A passenger who was aboard the boat that crashed and resulted in the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach in 2019 is now suing embattled attorney Alex Murdaugh, his son, Richard Alexander “Buster” Murdaugh Jr., and Gregory Parker of Parker's Corporation.
Connor Cook filed a personal injury lawsuit in Hampton County on Monday, stating that Alex "Murdaugh and others were orchestrating a campaign to have Connor Cook held criminally and civilly responsible for the boat accident" through a "whisper campaign."
Murdaugh's minor son, Paul, ultimately was charged with boating under the influence weeks after the crash, but Cook and his attorneys have argued the Murdaughs may have attempted to make it appear Connor was the one driving the boat despite witness statements to the contrary.
The document goes on to claim "it appears that at the hospital, Defendant Murdaugh—who had a clear conflict of interest as the boat owner and the father of the intoxicated Paul Murdaugh— sought out all or most of the boat passengers in an attempt to control the narrative of what had occurred. Defendant Murdaugh found Plaintiff Cook as he was on the way to have his jaw x-rayed, where Defendant Murdaugh negligently or intentionally instructed Plaintiff Cook that everything would be all right, telling him to 'keep his mouth shut' and inform law enforcement he did not know who was driving the boat at the time of the crash."
The lawsuit recounts actions taken in the hours leading up to the Feb. 24, 2019 crash.
The document states Paul used the family credit card and Buster's driver's license to purchase approximately $50 worth of alcohol that evening from convenience store in Ridgeland that evening. It says Paul was driving his father's vessel while intoxicated when the boat crashed into the Archer’s Creek Bridge near Parris Island in Beaufort County, ejecting some of the passengers and resulting in Beach's death.
Cook sustained "a serious cut to his face and multiple fractures to his jaw" after striking the frame of the boat and losing consciousness.
The lawsuit alleges Alex knew his underage son used the boat while drinking alcohol with friends. It also claims Alex Murdaugh was negligent in recommending the Cooks retain the services of attorney Cory Fleming to represent Connor, despite a potential conflict of interest.
"Unbeknownst and undisclosed to Plaintiff Cook and his parents at the time Fleming was hired, Fleming failed to disclose that he had been Defendant Murdaugh’s college roommate, was one of his best friends, and was also Paul Murdaugh’s 'godfather,'" the document adds.
Fleming no longer represents Cook.
Murdaugh is being sued for negligent entrustment, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Cook is suing Parker's for negligence and dram shop liability.
Buster Murdaugh is also being sued for negligent entrustment and negligence.
The Murdaugh family has found itself in headlines in recent months after Paul and his mother, Maggie, were found shot to death outside of their family property in rural Colleton County in June. Alex's father, former 14th Circuit Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh, III, passed away days later after battling a long-term illness.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's investigation into the deaths of Paul and Maggie led officials to also reopen the cases on the deaths of Stephen Smith, a Hampton County teenager, and Gloria Satterfield, a former housekeeper for Alex.
Smith had been found dead along a rural road in Hampton County in 2015. His passing was initially ruled a hit-and-run, though some members of law enforcement and of Smith's family do not believe that was the cause. At this time, is it not clear how the Murdaughs may be involved.
Satterfield passed away in 2018 following a reported trip-and-fall incident inside Alex's Hampton County home.
Satterfield's surviving sons say Alex approached them after their mother's death and proposed that the two sue him so they'd receive a life insurance settlement. Alex reportedly told the sons that he would admit responsibility for the death, forcing his insurance provider to pay out the funds.
Court papers showed Murdaugh also introduced the sons to Fleming with the recommendation that he represent them in the case.
The documents stated that Murdaugh did not disclose his personal connection to Fleming at the time.
The Satterfields claimed Fleming received $177,500 in attorney fees and expenses as part of the $505,000 partial settlement, and that they hadn't received any settlement money since the agreement was reached in Dec. 2018. Furthermore, they stated that they were unaware of a settlement even being reached until details were reported by local media.
Hampton County Coroner Angie Topper has requested that SLED investigate Satterfield's death and the handling of her estate.
In early September 2021, Alex was shot while changing a tire in Hampton County.
Officials later stated that the gunman, Curtis Smith, planned the assisted suicide with Alex so that Buster could collect on a $10 million life insurance payout.
Days after the shooting, Murdaugh's law license was suspended after PMPED Law Firm claimed Murdaugh had taken money from the business.
Murdaugh has since surrendered to authorities and was issued a $20,000 bond for insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report. He is currently attending rehab and will appear in court again on Oct. 25.
Smith, who is facing several charges, including assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high aggravated nature and distribution of methamphetamine, was issued a $55,000 bond that same day.
ABC News 4 has learned that, in the past, Murdaugh has twice represented Smith in court.
At this time, it is not known if Buster knew about the insurance money.
ABC News 4 reached out to Parker's for a statement. The company said it could not comment on pending litigation.