A PROMINENT Irish-American lawyer who miraculously survived being shot in the head as he fixed a tyre on his car tried to orchestrate his own murder, police say.
Alex Murdaugh, who lives in Hampton, South Carolina but who has strong links to Ireland, was lucky to escape with his life after he was gunned down on a rural road while he was fixing a flat tyre on his car.
According to local outlet Island Packet, Mr Murdaugh was shot in the head after a truck passed him on the road, turned around and shot him.
Incredibly, despite being shot in the head, Mr Murdaugh was able to call 911 himself, his wound was described as "superficial" and he is set to make a full recovery.
The attack came just weeks after Mr Murdaugh's wife Maggie and son Paul, 22, were found shot dead at their property in Colleton County in June of this year.
Alex Murdaugh with his wife Maggie nad son Paul, who were both found dead in June- their murders are so far unsolved (Facebook)Police were investigating whether the murders of Maggie and Paul, and the attempted murder of Alex Murdaugh, were connected-- but it has now been revealed that Alex Murdaugh had ordered a hit on himself.
According to BBC News, Mr Murdaugh's lawyers have admitted that he arranged for a hitman to shoot him dead-- so that his only surviving son could receive a life insurance payout of $10 million.
The shooter has been identified of Curtis Edward Smith, a former client of Murdaugh's, who has been charged with and has admitted to conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, assault and battery, assisted suicide along with a slew of other charges.
An attorney for Mr Murdaugh said he organised his own murder as he believed his surviving son would be unable to collect the $10 million if he took his own life-- but he later admitted to the conspiracy as he wanted police to focus on the murder of his wife and other son.
Alex Murdaugh is not believed to be a suspect in the murder of Maggie and Paul, however police have not identified any other suspects or motive in the case.
At the time he was murdered, Paul Murdaugh was facing charges for allegedly killing a girl in a boating accident in 2019, where the then-20-year-old drunkenly crashed his father' boat, killing 19-year-old Mallory Beach, The Daily Beast reports.
While investigating the double murders, police have also reopened a case involving the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, whose body was found less than 10 miles away form the Murdaugh's property.
Police have not said why the murders of Maggie and Paul have led them to reopen the case of Stephen Smith.
