Murdaugh Murders Podcast - MMP #3 - Who Killed Mallory Beach? Part One

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Starting point is 00:00:42 My name is Mandy Matney. I have been investigating the Murdoch family for more than two years now. And this is the Murdoch Martyrs podcast. Before we start, I want to say thank you. Thank you to our sponsors. Thank you to everyone who has left a five-star review. Thank you to everyone who shared this podcast. We're just blown away. So thank you again. So I follow a lot of these sleuth groups on Facebook about the Murdoch murders. And I just want to say a couple things before we get into this episode.

Starting point is 00:01:26 So first of all, the name is pronounced Murdoch, not Murdoch. If you hear a reporter saying the name without the kuh at the end, they're basically admitting to having no sources in Hanson County and not knowing what they're talking about. Also, Alex is pronounced Elyc. That's just the way that it is. That's how all of my sources and people that know him say it. So it's Elic Murdoch. And the second thing I saw another post asking, Where has Manny Matney been? And questioning if I have been silenced by the Murdoch family,

Starting point is 00:02:03 I promise you I have not been silenced. I don't think people understand everything that happens behind the scenes when reporting a story. When I'm not publishing a story on this, I'm almost always working on it. I'm calling sources for updates. I'm calling other sources and talking to them several times before I ever publish anything that they say. Just because I'm not publishing stories does not mean that I'm not working on this, and it does not mean that I'm giving up on this case. There are so many moving parts with this story, and I would rather take my time and get the facts straight. And unlike most other journalist reporting on the story, I take this very, very seriously and I'm not going to report

Starting point is 00:02:44 on anything that isn't verified. In the last episode, we left you with several cliffhangers in the Stephen Smith case. But we're going to switch to the 2019 boat crash. I made this podcast so that people could get a better understanding of the current news surrounding this national saga. I understand how complicated this story is, and I want to help guide you through the twist and turns before jumping to conclusions. So for a quick review on June 7, 2021, Paul and Maggie Murdoch, who are members of one of the most prominent families in South Carolina, were found murdered on their 1700-acre hunting property about 60 miles west of Charleston, South Carolina. So to understand why the Murdox were so prominent and powerful in South Carolina,

Starting point is 00:03:33 we have to look at the family's history. Paul Murdoch's grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather all served as the solicitors of the 14th Judicial Circuit from 1920 to 2006. In South Carolina, a solicitor is an elected official similar to a district attorney. They are very much connected to law enforcement. They are considered to be by many one of the most powerful positions in the South Carolina justice system. So while the Murdoch family was powerful and prominent for years, they didn't start making headlines until the 2019 boat crash in Beaufort County, South Carolina. In the recent weeks since the murders, I've seen some bloggers and web slews ranting about how they don't understand why the boat crash

Starting point is 00:04:19 is such a big deal. Since Palmardock's death, we have learned more shocking information about the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach and the investigation that was chaotic from the beginning. So what happened on the night Mallory Beach was killed? Everything I'm about, about to tell you is straight from depositions in the case. And just as a warning, I'm going to say, according to the depositions, a lot because we don't want to get sued. February 23rd, 2019 was date night for Mallory Beach, two of her best friends and their boyfriends. They were a bunch of college age kids between the ages of 18 and 20. They had plans to boat to a friend's oyster roast on Pocky Island before they all were going to spend the night at the Murdox River home. And yes, the

Starting point is 00:05:11 Murdox have a river home, among many other impressive properties on the South Carolina coast. That residence is located on what the kids call Murdoch Island on the Chichessy River in Beaufort County, South Carolina. So around 5.30 p.m. on February 23rd, 2019, Paul Murdoch bought Whiteclaw, Natural Light, and Mickelow Bultra from a clerk at Parker's 55 gas station in Ridgeland, according to court documents. Paul was 20 years old at the time and allegedly used his older brothers ID for the purchase. According to depositions, the kids heard that there was an alcohol checkpoint that night, and that's why they went by boat. So the plan was to drive the boat owned by Paul's dad, the 17-foot sea hunt, which didn't have working lights, to the oyster

