The family of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old woman who tragically died aboard a boat owned by the influential Murdaugh family in South Carolina in 2019, has reached a significant settlement agreement with the owner of a convenience store.
According to the family's attorneys, the settlement amounts to $15 million.
The incident occurred during a boating trip on the South Carolina coast on February 23, 2019. It was alleged that the trip was fueled by alcohol, and Paul Murdaugh, the son of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh, was driving the boat when it crashed into a bridge near Parris Island, causing several passengers to be thrown overboard. Tragically, Mallory Beach's body was found nearly five miles from the crash site eight days later.
Investigations revealed that Paul had used his mother's credit card and his older brother's ID to illegally purchase alcohol while underage from a convenience store owned by Parker's Corporation earlier that day. As a result, the Beach family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Parker's.
The family's attorney, Tabor Vaux, confirmed that Parker's settled with the Beach family for $15 million. Vaux also stated that other occupants of the boat, including Conor Cook, Anthony Cook, Miley Altman, and Morgan Dowdy, settled their claims against Parker's as well.
While the monetary settlement is significant, attorney Mark Tinsley, who also represents the Beach family, emphasized that it was not about the money. He explained that the amount represents a level of accountability that the family hopes will encourage alcohol sellers to take their responsibility seriously and prevent minors from accessing alcohol. Tinsley added that the Beach family wanted the settlement to be public to send a message to other establishments that selling alcohol illegally will have consequences.
The wrongful death lawsuit trial, originally scheduled for August 14, has been canceled due to the settlement. However, Vaux made it clear that the Beach family's fight is not over. They have an ongoing civil conspiracy case and are determined to expose any corruption and harassment they believe Parker's engaged in to undermine their pursuit of justice for their daughter's preventable death.
This settlement comes after the Beach family reached an agreement with Buster Murdaugh and the estate of Maggie Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh's deceased wife, in January. Alex Murdaugh was recently convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son in June 2021.
"The Beach family's fight is not over," Vaux emphasized. "The [civil] conspiracy case is alive and active, and we look forward to exposing the corruption and the depths to which Parker's was willing to harass and intimidate the Beaches, trying to diminish their resolve to hold those accountable who contributed to the preventable death of their daughter."
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