A phone interview between disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh and a state agent revealed Murdaugh and a former client planned and failed to kill Murdaugh so his surviving son could collect millions of dollars in life insurance. Prosecutors reportedly played the September 2021 phone call before jurors Thursday as evidence that Murdaugh resorted to violence to solve his problems.
“I was in a very bad place,” Murdaugh told state investigators in the phone call. “I thought it would be better for me not to be here anymore. I thought that it would make it easier on my family for me to be dead.”
Prosecutors added the attempted assisted suicide came one day after Murdaugh’s law partners confronted him with evidence he had stolen millions of dollars and forced him to resign. What the court referred to as a “staged roadside shooting” is the third alleged crime that jurors have heard about involving Murdaugh, according to published reports.
In other headlines:
Hands pointing upward to rim new memorial fountain in Charleston. Durham, N.C., sculptor Stephen Hayes is working to get as many plastic castings completed of the 36 pairs of hands that will rim the Anson African Burial Memorial fountain, a tribute to 36 people interred in the 1700s in a burial plot at today’s Charleston Gaillard Center.
Charleston Literary Festival names Moriarty new executive director. The Charleston Literary Festival announced Wednesday Sarah Moriarty as the new executive director.
Charleston port sees decrease in imports. The number of imports coming through the Port of Charleston took a hit in January and gave the State Ports Authority its first year-after-year decline since June.
Charleston airport board approves 3-year extension with Summey. The Charleston County Aviation Authority voted unanimously Feb. 16 to extend the contract for CEO Elliott Summey, a former county councilman, for three years and give him a 14% pay increase to $330,000 a year.
Mount Pleasant creates program to promote sustainability. Mount Pleasant leaders on Tuesday passed a new program to incentivize developers to preserve and protect natural resources. The program will apply to future mixed-use, commercial and industrial construction and any remodels of buildings that fit that type. The program does not apply to single-family homes.
Charleston developer clears city hurdle for luxury hotel deal. The developer of the former Days Inn motor lodge overcame a big hurdle this week as the city Planning Commission unanimously approved zoning changes to turn the old motor lodge into a luxury hotel.
State senators alarmed by Eckstrom’s $3.5 billion accounting error. The chair of the Senate Finance subcommittee said he lost confidence in South Carolina Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom’s ability to accurately answer questions about the state’s overstated cash balance of $3.5 billion over the last 10 years.
S.C. bill could keep cities, counties from redistricting for short-term rentals. The bill would cut off state funding for cities and counties that redistrict short-term rentals.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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