Judge Daniel Hall has denied Alex Murdaugh's latest attempt to use his remaining 401(k) money to fund the appeal for his double homicide conviction because that money is expected to go to the alleged victims in a civil case against him.
Murdaugh — who is a defendant in the civil wrongful death lawsuit filed in the aftermath of the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach — was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021.
The mingling of the civil boat crash case and the criminal case comes from a fight over Murdaugh's retirement fund. Mark Tinsley, the attorney for the Beach family — the civil plaintiffs — asked that Murdaugh's assets, including the 401(k), be held by a receivership following Murdaugh's alleged roadside shooting in Sept. 2021. When Murdaugh was charged in the murder of Paul and Maggie, he was allowed to cash out a portion of the 401(k) to fund his legal defense.
After Murdaugh was convicted, his defense attorneys — Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian — asked for more money from the 401(k) for his appeal, and that request was denied. They tried again in a motion to reconsider that was filed in Hampton County on June 1.
Hall again declined Murdaugh's attempt to get more money from his 401(k) in a June 8 ruling.
The trial in the wrongful death suit is expected to begin on Aug. 14 in Hampton County.
Contact Beth Braden
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning investigative journalist who cut her reporting teeth in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. She joined the LUNASHARK® Media team in 2023 as a researcher and journalist who handles FOIA requests, wading through and analyzing public records, and connecting with sources. She also provides a monthly update for premium members called Soundbites, which is a monthly review of everything happening at LUNASHARK®, and she occasionally writes and records for True Sunlight. Beth has her own solo podcast called Time of Death, which explores the 1992 homicide of Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam in East Tennessee.
Prior to joining the team, Beth’s newspaper work had taken her into deep-dive stories about faith-based serpent handling and Appalachian coal mining, as well as data journalism work to analyze euthanasia drug irregularities at an animal shelter, uncover the most dangerous intersections on her beat, and see whether or not the local judge’s rulings passed muster when cases were appealed to the state appellate court. And of course, she’s been to her fair share of court hearings, city council meetings, and board of education work sessions.
In addition to her newspaper experience, her byline appears on HGTV.com, nytimes.com, and other internationally known websites.
In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, rock climbing, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
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