 471 00:27:25,356 --> 00:27:30,028 Narrator: In 2018, the Satterfields' lawyer, Murdaugh's friend, 472 00:27:30,061 --> 00:27:31,295 Cory Fleming, 473 00:27:31,329 --> 00:27:36,267 receives a $505,000 check from Murdaugh's insurer 474 00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:41,406 for a settlement that's kept secret from Gloria's sons. 475 00:27:41,439 --> 00:27:42,807 Fleming did not respond 476 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,109 to "American Greed's" request for comment 477 00:27:45,143 --> 00:27:47,245 and has pled not guilty to charges 478 00:27:47,278 --> 00:27:51,282 related to the theft from the Satterfields. 479 00:27:51,316 --> 00:27:53,027 But prosecutors allege 480 00:27:53,051 --> 00:27:55,353 that he passes most of the settlement money 481 00:27:55,386 --> 00:28:00,024 he gets from Murdaugh's insurer right back to Murdaugh. 482 00:28:00,058 --> 00:28:05,897 Bland: He wrote a check for $403,500 to Forge, 483 00:28:05,997 --> 00:28:09,834 not the real Forge Consulting, but to Forge. 484 00:28:09,867 --> 00:28:12,737 And that money was sent to a PO box 485 00:28:12,770 --> 00:28:15,773 in an envelope without a cover letter. 486 00:28:15,807 --> 00:28:17,508 Alex got that money, 487 00:28:17,542 --> 00:28:19,510 and then he would endorse the check 488 00:28:19,544 --> 00:28:21,112 or put for deposit only 489 00:28:21,145 --> 00:28:25,316 and deposit that Forge check in a personal bank account. 490 00:28:25,350 --> 00:28:27,552 And it never got to my clients. 491 00:28:27,585 --> 00:28:29,721 That's the crime. 492 00:28:29,754 --> 00:28:31,189 Narrator: And the boys? 493 00:28:31,222 --> 00:28:32,557 What do they get? 494 00:28:32,590 --> 00:28:34,058 Zero dollars. 495 00:28:34,092 --> 00:28:37,195 Have you ever heard of a case where the defendant 496 00:28:37,228 --> 00:28:39,397 and the plaintiff's lawyer get together 497 00:28:39,430 --> 00:28:43,201 and say, "We're going to take all the money, 498 00:28:43,234 --> 00:28:47,638 and none of it is going to go to the clients"? 499 00:28:47,672 --> 00:28:49,807 Narrator: Prosecutors say Murdaugh concocts 500 00:28:49,841 --> 00:28:53,077 the Forge scheme in 2015. 501 00:28:53,111 --> 00:28:56,023 He allegedly uses it to disguise his thefts 502 00:28:56,047 --> 00:29:00,151 from an injured state trooper, a family friend, 503 00:29:00,184 --> 00:29:05,823 and others who have been hurt or killed in tragic circumstances. 504 00:29:05,857 --> 00:29:09,560 In all, prosecutors allege in separate indictments, 505 00:29:09,594 --> 00:29:12,530 Murdaugh steals more than $7 million 506 00:29:12,563 --> 00:29:18,736 from more than a dozen clients between 2011 and 2020. 507 00:29:18,770 --> 00:29:22,006 Meanwhile, Eric Bland says Murdaugh shows no remorse 508 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:27,045 about the way his alleged thefts effect his suffering victims. 509 00:29:27,078 --> 00:29:31,449 Just so you know, just the darkness of Alex. 510 00:29:31,482 --> 00:29:33,785 Brian Harriott, his mother and him 511 00:29:33,818 --> 00:29:36,854 lived in a mobile home that was financed by a bank. 512 00:29:36,888 --> 00:29:42,427 After Gloria died, there was no money to pay the mobile home. 513 00:29:42,460 --> 00:29:44,195 And the bank foreclosed on it. 514 00:29:44,228 --> 00:29:48,066 And Brian was pushed out on the street. 