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Murdaugh boat crash suit ends in a $15 million settlement for family of teen who died

Bill Chappell

The family of Mallory Beach says a Parker's convenience store in South Carolina neglected to verify the age and identity of Paul Murdaugh when he bought alcohol there in February 2019 and was later Murdaugh driving a boat when it crashed, killing Beach. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

The family of Mallory Beach says a Parker's convenience store in South Carolina neglected to verify the age and identity of Paul Murdaugh when he bought alcohol there in February 2019 and was later Murdaugh driving a boat when it crashed, killing Beach.

Four years after 19-year-old Mallory Beach died in a boat crash in South Carolina, her family and people who survived the crash have reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Parker's, the convenience store chain that sold alcohol to an underage Paul Murdaugh hours before he piloted the boat.

"All of the cases were settled with Parker's," Beach family attorney Mark Tinsley told NPR, with Mallory Beach's wrongful death case settled for $15 million.

A jury finds disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh guilty in the deaths of his wife and son

Along with Beach's family, additional amounts will be paid to four crash survivors: Connor Cook, Morgan Doughty, Anthony Cook and Miley Altman.

The Parker's Corporation owns a chain of convenience stores in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. The case was headed to a jury trial next month in Hampton County, S.C. But the settlement will halt that process.

Paul Murdaugh died in 2021; his father, former attorney Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to two life terms in prison for murdering his son and wife. The civil lawsuits against Parker's also targeted the Murdaugh family, saying they eased Paul's access to alcohol and the boat that crashed.

Parker's was accused of failing to block access to alcohol

The legal team for Parker's confirmed to NPR that a deal was reached, even as it expressed frustration that terms of the arrangement were revealed.

"It is disappointing that the contents of settlement discussions have been disclosed," attorney P.K. Shere said, saying all parties had agreed not to share information publicly.

Shere also emphasized that Parker's has not faced criminal charges over selling alcohol to Murdaugh, who showed his older brother's ID to a clerk when he bought alcohol at Parker's Kitchen convenience store on Okatie Highway in Ridgeland, S.C.

But attorneys for Beach and others who were on the boat say the store clerk didn't do enough to verify Murdaugh's age, noting that Paul was smaller and younger than his older brother, and that he used a credit card belonging to his mother, Maggie. He then "consumed the beverages purchased from Parker's and became grossly intoxicated" before the deadly boat crash, according to the Beach family's complaint .

In the company's view, Murdaugh and his friends made "repeated bad decisions" that night, Shere said. The store chain faced the potential of being punished along with Murdaugh, he said, as a court had recently "ruled that Parker's would be tethered to Alex Murdaugh at the upcoming trial."

Facing the potential of a large jury award under the state's joint and several liability laws , Shere said, Parker's insurance carriers opted to settle, "to avoid paying the likely award intended to punish Alex Murdaugh."

"This marks the conclusion of all the boat crash cases," he added. "We sincerely hope that all involved parties will find some measure of closure."

Beach's death and the boat crash preceded double murders

Beach's death at 19 thrust the powerful Murdaugh family into headlines , as news spread of a boating accident in the early morning hours in South Carolina's Lowcountry with Paul Murdaugh, who was also then 19, at its center.

At the time of the Feb. 24, 2019, crash, Paul Murdaugh was drunk, belligerent and at the controls of his family's boat, according to witnesses.

Here are 8 big revelations from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial

Authorities said in an indictment against Paul Murdaugh that he was steering a boat carrying five friends after an oyster roast when it struck a channel marker and the pilings of the R.C. Berkeley Bridge, running aground in Beaufort County, near Parris Island.

No alcohol was served at the party, according to its hosts. But the Murdaughs' boat held a cooler with drinks, and Paul and a friend briefly visited a waterfront bar after the oyster roast.

After the crash, Paul and others were taken to a local hospital, where witnesses say Alex Murdaugh also appeared . The nurse in charge described the elder Murdaugh attempting to speak with every passenger from the boat, instructing at least one of them not to say anything to the authorities about the incident.

