Alex Murdaugh, Curtis Smith indicted in alleged botched murder-for-hire scheme, filings show [The Charlotte Observer]

Charlotte Observer (NC)

A Hampton County grand jury appears to have indicted Alex Murdaugh and the man accused of shooting him in an alleged arranged murder gone wrong in early September, according to court filings.

Indictments appeared in case filings on the Hampton County courts website Thursday on charges brought by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division against Murdaugh, 53, and Curtis Smith, 61.

A grand jury indictment signals the S.C. Attorney General’s Office feels comfortable to take the case to trial eventually and elevates the seriousness of the cases Murdaugh and Smith are facing.

A spokesperson for AG Alan Wilson’s office did not immediately respond to a voicemail or email Thursday. The Hampton County General Sessions clerk of court also did not respond to a voicemail or email.

Jim Griffin, a lawyer for Alex Murdaugh, did not return a voicemail left on Thursday.

Months after the unsolved killings of his wife and younger son, Alex Murdaugh became national news after reporting he was shot in the head on Sept. 4 on the side of the road in Hampton County.

Later, he would tell SLED the whole thing was a set-up and that he employed Smith to shoot him in the head for a $10 million life insurance payout for his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh.

Smith was charged on Sept. 14. Through his lawyers, he has denied any knowledge of the scheme and said he’s being made out as the “fall guy” for Murdaugh.

There is an unexplained additional indictment on the Hampton County courts website, for felony insurance fraud valued at more than $10,000, for both Murdaugh and Smith. It’s not clear if this is an error by the clerk’s office or these are new indictments against Murdaugh and Smith

According to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Hampton County grand jury convened Thursday and won’t meet again until next month.

Alex Murdaugh faces three charges, which include one count of insurance fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and one count of filing a false police report.

Smith was charged with assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Reporter John Monk contributed to the reporting of this story.