515 00:29:48,099 --> 00:29:53,938 When my mom died, the trailer wasn't finished, you know? 516 00:29:54,038 --> 00:29:58,810 My mom wasn't finished buying it and other than my uncles 517 00:29:58,843 --> 00:30:01,546 and aunts I had nowhere to go, nothing to drive. 518 00:30:01,579 --> 00:30:03,781 I mean, no job. 519 00:30:03,815 --> 00:30:05,450 Alex was aware of that, 520 00:30:05,483 --> 00:30:10,922 and Alex watched Brian Harriott get pushed out on the street 521 00:30:10,955 --> 00:30:13,024 while he's sitting on his money. 522 00:30:14,959 --> 00:30:17,962 Narrator: That seems of little concern to Murdaugh, 523 00:30:17,996 --> 00:30:20,932 who keeps living the good life. 524 00:30:20,965 --> 00:30:23,334 For now. 525 00:30:23,368 --> 00:30:24,702 Narrator: Coming up, 526 00:30:24,736 --> 00:30:26,270 tragedy strikes... 527 00:30:29,540 --> 00:30:32,577 and Murdaugh has every reason to fear. 528 00:30:32,610 --> 00:30:33,978 He's savvy. He knows that. 529 00:30:34,012 --> 00:30:36,114 And he knows he's got a lot to hide. 530 00:30:39,350 --> 00:30:40,885 Narrator: Want more greed? 531 00:30:40,918 --> 00:30:43,888 Follow us on Instagram, connect on Facebook, 532 00:30:43,921 --> 00:30:46,090 and listen to the "American Greed" podcast 533 00:30:46,124 --> 00:30:48,493 wherever you get your podcasts. 534 00:30:48,526 --> 00:30:49,827 We'll be right back. 535 00:30:53,045 --> 00:31:01,045 ♪♪ 536 00:31:02,287 --> 00:31:06,492 Narrator: For a century, the Murdaugh clan has ruled a section 537 00:31:06,525 --> 00:31:09,295 of South Carolina's Lowcountry. 538 00:31:09,328 --> 00:31:12,798 In recent years, Alex Murdaugh has allegedly been using 539 00:31:12,831 --> 00:31:16,235 the respectability that comes with his last name 540 00:31:16,268 --> 00:31:18,637 to steal from clients who turn to him 541 00:31:18,671 --> 00:31:22,941 during the darkest chapters of their lives. 542 00:31:23,042 --> 00:31:26,412 But an event occurs in 2019 543 00:31:26,445 --> 00:31:30,783 that will eventually lead to Murdaugh's total unraveling. 544 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,222 On a chilly evening, Murdaugh's son, Paul, 545 00:31:37,256 --> 00:31:42,294 and five of his friends take to the water in his father's boat. 546 00:31:44,129 --> 00:31:46,799 Joe McCulloch represents Connor Cook, 547 00:31:46,832 --> 00:31:49,735 one of the young men on the boat with Paul that night. 548 00:31:49,768 --> 00:31:52,671 The plan, I think, was to enjoy an afternoon 549 00:31:52,705 --> 00:31:56,141 and evening on the Murdaugh boat, 550 00:31:56,175 --> 00:31:58,744 which was not an unusual occurrence. 551 00:31:58,777 --> 00:32:04,216 Narrator: At the helm is Paul Murdaugh, who is just 19. 552 00:32:04,249 --> 00:32:07,186 Patrick Carr represents Anthony Cook, 553 00:32:07,219 --> 00:32:12,091 who was also on the boat with his girlfriend, Mallory Beach. 