A convenience store accused of selling Alex Murdaugh’s youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, alcohol the night of a fatal boat crash will be subject to a wrongful death lawsuit, Law&Crime reported.
Mallory Beach was thrown off a boat and died when it hit a bridge pilling on Feb. 24, 2019. The boat was piloted by allegedly drunk then-19-year-old Paul Murdaugh in the waters off Parris Island in South Carolina. Beach was missing for seven days before her body was found.
The night before the accident, Paul Murdaugh allegedly used a driver's license belonging to his older brother, Buster Murdaugh, to buy alcohol from the Parker’s Kitchens convenience store chain. Beach’s family sued Parker’s Kitchens and Alex Murdaugh for wrongful death in March 2019.
Parker’s Kitchens filed a motion for the case to be dismissed, arguing that the boat passengers knew they were getting into a boat with a pilot who was likely drunk.
“[T]he undisputed evidence shows that Mallory Beach, an adult, knowingly exposed herself to the risk of riding in a boat with the visibly drunk Paul Murdaugh on a dark, foggy night,” the motion reads.
“Even setting aside anyone’s intoxication, repeatedly getting back on the boat was plainly dangerous, given the dense fog, lack of flashlights or other boating lights, and the absence of life jackets. Adding alcohol to this equation only amplified those obvious dangers. The Boaters, including Mallory Beach, chose to put their lives at risk by repeatedly getting on the boat that evening, disregarding the plain hazard of the situation, and ignoring the multiple warning signs presented.”
A judge on Friday ruled in the Beach family's favor, letting the lawsuit move on.
Paul Murdaugh was later murdered by his father, who was convicted of the murder, along with the murder of his wife.
Read the full report over at Law&Crime.