By Scott Grooms
sgrooms@lowcountry.com
Attorneys for convicted killer Alex Murdaugh have filed documents requesting the federal government to take control of his assets which would move them from the receivership where they currently reside and place them in the custody of the U.S. government. Court documents filed by state defense say, “the Murdaugh Funds are at risk of substantial dissipation and waste.” They’ve asked, in addition to the seizure of funds, for the receivers to provide receipts from spending.
By asking the government to control Murdaugh’s assets, the defense asserts that the federal government is the only entity with a claim to the assets because they are the only one who has instituted a criminal seizure.
Court documents state the defense’s belief that the government would perform an accounting of the funds that have been distributed and facilitate the distribution of further funds for free.
Court documents state “proof of claim” for third parties be submitted by Oct. 29.
The defense asked the receivers for $160,000 for legal fees related to Murdaugh’s appeal in his double murder trial. Murdaugh Attorney Jim Griffin argued the six-week murder trial exhausted the $600,000 they were originally given.
The defense argues Murdaugh had $2.1 million in assets originally and claims that more than $400,000 has been paid out to co-receivers Peter McCoy and John Lay with another $253,294 being requested.
At a May hearing in Lexington County, Lay argued that awarding the money to the convicted killer goes against the purpose of the receivership and gives Murdaugh preferential treatment over other victims who will make claims for the funds.
In preparing to distribute funds, the defense says a “special referee” has been requested by Lay and McCoy potentially costing “several hundred thousand dollars more.”
For more information visit sccourts.org.