554 00:32:12,124 --> 00:32:17,096 Paul, because of his family's generational wealth and success, 555 00:32:17,129 --> 00:32:21,800 you know, he had access to a lot of toys and things that, 556 00:32:21,834 --> 00:32:26,505 ah, perhaps other youth in Hampton County did not have. 557 00:32:26,538 --> 00:32:28,641 Narrator: According to multiple lawsuits, 558 00:32:28,674 --> 00:32:33,178 that night, Paul has access not only to the family boat, 559 00:32:33,212 --> 00:32:36,348 but to his older brother, Buster's, ID 560 00:32:36,382 --> 00:32:38,684 and to his mother's credit card, 561 00:32:38,717 --> 00:32:42,354 which he uses to purchase alcohol. 562 00:32:42,388 --> 00:32:45,391 After attending an oyster roast on an island, 563 00:32:45,424 --> 00:32:48,394 the night continues with more drinking for Paul 564 00:32:48,427 --> 00:32:50,629 and his best friend, Connor Cook. 565 00:32:50,663 --> 00:32:52,164 Bauerlein: So they docked the boat, 566 00:32:52,197 --> 00:32:55,668 and then Connor and Paul went to a bar. 567 00:32:55,701 --> 00:32:58,570 And the bartender has said, you know, they had two shots 568 00:32:58,604 --> 00:33:02,074 each, Jägerbombs and lemon drops 569 00:33:02,107 --> 00:33:05,177 and were in and out of the bar in a matter of minutes. 570 00:33:05,210 --> 00:33:08,147 Narrator: After they leave, security camera footage shows them 571 00:33:08,180 --> 00:33:12,051 as they meet up with Paul's girlfriend, Morgan Doughty, 572 00:33:12,084 --> 00:33:14,420 Connor's girlfriend, Miley Altman, 573 00:33:14,453 --> 00:33:19,458 and another couple, Anthony Cook and Mallory Beach. 574 00:33:19,491 --> 00:33:22,795 According to depositions, back on the boat, 575 00:33:22,828 --> 00:33:27,008 things take a dark turn. 576 00:33:27,032 --> 00:33:30,436 Harris: I don't think that a group of 19-year-olds 577 00:33:30,469 --> 00:33:34,273 going out on a boat and drinking is that unusual, unfortunately. 578 00:33:34,306 --> 00:33:35,874 It became ugly, though, 579 00:33:35,908 --> 00:33:40,312 when Paul crossed over to this other kind of crazy drunk, 580 00:33:40,346 --> 00:33:45,751 mean drunk that he was known to be at times. 581 00:33:45,784 --> 00:33:48,554 Narrator: Depositions and statements to police say 582 00:33:48,587 --> 00:33:51,523 that on that chilly February night, 583 00:33:51,557 --> 00:33:55,728 the young Murdaugh strips down to his boxer shorts, 584 00:33:55,761 --> 00:33:58,297 does 360s in the boat, 585 00:33:58,330 --> 00:34:00,399 and gets into a fight with his girlfriend 586 00:34:00,432 --> 00:34:03,836 over his erratic driving. 587 00:34:03,869 --> 00:34:05,280 Bauerlein: His girlfriend at the time, Morgan, 588 00:34:05,304 --> 00:34:07,539 has said in court that he, 589 00:34:07,573 --> 00:34:09,742 you know, he got in her face, he spit on her. 590 00:34:09,775 --> 00:34:10,986 He slapped her. 591 00:34:11,010 --> 00:34:12,311 He was very... All the kids said 592 00:34:12,344 --> 00:34:14,580 he was very drunk and very obnoxious. 593 00:34:14,613 --> 00:34:17,383 And the hospital records show that his blood alcohol level 594 00:34:17,416 --> 00:34:21,053 was three times the legal limit here. 595 00:34:21,086 --> 00:34:25,624 Narrator: In no fit state, the ill-fated boat ride continues. 