Starting point is 00:05:58 roast. So for about five hours, the six friends hung out at the oyster roast. According to depositions, several adults at the party and Mallory Beach's boyfriend Anthony Cook, who was the oldest in the group suggested that the group get an Uber because of the alcohol they consumed. One of the boaters testified and said everybody at the party was talking about how they shouldn't be driving the boat back. Several of the boaters testified that Paul was intoxicated when he left the party but was also determined to drive the boat back. Paul, who was already allegedly intoxicated, then decided he wanted to get a shot from Luther's in downtown Buford, according to depositions. Paul Murdoch and Connor

Starting point is 00:06:40 cook, then each purchased two rounds of shots, one lemon drop shot, and one, quote, unquote, cup of Yeager at Luther's Rare and Well Done in downtown Beaufort, according to depositions. While they were at Luther's, Paul Murdoch allegedly became very drunk. His friends claimed that he had a drunk alter ego named Temi, who came out that night. According to Paul's friends, his eyes would get, quote, unquote, as wide as half dollars, without blinking when he goes into this Timmy mode. Deposition said Paul would sprawl his fingers out. He would do erratic movements with his arms and, quote, he was an angry drunk too, so you could always tell when he became Timmy. Paul was allegedly so intoxicated at Luther's that he almost got into a fight with another

Starting point is 00:07:29 customer and started throwing chairs before they left, according to depositions. Meanwhile, the four other friends waited near the boat and shared their last moments together with Mallory Beach. Time stamp video evidence from the dock shows that they were at Luther's for only about nine minutes. When the boat left downtown Beaufort around 1 a.m., Paul was visibly intoxicated according to depositions. So according to depositions, after they left the dock and Buford, Paul started driving extremely slowly. Paul then allegedly took his clothes off while they were on the boat, the temperature was about 59 degrees at the time. This was something that Timmy, the alter ego, was known to do. Another boater said that Paul was acting like he was on

Starting point is 00:08:15 drugs, quote unquote, and making a fool out of himself. On several occasions, Connor Cook allegedly took the wheel while Paul allegedly paced around and shouted at his then-girlfriend. Around this time, an argument broke out, according to depositions. Tensions appear to be boiling within the group for more than an hour at this point. It looks like the four boaters who did not go to the bar were mad that Paul and Connor went to the bar and it was late. It was well past 1 a.m. Paul's slow and erratic driving at times in circles was irritating the frustrated group. According to depositions, Anthony and Paul were fighting because Mallory was telling Anthony that she was scared and Paul said something to Mallory along the lines of shut up and according to the other passengers

Starting point is 00:09:07 Anthony did not like that. Then there was one final argument. Paul Murdoch's then girlfriend was at the front of the boat. A quote-unquote belligerent Paul Murdoch would then leave the wheel, walk to the front of the boat to yell at her while Connor Cook would then grab the wheel. This happened three times according to depositions. Paul Murdoch then pushed spit on and slapped his then-girlfriend in the face, according to multiple depositions. In the back of the boat, Mallory Beach and her boyfriend Anthony Cook had enough, according to depositions. 19-year-old Mallory yelled at Paul to stop. I'll read Anthony Cook's deposition here.

Starting point is 00:09:48 Quote, he turned and pointed at her, and I could tell he was about to say something, and I told him to not make that mistake. And then he stared at me for a second and went to the steering wheel. believe that's when we took off." End quote. The boat then accelerated rapidly, according to depositions. After entering the twisted waterway of Archer's Creek, which is near Paris Island, Anthony Cook sat on the bottom of the boat, clinging to his girlfriend Mallory and his lap because the boat was going too fast and they were scared, according to depositions. Seconds later, the 17-foot boat struck a piling at Archer's Creek Bridge.

Starting point is 00:10:27 Mallory Beach and Anthony Cook were both flung into the dark water. Only one of them resurfaced. The boat crash investigation was chaotic from the second it began when Connor Cook called 911. What bridge is, Paul, what bridge is this? Paul, what bridge is? 911, where's your emergency? Hello? Police fire, any of us?

