Family of Mallory Beach, teen killed in Murdaugh boat crash case, announces $15 million settlement with convenience store company

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 reached Sunday with convenience store company Parker's Kitchen and owner Greg Parker, an attorney for the family of teenager Mallory Beach confirmed to CNN.

"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."

The lawsuit claimed that Paul Murdaugh used his older brother's driver's license to purchase alcohol from a Parker's Kitchen convenience store in February 2019, before the boat crash. Police said Paul Murdaugh was drunk when he crashed his father's boat into a bridge with five friends aboard, tossing Beach into the water. Search teams found her body a week after the crash.

In June 2021, Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Maggie, were shot and killed. His father, attorney Alex Murdaugh, was found guilty of killing Paul and his mother earlier this year and is serving two life sentences for the murders. He is appealing the conviction.

At the time of his murder, Paul Murdaugh was facing charges of boating under the influence causing severe bodily injury and death in the boat crash. Paul Murdaugh had pleaded not guilty and the charges against him were dropped after his death.

With the settlement, the civil trial scheduled to begin next month will be canceled. Alex Murdaugh had been scheduled to be deposed for the trial in the wrongful death case. He was listed as the second primary defendant in the civil suit.