Mallory Beach's body was found a week later, about 5 miles from the bridge.

On June 7, 2021, Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were shot and killed at their family's hunting estate. Paul's father, Alex Murdaugh, was found guilty of their murders earlier this year. When Alex spoke to emergency workers immediately after the shooting, his son's boat crash was one of the first things he mentioned.

Rupert Murdoch’s Former Superyacht Sailboat Is Up for Sale

The stunning superyacht is being sold by Silvio Berlusconi, ex-prime minister of Italy.

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In a time when millions of people including the rich and famous find themselves cooped up waiting out the coronavirus pandemic, it’s easy to dream of getting away from it all. A 158-foot superyacht with one hell of a legacy is for sale now for anyone well-heeled enough to spring for it. 

The Morning Glory is being sold by one-time Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who purchased it from Fox media tycoon Rupert Murdoch in 1999.

It’s got a pleasingly old-fashioned look but Murdoch commissioned the Glory in 1993 and even got married on board a few years later before selling it to Berlusconi for just over $7 million.

According to Robb Report, Berlusconi has made multiple upgrades, updating the diesel engines as well as the generators and the boat was rebuilt entirely just three years ago, the rigging refitted and the trim repainted a striking aquamarine.

Additional amenities include luxury dining inside and out, large lounge areas, and a huge master suite. Total capacity is sixteen people—eight guests and eight crew.

Berlusconi is a billionaire, ranked among the top 200 wealthiest people on Earth, so he could afford a few of these. He’s selling the Morning Glory through  Burgess Yachts , list price $11 million USD.

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Family of Murdaugh Boat Crash Victim Reaches $15 Million Settlement

The crash, in which a 19-year-old woman was killed, brought scrutiny to Alex Murdaugh and his family. He was later convicted of murdering his wife and son.

By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Reporting from Charleston, S.C.

When jurors reached a verdict this year in the trial of Alex Murdaugh , a fourth-generation South Carolina lawyer, they found him guilty of murdering his wife and younger son. But looming large over the trial was another tragic death: that of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old woman who was killed in a boat crash involving the dead son years earlier.

The authorities said that the son, Paul Murdaugh, had been driving the boat when it crashed in 2019, and a lawsuit brought on behalf of Ms. Beach’s family — threatening to reveal the lies and thefts surrounding Alex Murdaugh’s finances — was part of the tightening circle of events that was closing in on Mr. Murdaugh in the weeks before the murders.

This week, Ms. Beach’s family agreed to settle that lawsuit with a co-defendant, the owners of a gas station convenience store that sold alcohol to an underage Paul Murdaugh — who was using his older brother’s ID — on the night of the crash. The $15 million settlement, which must still be approved by a judge, comes on the eve of a civil trial against Alex Murdaugh and the company, Parker’s Kitchen, that had been scheduled for next month.

P.K. Shere, a lawyer for Parker’s, said in a statement that the company had been at a disadvantage in facing a joint civil trial with Mr. Murdaugh.

“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,” Mr. Shere said. He added: “Our hearts continue to go out to the Beach family. We sincerely hope that all involved parties will find some measure of closure.”

The settlement brings to a close a case that had put a magnifying glass over the Murdaugh family and their influence in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, years before they became the focus of documentaries, true crime podcasts and newspaper headlines. Mark B. Tinsley, the lawyer for Ms. Beach’s family, said the parents were satisfied with the payment, some of which will be used to fund an animal shelter in Ms. Beach’s name. He said they had also wanted to avoid a trial that would give Mr. Murdaugh, who had been scheduled to give a deposition in the case on Tuesday, a platform for his own version of events.

“He’s a broken person,” Mr. Tinsley said of Mr. Murdaugh. “And to give him a chance to spin whatever lie he’s going to tell next, they didn’t want to be a part of that.”