Starting point is 00:11:02 Hello? We're in a boat crash on Archer Street. We're about on Archer Street. In Archer Street, the only bridge on Archer Street? Archer Street. Archer's Creek. Archer's Creek. Archers Creek.

Starting point is 00:11:19 Archer's Creek. Okay. What's going on? It's by Paras Island. Right. What's going on? We're in a boat craft. You know what kind of a?

Starting point is 00:11:35 A boat crab. A boat crab. A boat, did he say a boat crash? The 911 recordings are hard to listen to. It takes the 911 dispatcher several minutes to determine the exact location of the crash. Also, Connor Cook, who was speaking, has a broken jaw at the time. The dispatcher appears nervous and breathy, and she can't get a grasp of what's going on. It's important to note that this dispatcher resigned from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office soon after this crash.

Starting point is 00:12:07 Okay. Okay, and who's that in the background? There's six of us and one is missing. Okay, there's six, but one is missing. So six, do you guys, they have life jackets on? Yes, ma'am, we have more than enough life jackets, but we're on the bank. So who's missing? Uh, female, Mallory Beach is missing.

Starting point is 00:12:31 Okay, what's your name, sir? My name is Connor Cook. What kind of a bone are you on? We're on a seaball. A seaball? Okay. So did you crash into the bridge? Did you crash into the bridge? We're under the only bridge.

Starting point is 00:13:06 Okay. It's frustrating because the dispatcher wastes so much time on questions that just don't matter. She asked about life jackets, about the type of boat they're in, about what Mallory looks like and about what Mallory's wearing. It's the only boat in the water and she would be the only person in the water. We should be getting there any time. Can you hear sirens? No. Can you hear sirens? They didn't hear sirens for another 30 minutes because first responders were sent to the wrong bridge. So when first responders finally arrived on scene, they had three missions.

Starting point is 00:13:46 Some were assigned to find Mallory Beach in the water. Some were assigned to treat the injured and get them to the hospital. And others were assigned to gather initial evidence in the criminal investigation. In South Carolina, all boat crash investigations are handled by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, also known as DNR. Because it took DNR a while to get to the scene, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office collected some initial evidence in the case. Reports from several officers who were on scene that night indicated that there was confusion in determining who drove the boat. But was there? According to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report, a deputy documented that it was unclear who was driving the boat,

Starting point is 00:14:28 despite the fact that Anthony Cook told authorities that Paul Murdoch was driving, and none of the other boaters said anything to contradict that. A Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report said that Paul was almost aggressive towards EMS person, during the ambulance ride to the hospital. Those reports underscore concerns as to why Paul Murdoch was never administered a field sobriety test. And unlike the vast majority of fatal BUI cases across the country, in this case, Paul Murdoch, who is the alleged driver, was not offered a field sobriety test that night, nor was he arrested that night, despite the belief that he was grossly intoxicated, according to most of the officers on scene.

Starting point is 00:15:11 Weeks ago, Elic Murdoch and possibly other members of his influential family were part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged obstruction of justice related to the ongoing boat crash probe, according to our sources. Now, years later, sources are questioning if obstruction of justice took place that night. This obstruction of justice investigation is currently before the statewide grand jury in Columbia, South Carolina, according to our sources. In a statement, an attorney representing Connor Cook recently said that there was missing evidence in the case. But whatever happened that night in the investigation definitely delayed the case.

Starting point is 00:15:50 And it took two months before Paul Murdoch was charged with three felony boating under the influence counts for allegedly killing Mallory Beach and severely hurting two other people. In May 2019, Paul Murdoch appeared in his first court hearing. Unlike most other bond hearings that involve crimes with alcohol, Paul, was not ordered to wear an alcohol monitor. Instead, he was ordered to stay within a five-county region in South Carolina. Paul Murdoch was not treated like other defendants who are charged with multiple felonies. He was never booked in jail like other defendants. He never had to wear a jumpsuit. He was never handcuffed. When I asked authorities about a mugshot on the day of the hearing,