596 00:34:25,658 --> 00:34:28,093 Bauerlein: Well, you know, the waterways down there are... 597 00:34:28,127 --> 00:34:30,596 It's a complicated place to boat, 598 00:34:30,629 --> 00:34:32,698 so you really need to know what you're doing 599 00:34:32,731 --> 00:34:37,603 to avoid going aground or striking something. 600 00:34:37,636 --> 00:34:41,807 Narrator: Just after 2:00 AM, disaster strikes. 601 00:34:43,342 --> 00:34:49,515 [ Boat crashes, screaming ] 602 00:35:20,679 --> 00:35:25,718 Narrator: With Mallory Beach missing, police, search-and-rescue teams, 603 00:35:25,751 --> 00:35:29,154 EMS, and firefighters rush to the scene. 604 00:35:42,034 --> 00:35:43,569 Man: Okay. 605 00:35:45,804 --> 00:35:49,308 Narrator: When police arrive, Mallory's boyfriend, Anthony, 606 00:35:49,341 --> 00:35:53,912 makes it clear who he believes is to blame. 607 00:35:53,946 --> 00:35:55,381 Carr: He's very distraught, 608 00:35:55,414 --> 00:35:59,518 and he sees Paul being attended to 609 00:35:59,551 --> 00:36:03,155 by other law enforcement officers. 610 00:36:05,891 --> 00:36:07,526 Officer: Sit down. Sit down. 611 00:36:11,263 --> 00:36:12,264 Officer: Sit down. 612 00:36:12,298 --> 00:36:15,267 Sit down. Sit down. 613 00:36:16,902 --> 00:36:20,982 Narrator: As angry as he sounds, cook goes on to tell officers 614 00:36:21,006 --> 00:36:25,210 he thinks a Murdaugh will face few consequences. 615 00:36:37,356 --> 00:36:39,825 He knew that Paul, 616 00:36:39,858 --> 00:36:44,063 because of his family name and family connections, 617 00:36:44,096 --> 00:36:46,532 perhaps would get a different treatment under the law 618 00:36:46,565 --> 00:36:51,103 in terms of criminal prosecution than you or I would. 619 00:36:51,136 --> 00:36:54,239 Narrator: When Paul and three other boat crash survivors 620 00:36:54,273 --> 00:36:56,017 are taken to a hospital, 621 00:36:56,041 --> 00:37:00,079 police records say Alex Murdaugh shows up with his father, 622 00:37:00,112 --> 00:37:04,516 former solicitor Randolph Murdaugh III. 623 00:37:04,550 --> 00:37:06,719 According to a witness statement, 624 00:37:06,752 --> 00:37:09,965 Randolph Murdaugh tells his grandson, Paul, 625 00:37:09,989 --> 00:37:12,791 to "shut the [bleep] up." 626 00:37:12,825 --> 00:37:16,495 And witnesses at the hospital later tell investigators 627 00:37:16,528 --> 00:37:20,599 that Alex Murdaugh appears to be on a clear mission to 628 00:37:20,633 --> 00:37:25,304 "orchestrate everyone getting on the same page." 629 00:37:25,337 --> 00:37:28,540 He knows the implications of 630 00:37:28,574 --> 00:37:32,011 if Mallory Beach is not found and the worst comes to pass 631 00:37:32,044 --> 00:37:34,013 and he knows the kids were on his boat. 632 00:37:34,046 --> 00:37:36,015 And then you layer on, "Oh, my gosh, 633 00:37:36,048 --> 00:37:37,282 if this is going to bring 634 00:37:37,316 --> 00:37:39,485 a huge amount of scrutiny to our family, 635 00:37:39,518 --> 00:37:40,786 he's savvy. 636 00:37:40,819 --> 00:37:43,589 He knows that and he knows he's got a lot to hide. 637 00:37:43,622 --> 00:37:50,863 ♪♪ 638 00:37:50,896 --> 00:37:52,064 Narrator: Coming up, 639 00:37:52,097 --> 00:37:55,010 the walls close in on Alex Murdaugh. 640 00:37:55,034 --> 00:37:57,770 Bamberg: It had to cross his mind that, 641 00:37:57,803 --> 00:38:00,706 "Man, this case is not going to resolve. 