Alex Murdaugh had denied responsibility for the crash in court papers, but Mr. Tinsley had argued that he was partially liable because he “condoned, encouraged and facilitated” Paul Murdaugh’s underage drinking while giving him access to the family’s boat.

Ms. Beach, an animal lover and former high school soccer player, died when the boat she was on with friends struck part of a bridge. Mr. Murdaugh was charged with boating under the influence, but from the beginning there were questions about whether he was receiving favorable treatment from the authorities because of his family name.

He was still facing those charges over two years later when he and his mother, Maggie, were shot to death on the family’s rural hunting estate.

Jurors deliberated for less than three hours in March before finding Alex Murdaugh guilty of the murders, and a judge sentenced him to life in prison . He is also facing an assortment of financial charges, accused of stealing about $8.8 million in all, including from clients he represented who had been injured in vehicle accidents.

The Beach family’s lawsuit came up during the murder trial, when prosecutors said that Mr. Tinsley’s efforts to force Mr. Murdaugh to produce financial documents was one of two issues in the time before the murders that were threatening to expose his financial malfeasance. The other was a confrontation hours before the murders in which his law firm’s financial chief accused him of pocketing a six-figure payment that he was supposed to pass along to the firm.

Mr. Murdaugh admitted stealing funds from those around him but was adamant that he had not killed his wife or son. He said he believed his son was killed by someone angry about his role in the boat crash.

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national news. He is from upstate New York and previously reported in Baltimore, Albany, and Isla Vista, Calif. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

An $11 million yacht formerly owned by Rupert Murdoch is being sold by Italy's most controversial Prime Minister — see inside 'Morning Glory'

• A 158-foot sailing superyacht owned by Silvio Berlusconi — the highly controversial former Prime Minister of Italy — is for sale for $11 million. 
• The yacht is called Morning Glory, and was originally commissioned and owned by Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who built the Fox empire. 
• Morning Glory has room for eight passengers and eight crew members, a marble fireplace, multiple dining rooms, a vast master suite, and a full bar.  
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

If you've got a spare eight figures sitting around, there's something on the market that fits right in your budget: Silvio Berlusconi's 158-foot sailing yacht, which is yours for a cool $11 million. 

Of course, most things on the market fit right in your budget. This one just happens to emphasize sailing.

The multimillion-dollar vessel, which is listed for sale through Burgess Yachts and was brought to our attention by Robb Report , has pretty much everything you'd expect from a massive — and massively expensive — superyacht. It's decked out in warm wood, has an operational marble fireplace, sports several lounging and dining areas, and sleeps up to eight guests. 

Plus, it's got quite the provenance. Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire businessman behind the Fox empire, had Morning Glory built in 1993. He married his third wife Wendi Deng aboard it in 1999 , according to Robb Report, and sold the yacht to the controversial Italian businessman and former Prime Minister later that year. 

Take a look inside Morning Glory:

Morning Glory, a 158-foot sailing yacht owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, just hit the market with an asking price of $11 million.

The massive yacht was commissioned in 1993 by Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire media mogul behind the Fox Corporation and News Corp.

Berlusconi, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $5.9 billion, reportedly bought the yacht from Murdoch in 1999 for $7.2 million, according to Robb Report.

Source: Robb Report , Forbes

As expected, there's a plethora of different lounging areas to choose from.

There's an L-shaped couch up on the flybridge ...

... by the covered captain's station.

There's also full dining area on the deck ...

And once you get tired of that, you can move to a semi-circular seating area for your after-dinner digestifs.

Climb some stairs and you've reached the "raised sun lounge," perfect for getting some rays while you think about dividends.

Inside, there's a large, U-shaped seating area facing a marble fireplace. There's also a TV for watching videos of your yacht while you're on your yacht.

Off of the "main saloon" there's a room with a formal dining area...

Along with a full bar and game table.

Morning Glory can sleep up to eight guests in four lavishly-appointed suites.

Some rooms have double beds ...

... and others have twins.

The master suite, which spans the full width of the ship, sports a study as well as couples' bathrooms.