Starting point is 00:16:34 I was sent a photo. And when I open up the file's properties, I saw this photo, this photo was taken in the courthouse hallway, and it was taken on an iPhone 7, and Paul was wearing a plaid shirt. This is not normal. Months later, in July 2019, Paul's attorneys decided that his bond conditions were too much, and they asked the court to loosen them. Specifically, they asked for the court to allow Paul to roam the entire state of South Carolina while on bond. The prosecutor for the Attorney General's office fought this. Specifically, she asked the court to at least put a alcohol monitor on Paul. Or they're requesting that we change what Judge John had put in place to adjust from going to

Starting point is 00:17:17 college. The state is asking that we do in fact put in an angle, or rather an alcohol monitoring situation. And second to that, either we raised the amount of the bond or put in some sort of GPS monitor, given that he's now moving outside the circuit. But her request was denied by the court. That was it. That was the last of the criminal case before Paul was. was murdered on June 7, 2021.

Starting point is 00:17:52 So that brings us to the civil case. While Paul Murdoch was indicted on three felony BUI charges and the aftermath of the boat crash, he was never named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit. Instead, the lawsuit blamed a chain of convenience stores in members of the Murdoch's influential family, including his father, Elyke Murdoch, and his brother, Richard Alexander Murdoch,

Starting point is 00:18:13 who's also known as Buster. Mallory Beach's mother of Renee Beach is seeking damages from Parker's 55 gas station, where the underage Paul Murdoch allegedly purchased alcohol prior to the crash, as well as Murdoch's brother and father who facilitated Murdoch's drinking, according to the lawsuit. The focus of the civil suit isn't simply who is at fault for Mallory's death, it's who's at fault for Paul Murdoch's alleged intoxication prior to the crash. Was it Paul Murdoch's father and brother, of whom are accused of allowing? Paul to purchase and drink alcohol illegally on multiple occasions in the past, or is it

Starting point is 00:18:53 Parker's, a nearly billion-dollar gas station company, which is allegedly responsible for selling the underage boaters most of the booze that they drank on that fateful evening. It's important to note that there was a hearing scheduled on June 10th in this lawsuit. That would be three days after the murders. Renee Beach's lawyer, Mark Tensley, said that that hearing involved a number of motions, including requiring ELEC and Buster Murdoch to fully respond to previous request for financial disclosure, requiring Perkers to produce evidence in the case, and asking a judge to have the case moved to Beaver County. This hearing could have meant that Paul and Maggie Murdoch would be added to the lawsuit due to an obscure maritime law, which I will get into later.

Starting point is 00:19:41 The lawsuit will move forward despite the double homicide. So while National and and some local media have pushed this theory that the murders could have been an act of revenge for the 2019 boat crash. According to my sources, there is nothing to suggest that there is any credence to this theory. According to our sources, all of the boat crash survivors and Mallory Beach's family members voluntarily submitted to questioning and volunteered to provide their DNA as a part of the double homicide investigation. And that brings us to the latest developments. Earlier this week, Alec Murdoch's marital status, whatever it was, is one of the areas of interest in sleds' ongoing investigation, according to our sources. According to my sources, more information should be released soon about the obstruction of justice allegations,

Starting point is 00:20:30 and we should learn more about what happened in the aftermath of the boat crash. So let's rewind. The boat crash is important because in a lot of ways it's served as a catalyst in this awful story. And it's sad because there's so much surrounding Mallory Beach's death that her story gets forgotten in all of us. She deserves justice. Her family deserves justice. And so do all of the other victims in this saga. This case is nowhere near over. And this should be one of several episodes about the tragedy on Archer's Creek. Stay tuned. So for the latest developments on this case, follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com slash Mandy M-M-A-N-D-Y, Matney, M-A-T-N-E-Y.

Starting point is 00:21:16 And don't forget to leave a five-star review unless you're going to be nasty and talk about my vocal fry. The Mardock Murder's podcast is created by me, Mandy Matney, and my fiance, David Moses. Produced by Luna Shark Productions.

Murdaugh Murders Podcast - MMP #3 - Who Killed Mallory Beach? Part One

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