642 00:38:00,739 --> 00:38:03,042 And people are going to dig into my finances." 643 00:38:03,075 --> 00:38:10,449 ♪♪ 644 00:38:20,125 --> 00:38:22,494 ♪♪ Narrator: For nearly a decade, Alex Murdaugh 645 00:38:22,528 --> 00:38:26,432 has allegedly been ripping off clients unchecked. 646 00:38:26,465 --> 00:38:31,170 But in 2019, a tragedy involving his son, Paul, 647 00:38:31,203 --> 00:38:33,439 threatens to upend the scheme prosecutors 648 00:38:33,472 --> 00:38:37,276 say he's been running for years. 649 00:38:43,082 --> 00:38:46,552 A week after the Murdaugh boat slams into a bridge, 650 00:38:46,585 --> 00:38:49,688 Mallory Beach's body is found in a marsh 651 00:38:49,722 --> 00:38:52,658 a few miles from the crash site. 652 00:38:52,691 --> 00:38:55,394 Newscaster: The coroner's office has scheduled an autopsy to confirm 653 00:38:55,427 --> 00:38:58,263 and identify the cause of death. 654 00:38:58,297 --> 00:39:00,966 Narrator: It's not long before the young woman's family files 655 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,302 a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh, 656 00:39:03,335 --> 00:39:05,337 claiming he should have known Paul 657 00:39:05,371 --> 00:39:10,109 was purchasing alcohol illegally. 658 00:39:10,142 --> 00:39:12,978 With plenty to hide, the revered attorney 659 00:39:13,012 --> 00:39:15,314 has a lifetime of legal experience 660 00:39:15,347 --> 00:39:19,018 letting him know this could spell trouble. 661 00:39:19,051 --> 00:39:23,255 It had to cross his mind that, 662 00:39:23,288 --> 00:39:26,258 "Man, this case is not going to resolve. 663 00:39:26,291 --> 00:39:32,998 These people are out for everything that they should get, 664 00:39:33,032 --> 00:39:36,802 and people are going to dig into my finances." 665 00:39:36,835 --> 00:39:41,173 Narrator: According to prosecutors, inside Murdaugh's financial records 666 00:39:41,206 --> 00:39:42,984 are a series of transactions 667 00:39:43,008 --> 00:39:47,313 revealing a decade of alleged theft from clients. 668 00:39:47,346 --> 00:39:50,382 But this is not the only pressure he faces. 669 00:39:50,416 --> 00:39:54,420 In April 2019, the South Carolina attorney general 670 00:39:54,453 --> 00:39:55,654 indicts Paul Murdaugh 671 00:39:55,688 --> 00:39:58,190 on one count of boating under the influence, 672 00:39:58,223 --> 00:40:02,928 or BUI, causing death, and two counts of BUI 673 00:40:02,962 --> 00:40:05,164 causing great bodily injury. 674 00:40:05,197 --> 00:40:08,233 People are beginning to ask questions about Murdaugh 675 00:40:08,267 --> 00:40:13,272 and how his family uses their power to protect their own. 676 00:40:13,305 --> 00:40:15,307 Davis: 20-year-old Paul Murdaugh will be in court 677 00:40:15,341 --> 00:40:17,443 May 6th to face three charges, 678 00:40:17,476 --> 00:40:19,044 all connected with the boating crash 679 00:40:19,078 --> 00:40:21,814 that killed Mallory beach back on February 24th. 680 00:40:21,847 --> 00:40:23,048 But the controversy for many 681 00:40:23,082 --> 00:40:24,416 isn't just about the crash itself, 682 00:40:24,450 --> 00:40:28,887 but why Murdaugh hasn't been booked into jail. 683 00:40:28,921 --> 00:40:32,424 Narrator: Walking free, despite the felony charges he faces, 684 00:40:32,458 --> 00:40:35,394 Paul pleads not guilty, and the Murdaughs 685 00:40:35,427 --> 00:40:39,231 hire two of the best defense lawyers in South Carolina 686 00:40:39,264 --> 00:40:41,634 to represent their son. 687 00:40:41,667 --> 00:40:44,670 They don't come cheap. 