Morning Glory also has room to sleep eight crew members.

If you're looking to hole up in a luxurious superyacht for the foreseeable future, you can snatch up Morning Glory or another multimillion-dollar vessel through Burgess Yachts.

• Main content

Murdaugh boat crash suit ends in a $15 million settlement for family of teen who died

Four years after 19-year-old Mallory Beach died in a boat crash in South Carolina, her family and people who survived the crash have reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Parker's, the convenience store chain that sold alcohol to an underage Paul Murdaugh hours before he piloted the boat.

"All of the cases were settled with Parker's," Beach family attorney Mark Tinsley told NPR, with Mallory Beach's wrongful death case settled for $15 million.

Along with Beach's family, additional amounts will be paid to four crash survivors: Connor Cook, Morgan Doughty, Anthony Cook and Miley Altman.

The Parker's Corporation owns a chain of convenience stores in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. The case was headed to a jury trial next month in Hampton County, S.C. But the settlement will halt that process.

Paul Murdaugh died in 2021; his father, former attorney Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to two life terms in prison for murdering his son and wife. The civil lawsuits against Parker's also targeted the Murdaugh family, saying they eased Paul's access to alcohol and the boat that crashed.

Parker's was accused of failing to block access to alcohol

The legal team for Parker's confirmed to NPR that a deal was reached, even as it expressed frustration that terms of the arrangement were revealed.

"It is disappointing that the contents of settlement discussions have been disclosed," attorney P.K. Shere said, saying all parties had agreed not to share information publicly.

Shere also emphasized that Parker's has not faced criminal charges over selling alcohol to Murdaugh, who showed his older brother's ID to a clerk when he bought alcohol at Parker's Kitchen convenience store on Okatie Highway in Ridgeland, S.C.

But attorneys for Beach and others who were on the boat say the store clerk didn't do enough to verify Murdaugh's age, noting that Paul was smaller and younger than his older brother, and that he used a credit card belonging to his mother, Maggie. He then "consumed the beverages purchased from Parker's and became grossly intoxicated" before the deadly boat crash, according to the Beach family's complaint .

In the company's view, Murdaugh and his friends made "repeated bad decisions" that night, Shere said. The store chain faced the potential of being punished along with Murdaugh, he said, as a court had recently "ruled that Parker's would be tethered to Alex Murdaugh at the upcoming trial."

Facing the potential of a large jury award under the state's joint and several liability laws , Shere said, Parker's insurance carriers opted to settle, "to avoid paying the likely award intended to punish Alex Murdaugh."

"This marks the conclusion of all the boat crash cases," he added. "We sincerely hope that all involved parties will find some measure of closure."

Beach's death and the boat crash preceded double murders

Beach's death at 19 thrust the powerful Murdaugh family into headlines , as news spread of a boating accident in the early morning hours in South Carolina's Lowcountry with Paul Murdaugh, who was also then 19, at its center.

At the time of the Feb. 24, 2019, crash, Paul Murdaugh was drunk, belligerent and at the controls of his family's boat, according to witnesses.

Authorities said in an indictment against Paul Murdaugh that he was steering a boat carrying five friends after an oyster roast when it struck a channel marker and the pilings of the R.C. Berkeley Bridge, running aground in Beaufort County, near Parris Island.

No alcohol was served at the party, according to its hosts. But the Murdaughs' boat held a cooler with drinks, and Paul and a friend briefly visited a waterfront bar after the oyster roast.

After the crash, Paul and others were taken to a local hospital, where witnesses say Alex Murdaugh also appeared . The nurse in charge described the elder Murdaugh attempting to speak with every passenger from the boat, instructing at least one of them not to say anything to the authorities about the incident.

Mallory Beach's body was found a week later, about 5 miles from the bridge.

