SC judge signs settlement between Mallory Beach’s family and convenience store
YORK COUNTY, SC (CNN) — The family of a teenager killed in a crash involving a boat owned by the prominent South Carolina Murdaugh family has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the convenience store that Paul Murdaugh, then 19, purchased alcohol from the night of the crash.
A “global settlement” for $15 million was approved by a York County judge on Thursday. The agreement is with convenience store company Parker’s Kitchen and owner Greg Parker. The hearing was a formality to officially approve the settlement attorneys on both sides worked out earlier this month.
“The Beach family believes this settlement will serve as a warning to all the Parker’s of the world, who might make an illegal sale of alcohol to a minor, that they will be held to account for their wrongful conduct if they do,” attorney Mark Tinsley told CNN. “These settlements won’t bring Mallory back, but we hope they do save someone else’s son or daughter.”
Authorities said it was at a Parker’s location in Ridgeland where Paul Murdaugh, who was not of drinking age, was seen purchasing alcohol before a boat crash in which Paul was driving and Mallory Beach was killed.
Parker’s Corporation Insurance companies explained their payment roles for the money. The Beach Family Lawyer Mark Tinsley also explained how legal and other fees came out of the settlement, leaving the family with about 10 million dollars.
Mark Tinsley, who represents the Beach Family, says even until the end, Parker’s Corporation engaged in what he called “victim blaming,” but said the settlement speaks for itself.
Thursday’s signing, however, is not the end of the road for the legal battles connected to the crash.
“We have a separate case against Greg Parker personally, against Parker’s and some of its lawyers, the private investigators that he hired; and that case is continuing,” Tinsley says. “We didn’t settle that, we refuse to settle that. We’re going to hold him accountable for what he’s done.”
That lawsuit alleges Parker, along with his lawyers, obtained and provided pictures of Mallory Beach’s body for a documentary titled “The Murdaugh Murders.” Lawyers for the Beach family say the defendants also publicly released a video trailer for the documentary which included confidential mediation videos belonging to the Beach family in connection to the wrongful death lawsuit.
The Beach family also claim that Parker along with his attorneys, Jason D’Cruz and Blake Greco, hired social media “knife fighters” and others to affect the proceedings of the wrongful death suit by harming the family’s “resolve in prosecuting the civil action.”
At the time that lawsuit was filed, back in December of 2021, Parker’s issued a statement denying any allegation of providing crime scene photos, video footage or confidential mediation information.
“Parker’s is disappointed that anyone would leak or discuss information contained in these items with the media. In fact, when Parker’s filed a motion in November of 2020 regarding mediation material, Parker’s was careful not to disclose anything that could be considered confidential,” the statement read. “We continue to send our condolences to the Beach family for their loss and will be filing a timely response to the Plaintiff’s false, baseless allegations.”
Tinsley, meanwhile, says that means this healing process and legal process is far from over for the Beach family, but this is one step that is now behind them.