688 00:40:44,703 --> 00:40:48,507 On top of this expense, Alex Murdaugh's insurer, 689 00:40:48,540 --> 00:40:52,678 Philadelphia Indemnity, also files suit in federal court, 690 00:40:52,711 --> 00:40:55,114 saying they don't have to cover him 691 00:40:55,147 --> 00:40:59,518 for his alleged liability in the boat crash. 692 00:40:59,551 --> 00:41:02,998 It's around this time that prosecutors allege Murdaugh 693 00:41:03,022 --> 00:41:05,658 kicks his thefts into high gear, 694 00:41:05,691 --> 00:41:08,460 stealing money, they say, from both his clients 695 00:41:08,494 --> 00:41:12,264 and the firm that bears his family name. 696 00:41:12,298 --> 00:41:15,134 But due to the Mallory Beach lawsuit, 697 00:41:15,167 --> 00:41:18,470 he can't stave off the inevitable. 698 00:41:18,504 --> 00:41:20,773 There was a key hearing in the boat crash case 699 00:41:20,806 --> 00:41:22,274 on June the 10th, 700 00:41:22,308 --> 00:41:24,443 and it was a really a come-to-Jesus type hearing, 701 00:41:24,476 --> 00:41:26,612 that Alex was in enormous pressure 702 00:41:26,645 --> 00:41:27,946 to release his financials, 703 00:41:28,047 --> 00:41:29,090 something that he'd been avoiding 704 00:41:29,114 --> 00:41:31,684 and avoiding for many months. 705 00:41:31,717 --> 00:41:35,521 Narrator: But the June 10th hearing will not occur. 706 00:41:36,789 --> 00:41:39,425 [ Line ringing ] 707 00:41:39,458 --> 00:41:42,061 [ Murdaugh crying ] 708 00:41:51,437 --> 00:41:56,051 Narrator: On the next episode of this "American Greed" special... 709 00:41:56,075 --> 00:41:58,053 With Alex Murdaugh's alleged fraud 710 00:41:58,077 --> 00:42:01,347 in danger of being revealed, his hunting estate 711 00:42:01,380 --> 00:42:05,417 becomes the site of a gruesome double murder. 712 00:42:05,451 --> 00:42:07,653 It makes everybody wonder what's next, 713 00:42:07,686 --> 00:42:09,555 what's going on here? 714 00:42:09,588 --> 00:42:14,059 Narrator: His life in tatters, Murdaugh admits to a greedy new scheme 715 00:42:14,093 --> 00:42:17,096 involving his own bizarre roadside shooting. 716 00:42:21,734 --> 00:42:23,202 As scrutiny builds, 717 00:42:23,235 --> 00:42:27,072 investigators link the Murdaughs to new cases... 718 00:42:27,106 --> 00:42:29,541 I believe he was killed somewhere else and his body 719 00:42:29,575 --> 00:42:31,076 was planted there. 720 00:42:31,110 --> 00:42:34,213 Narrator: and take a closer look at past frauds... 721 00:42:34,246 --> 00:42:36,482 They said that Gloria died of natural causes, 722 00:42:36,515 --> 00:42:38,617 and I'm just telling you a fall down the stairs 723 00:42:38,651 --> 00:42:40,285 is not a natural cause. 724 00:42:40,319 --> 00:42:44,123 Narrator: and attempt to bring Alex Murdaugh to justice. 725 00:42:52,598 --> 00:42:56,044 ♪♪ 726 00:42:56,068 --> 00:42:59,471 Captions by VITAC... 727 00:42:59,505 --> 00:43:07,505 ♪♪