On June 7, 2021, Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were shot and killed at their family's hunting estate. Paul's father, Alex Murdaugh, was found guilty of their murders earlier this year. When Alex spoke to emergency workers immediately after the shooting, his son's boat crash was one of the first things he mentioned.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Lachlan Murdoch expands his superyacht fleet with an award-winning $30million vessel - as he awaits the completion of his brand-new $175million boat

• Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch are having a $175million superyacht completed
• They added a rebuilt $30million classic motor yacht, 'Istros' to their fleet
• The billionaire couple moved their family, including three kids, to Sydney in 2021 

By Peter Vincent For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 23:06 EDT, 1 April 2022 | Updated: 03:45 EDT, 2 April 2022

View comments

As they settle into Sydney life, Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch have added a famous $30million classic yacht to their fleet as they await arrival of their secretive $175million superyacht.

The billionaire family's new 59.7 metre luxury Royal Huisman sloop, described as 'one of the most iconic sailing superyachts afloat' is believed to be worth £100million (A$175million) and include 'a beach club'.

The identity of the owners of the ultra-rich 'Project 404' - also dubbed MM597 after its naval architect Malcolm McKeon - has been a closely guarded secret but recently the Murdochs were revealed as the carbon-fibre superyacht's buyers.

As they settle into Sydney life, Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch have added a famous $30million classic yacht to their fleet as they await arrival of their secretive $175million superyacht (the couple are pictured at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscara Party)

Having bought a $38million 'boathouse' at Point Piper, the Murdochs are expanding their fleet of luxury vessels. Their newest addition is the rebuilt 42metre 1954 motor yacht 'Istros' 

The luxury performance yacht will be 'one of the most iconic sailing superyachts afloat' when launched this year, McKeon said of the boat being completed in Vollenhove, The Netherlands.

It is likely to be moored in Sydney, where the family have moved and recently purchased a $38million 'boat shed' at Wunulla Road, Point Piper.

While no photo of the completed vessel has been shared publicly, it is believed to resemble the Perni Navi superyacht the Seahawk. 

The yacht's interiors have been designed by exclusive French design studio Liagre, which fits out homes and boats for the world's ultra-rich families. 

While no photo of the Murdoch's top-secret carbon-fibre sloop, worth an estimated $175million, has been shared publicly, it is believed to resemble the Perni Navi superyacht the Seahawk (pictured above)

The billionaire family's new 59.7-metre luxury Royal Huisman sloop, described as 'one of the most iconic sailing superyachts afloat', will include room for 12 guests and 10 staff, will have an al fresco dining area, a wet bar and multiple entertaining areas

Until their new cutting edge superyacht arrives, the billionaire couple have added the rebuilt 42-metre 1954 classic Istros to their fleet

It has room for 12 guests and 10 staff, will have an al fresco dining area, a wet bar and multiple entertaining areas. But that's not all.

According to Royal Huisman , the 'unique and truly inspiring yacht' will house 'an expansive, lavish beach club', which is a luxury open-air pool and seating.

Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corporation, co-chair of News Corp and executive chairman of Nova, is believed to be worth $3.82billion.

Last week he was guest speaker at the launch of Centre for the Australian Way of Life last week.

In the speech, hosted by the Institute of Public Affairs, he slammed the ABC and claimed Australian identity is under siege as 'media elites' discredit the nation's inherent sense of fairness.

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His model and TV presenter wife Sarah is believed to be worth more than $100million.

The couple relocated to Sydney in 2021, living at their Bellevue Hill compound, Le Manoir.

It was believed they would host a delayed 90th birthday celebration for family mogul Rupert this year, although the News Corp chairman and CEO has now turned 91.

Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch now own properties in Sydney, Los Angeles and Colorado, as well as a $90million Gulfstream G650 private jet.

He uses the private jet to regularly fly between the US and Australia for work. 

Rupert Murdoch (centre) is pictured with his son Lachlan (right) and daughter-in-law Sarah in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA

Lachlan Murdoch arrives in Sydney in March 2022 after returning from the US on his Gulf Stream private jet (pictured). Lachlan and Sarah are proud parents to sons Kalan Alexander, 17, Aidan Patrick, 15, and daughter Aerin Elisabeth, 11

Rupert Murdoch (left) is pictured speaking with his eldest son Lachlan in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA in 2018

They also own a fleet of yachts including the Sarissa, which they paid $30million for but is now believed to be available for charter.

