The Parker Cos. has settled a legal-age alcohol sale lawsuit in connection with the death of Mallory Beach in a boating crash connected to the Murdaugh family.
The $18 million settlement involves the family of Mallory Beach, convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh and The Parker Cos., the convenience-store chain that allegedly sold the alcohol to an underaged Paul Murdaugh, according to a report by WSAV.com.
The case, which will no longer move forward, was set to go to trial on August 14, said the report.
The fatal Feb. 24, 2019, crash occurred when the boat, which was driven by an intoxicated Paul Murdaugh, crashed into a bridge. Paul Murdaugh was later murdered along with his mother, Margaret Murdaugh, on June 7, 2021, by his father, Alex Murdaugh.
Greg Parker, CEO of Savannah, Georgia-based Parker’s, was named as a defendant in the case because an underage Paul Murdaugh became intoxicated with alcohol he allegedly purchased at a Parker’s c-store with his older brother Buster’s ID.
Of the $18 million total settlement, $15 million will go to the family of Mallory Beach, said the report, and $3 million will be split among the survivors of the boat crash: Anthony Cook, Connor Cook, Morgan Daughty and Miley Altman.
“We are pleased we were able to get some resolution on this case and keep the Beach family from having to go through the pain and suffering of a trial and hear testimony, and have to relive their daughters’ death,” said Beach family attorney Mark Tinsley in a statement obtained by News 3. “We are happy the settlement agreement is not confidential as well so that the public sees that you will be held responsible no matter who you are or how much money you have.”
Tinsley added that the agreement does not stop the civil lawsuit he has filed against Parker’s for the Beach family. That civil suit alleges that Parker’s was involved in a social media campaign against the plaintiffs, the report said.
An attorney for Parker’s, P.K. Shere, released a statement, first reported by CountOn2.com: “It is disappointing that the contents of settlement discussions have been disclosed today counter to the mediation agreement that was signed by all who participated. Recently, the court ruled that Parker’s would be tethered to Alex Murdaugh at the upcoming trial. The fact remains that [Parker’s employee] Tajeeha Cohen made a legal and valid sale, as was determined by [South Carolina Law Enforcement Division] SLED.
“This case was never about that legal and valid sale nor was it about the repeated bad decisions that these young adults made that night. For Mark Tinsley, it was all about using the Murdaughs’ bad actions and the unfair law of joint and several liability in South Carolina to make Parker’s pay for a verdict intended to punish the Murdaughs. Given the outsized publicity this case has received, being tethered to a convicted murderer all but ensured Parker’s would not receive a fair trial.”
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