Alex Murdaugh renounced his right to represent the estate of his slain 22-year-old son, Paul, just eight days before he botched an attempt on his own life so that his surviving son, Buster, would receive a $10million life insurance payout.
On August 27 Murdaugh, 53, signed away his right to personally represent the estate of his son, who was found shot in the head alongside Murdaugh's wife Maggie, 52, in June, to his brother Randolph Murdaugh IV, per court documents obtained by South Carolina's The State.
Maggie Murdaugh's estate remains closed, according to the documents.
Murdaugh dialed 9-1-1 on June 7 and told dispatchers that he came home to find his wife and son shot dead at their Colleton County property in Islandton.
At Murdaugh's bond hearing on Thursday, his lawyer Dick Harpootlian claimed that the double murder put his client 'over the edge.'
Paul and Maggie (together left) were shot dead on June 7. Before Alex Murdaugh (center) allegedly orchestrated a separate shooting to kill himself with the help of a hitman to deliver a $10 million life insurance payout to his other son Buster (right), he waived the right to oversee his deceased son's estate, according to court documents
Alex Murdaugh at his bond hearing at the Hampton County Jail in Varnville,SC (Christopher Oquendo for DailyMail.com)
Harpootlian described his client's 20-year opioid addiction while he fell from grace and current ‘ruinous’ financial state following the murder of his wife and son.
On September 4 Murdaugh was allegedly shot by his 61-year-old drug supplier, Curtis Edward Smith, while changing a tire. Smith told authorities he was hired by the prominent lawyer to kill him so that his son Buster would received a $10million insurance police.
Murdaugh didn't think the insurance company would pay any money if he died by suicide.
In a moment of drama, Harpootlian appeared to play to the press, who crowded the courtroom this Thursday, as he gestured to his gaunt client and said: 'If anyone wants to see the fact of what opioid addiction does, you’re looking at it.’
The attorney also pointed to his client’s previous ‘blemishless character ‘and appealed to the judge’s sympathies saying: ‘He has fallen from grace. But before any of this falling happened his wife and son were brutally murdered and that has had an extraordinary effect on him.
'We ask you to allow him to go and heal himself. His financial situation is ruinous.’
Harpootlian continued: ‘This is a 20-year-addition. Something he’s struggled with for years.’
Hitman Cirtus Eddie Smith (left), who disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh (right) paid to kill him in a failed suicide-for-hire plot was his primary oxycodone supplier. Smith told the New York Post on Saturday that he was 'set up,' and that Murdaugh shot himself
Murdaugh shooting suspect Curtis Edward Smith, 61, is seen at his bond hearing Thursday morning at Hampton County Detention Center where his bail was set at $55,000. He claims he was 'set up' - 'The gun kind of went off above his head and I got scared to death and I ran to my truck and took off,' he told the Post
Smith snarled at photographers as he was escorted to Hampton County jail Thursday. He is accused of shooting Murdaugh and disposing of the gun as part of the plot
On Saturday, accused hitman Smith told the New York Post that he had been 'set up' - he didn't conspire with Murdaugh about the assisted suicide attempt, and Murdaugh shot himself accidentally.
Smith didn't question it and got into his silver Chevy pickup and 'went over there.'
He said when he got to the rural stretch of Old Salkehatchie Road, he found Murdaugh in his car. When the lawyer got out, he was waving around a gun.
Smith said he wrestled with him to get the gun before it went off and he ran.
'The gun kind of went off above his head and I got scared to death and I ran to my truck and took off,' he told the Post.
Shortly after 4pm Thursday, Murdaugh shuffled into the courtroom at Hampton County Detention Center and sat beside his attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin while wearing prison scrubs and shackles on his hands and feet.
He cast his eyes down and his mouth worked constantly and nervously behind his mask as he sat before the judge for three charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false report.
Murdaugh remained masked throughout the proceedings and the gunshot wound Harpootlian earlier insisted he had sustained was conspicuously absent.
In fact, his appearance seemed to bear out South Carolina Law Enforcement’s categorization of his injury as ‘superficial’ as the only trace of an injury was a small swirl in his hair.
Harpootlian once again claimed that there had been ‘an entry and exist wound’ and ‘maybe’ a fractured skull and minor brain bleed resulted from the roadside shooting that Murdaugh has now admitted to orchestrating on September 4.
Bond was set at $10,000 for the insurance fraud and $5,000 each for conspiracy and filing a false police report totally $20,000 – a fraction of the $55,000 bond set for his hitman, Smith.
Craig Waters for the Attorney General’s office asked for Murdaugh to surrender his passport, which sat before him on the table. Waters also asked him to waive extradition, which he did, as he is attending an out of state rehab center.
He also requested a bond of $100,000 and for Murdaugh to wear a GPS tracker stating: ‘Sometimes those who have everything and then suffer a potential fall from grace are actually more cause for concern than a hardened criminal.’
But Judge Tanji Alexander was not persuaded by this, granting a much lower bond and declining to insist on Murdaugh wearing an ankle monitor.
When asked how Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster was doing Harpootlian said he was ‘holding up'.
He added that the potential beneficiary of Murdaugh’s $10million life insurance policy was ‘a trooper'.
The high-powered South Carolina attorney, 53, was filmed being driven to the jail in a pewter-colored SUV accompanied by a police escort. He emerged from the