Lachlan Murdoch is an enthusiastic sailor, having raced  his 24-metre sail yacht Swan 82, Ipixuna at Hamilton Island in early 2021, and even entered the Sydney to Hobart back in 1997. 

Last year the couple paid $38million for a boat shed at Point Piper. 

The Murdoch's three children - sons Kalan Alexander, 17, Aidan Patrick, 15, and daughter Aerin Elisabeth, 11, attend a Sydney private school.

It is believed Kalan could be learning to drive in a family Tesla after one was seen leaving Le Manoir with L plates, Nine newspapers reported. 

A report last year claimed the family moved after the US political climate shifted with Joe Biden assuming power. The pro-Republican family's children apparently experienced 'a rough' time, Nine newspapers reported. 

Until their new cutting edge superyacht arrives, the billionaire couple have added the rebuilt 42-metre 1954 classic Istros, once once by the Pappadakis shipping dynasty, to their fleet.

The motor yacht, which also cost them $30million, is considered an iconic vessel.

It won the grand prize for the best restored vessel at the Monaco Yacht Club Prada Classic Yacht Show in 2001.

But it fell into disrepair and was little more than a rusting hulk when it was rescued from a Maltese port in 2015, salvaged and rebuilt.

The interiors were redesigned in 'chic Scandinavian style by Van Geest Design', the Robb Report said. 

Share or comment on this article: Lachlan Murdoch expands superyacht fleet with $30million boat while new $150million yacht is built

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Family of murdaugh boat crash victim mallory beach gets $15m in wrongful death settlement.

The family of a woman who died in a booze-fueled boat crash aboard a vessel owned by the Murdaugh family received a $15 million settlement from a convenience store owner who sold Alex Murdaugh’s underage son liquor before the ride, a report said.

Attorneys for the family of 19-year-old Mallory Beach told Fox News that Parker’s Corporation, which owns the South Carolina convenience store, settled with the family for $15 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.

“It wasn’t about the money, but that’s a number that represents a level of accountability that they hope would make people who sell alcohol take their responsibility seriously and keep it out of the hands of minors,” said attorney Mark Tinsley, who represents the Beach family.

“The Beach family didn’t want this settlement confidential because they want other ‘Greg Parker’s’ to know, that if you sell alcohol illegally, you will be held accountable.”

Paul Murdaugh, son of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh, was 19 years old when he purchased alcohol at Parker’s convenience store with his brother Buster’s ID on Feb. 23, 2019.

Paul was driving the boat when it crashed into a bridge, causing Beach to be thrown from the vessel into the frigid water.

The young woman’s body was found eight days later.

Attorneys for Parker’s had argued that Paul “defrauded” the store when he purchased the drinks with a valid South Carolina driver’s license.

The Beach family has already won a settlement with the Murdaugh family over the 2019 crash.

At the time of his June 2021 murder, Paul was facing charges of boating under the influence causing severe bodily injury and death.

He had pleaded not guilty.

His father, Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to two life terms in March for gunning down wife Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, at the family’s Moselle hunting lodge in June 2021.

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Rupert Murdoch to sell his yacht for $29.7 million

Rupert Murdoch is parting with one of his favorite trophies—his yacht.

Less than three months after filing for divorce from his wife of 14 years, Wendi Deng, Rupert Murdoch has listed the family's 184-foot sailing yacht called Rosehearty. The asking price: $29.7 million.

( Read more: Murdoch's estranged wife brings in legal big guns )

You can see the listing here , at Camper & Nicholsons International, the yacht broker and charter company. Camper declined to comment on the seller or the reasons for the sale. A spokesperson for Murdoch confirmed the listing.

