Alex Murdaugh hired man to shoot him for $10 million life insurance money, investigators say

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (NewsNation Now) — A prominent South Carolina lawyer who found the bodies of his wife and son three months ago tried to arrange his own death earlier this month so his son would get a $10 million life insurance payment, but the planned fatal shot only grazed his head, state police said Tuesday.

Alex Murdaugh, who has made headlines for his alleged involvement in a string of mysterious deaths, was shot in the head while changing a tire on a rural county road earlier this month.

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

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Murdaugh gave Smith the gun to kill him, and he followed Murdaugh to a Hampton County road, firing one shot at the lawyer as he stood in the road, an agent said in a statement.

But the bullet only grazed Murdaugh's head, and he was able to call 911 for help, authorities said. Murdaugh's lawyer said last week that his skull was fractured by the bullet.

Smith drove off after the shooting and disposed of the gun, authorities said.

This booking photo provided by the Colleton County Detention Center shows Curtis Edward Smith on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Smith, was charged with assisted suicide, insurance fraud and several other counts in the Sept. 4 shooting of Alex Murdaugh. (Colleton County Detention Center via AP)

Murdaugh wanted Smith to kill him so his surviving son would get his $10 million life insurance policy, state agents said. Murdaugh was not charged as of Tuesday night, but agents said more charges were expected.

State agents said Murdaugh admitted trying to arrange his own death on Monday.

Murdaugh said last week through a family spokesman that he pulled over after his Mercedes SUV's low tire pressure light came on. A man passing by in a pickup truck asked if he was having car trouble and then shot at him.

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Agents said Smith, 61, confessed Tuesday and was charged with assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, distribution of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.

It wasn't immediately known if he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Court records from Colleton County showed Murdaugh had been Smith's lawyer in a 2013 speeding case.

Murdaugh's lawyers Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian released a statement Wednesday morning which read:

On September 4, it became clear Alex believed that ending his life was his only option. Today, he knows that’s not true. For the last 20 years, there have been many people feeding his addiction to opioids. During that time, these individuals took advantage of his addiction and his ability to pay substantial funds for illegal drugs. One of those individuals took advantage of his mental illness and agreed to take Alex's life, by shooting him in the head. Fortunately, Alex was not killed by the gunshot wound.  Alex is fully cooperating with SLED in their investigations into his shooting, opioid use and the search to find the person or people responsible for the murder of his wife and son.  Alex is not without fault but he is just one of many whose life has been devastated by opioid addiction.

Jim Griffin amd Dick Harpootlian

The shooting came just days after Murdaugh resigned from his law firm over accusations of misallocating millions of dollars in funds, which Murdaugh vowed to repay to the firm. He also announced that he would be entering rehab for opioid addiction.

Murdaugh apologized openly and said that the recent murder of his wife and son exacerbated his issues.

“The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret," Murdaugh said without going into details.

A few hours later, the PMPED Law Firm announced Murdaugh had taken money from the business and was fired from the firm. The amount of money has not been announced.

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.

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Along with the killings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh and the shooting of Alex Murdaugh, the State Law Enforcement Division is also investigating the missing money, whether anyone tried to obstruct an investigation into a 2019 boat crash in which Paul Murdaugh was eventually charged and a July 2015 hit-and-run death in Hampton County.

Murdaugh's father, grandfather and great-grandfather all held the office of solicitor in the area for more than 80 years, and other family members were prominent civil attorneys in the region.

NewsNation affiliate WCBD and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Pleasanton runner Philip Kreycik likely died from heatstroke in 106-degree weather, investigators say

PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) -- GPS data from a runner's smartwatch is giving investigators valuable information for solving the mystery of what happened to Philip Kreycik, an ultramarathon athlete who went missing for nearly a month before he was found dead at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park.

Kreycik, 37, of Berkeley, was on a trail run when he disappeared July 10, setting off a massive search effort by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and hundreds of volunteers.

An autopsy has not been completed yet, but GPS data from his smartwatch is helping investigators piece together what went wrong during Kreycik's final run.

Philip Kreycik was an ultramarathon runner. (Photo courtesy Facebook/ Find Philip Kreycik)

On the day he died, Kreycik set out on what was supposed to be an 8-mile run along Pleasanton Ridge. The father-of-two parked in Moller Ranch Staging Area and left his phone in the car.

Temperatures soared to 106 degrees that day.

"Those are some of the highest temperatures we've had all year out here in Pleasanton," Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly told KRON4.

The Pleasanton Ridge Trail is usually a popular place for hikers, mountain bikers, and runners, however, the trail was mostly empty that day because of extreme heat, Kelly said.

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Kreycik was a strong ultramarathon runner.

He started his July 10 run at a blistering pace, running 5-minute miles, GPS data from his watch revealed. The watch recorded the runner's location and pace, but not his heart rate. After 45 minutes of running, his pace slowed down to jogging. Another hour went by and he slowed to walking. He was likely delirious and disoriented when he deviated off the trail and staggered in circles, Kelly said.

"The data shows erratic movement," Kelly said. "It was likely a heat-related illness, based on everything we know."

Kreycik's body was found under a shady tree 24 days later by a search volunteer in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office used drones and scent-tracing dogs during a search effort to find the missing runner. (Photo courtesy ACSO)

Investigators who analyzed the GPS data believe Kreycik died less than five hours after starting his run, which would have been before the search effort began. His wife, Jen Yao, reported him as missing around 2 p.m. July 10 after he failed to return home.

From a preliminary autopsy, the coroner was able to rule out some causes of death.

"We can rule out any foul play, any animal attack, any severe injury," Kelly said. The coroner may never be able to determine an official cause of death, the Sheriff's Office said. But investigators are almost certain that the runner suffered from a heat-related medical emergency, such as severe heatstroke.

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The runner's wife had tears streaming down her face as she told a group of reporters, "Life is truly fragile and delicate."

Kelly said Kreycik was a phenomenal athlete.

"Philip performed at a very high level of running. He absolutely was a gifted runner," he said. 

Search team combs Pleasanton Ridge. (Alameda County Sheriff's Office)

Four years ago, he ran a 50-mile race and had the second-fastest time. He finished the Wapack And Back Trail Race in 10 hours, 41 minutes, and 44 seconds. Ultramarathons are races that are longer than 26.2 miles. Some are more than 200 miles.

Ultramarathon runners are known for pushing their bodies hard in challenging conditions, including extreme weather.

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Investigators said it appears Kreycik did not have any water with him when he died. The tragedy underscores how important safety precautions are when exercising outdoors, Kelly said. 

Safety precautions include running with a partner, bringing plenty of water, and carrying your phone with you.

Kreycik is survived by his wife, 3-year-old son, and 10-month-old baby.

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