Yacht brokers said Murdoch had not been spending much time on the yacht in recent years, and that Wendi had been using it more often. A person close to Murdoch said the reason for the sale was not related to the divorce.

"Rupert works all the time," one broker said. "He loves the boat, he loves to sail, but he doesn't really use it much."

The yacht was built in 2006 by Perini Navi, the Italian shipyard known for its luxurious, sleek sailing yachts. Rosehearty has a crisp, modern interior by the famed French designer Christian Liaigre, with five suites for 10 guests, including two VIP suites. The main mast of the yacht towers at 193 feet and it has a sail area of 16,792 square feet.

(Read more: The World's Most Expensive Divorce Settlements )

The boat also has plenty of "toys" on board, including water skis, a wakeboard and full sets of diving gear. The deck also has a large Jacuzzi.

It's fully equipped for a media mogul, with wireless Internet and plenty of plasma televisions in the cabins.

—By CNBC's Robert Frank. Follow him on Twitter @robtfrank .

Watch CBS News

How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh

By Claire St. Amant

Updated on: March 7, 2023 / 12:56 PM EST / CBS News

Editor's note: On March 2, 2023, a South Carolina jury found disgraced former attorney  Alex Murdaugh  guilty of murdering his wife and son at their country estate in June 2021. After a six-week trial, jurors deliberated for less than three hours before returning the four  guilty verdicts  in connection with the murders of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh . Alex Murdaugh was also found guilty on two counts of possession of a weapon during a crime. On March 3, he was  sentenced  to two consecutive life terms in prison.

Two years before wealthy and well-respected attorney Alex Murdaugh would make international headlines for allegedly staging his own shooting , a fatal boat crash involving the Murdaugh family was making waves in South Carolina. 

It was February 23, 2019 when investigators say Alex's 19-year-old son Paul Murdaugh took his family's boat out for a night of partying with friends on the Beaufort River.

The night ended in a boat crash that claimed the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach.

Mallory's aunt, Lynn Reavis, remembers learning the news from a family member.

"I was at home. And someone called and said they had found her. And I fell apart," Reavis tells  "48 Hours" contributor Nikki Battiste in an exclusive interview. An encore of her report, "The Murdaugh Mysteries."

Reavis and her niece had been especially close. "She was just this wonderful, fun-loving, happy girl. And everybody loved her," Reavis said.

That night there were three couples onboard, Paul Murdaugh and his girlfriend Morgan Doughty, Miley Altman and her boyfriend Connor Cook, and his cousin Anthony Cook and his girlfriend Mallory Beach.

Although the six passengers were all underage, the friends would later say some of the party goers had no trouble using fake and borrowed IDs to buy alcohol.

The night began on what locals call Murdaugh Island, where the family maintains a private residence. From there, the passengers say Murdaugh drove the boat to a second location, an oyster roast on Paukie Island. According to GPS data recovered from the Murdaugh boat, they docked at 8 p.m. and stayed until around midnight. The friends later told investigators the river had grown dark and foggy as Paul put out the boat again and headed for downtown Beaufort.

Investigators say Murdaugh and Connor Cook went into a bar on the Beaufort waterfront, while the rest of the passengers lingered at a nearby park. 

"He just was very persistent about going up and getting a shot," passenger Miley Altman would later tell investigators about Murdaugh's behavior.

Surveillance video from the bar —  Luther's Rare and Well Done — showed Murdaugh and Connor downing two shots each in a matter of minutes before rejoining their friends at 1:15 a.m. 

Cameras on the dock captured the six friends boarding the boat. In what are the last known images of Mallory, surveillance footage shows her and boyfriend Anthony Cook sweetly walking down the dock together.

According to statements from passengers, Paul Murdaugh's behavior on the boat was increasingly worrisome.

"Paul was just driving, doing donuts," Altman told investigators.

At one point Connor Cook took the wheel, says Altman

"Connor starts driving a little bit and then Paul, he like stops Connor and he's like, 'No this is my boat, like let me drive.'" Altman recalled. "I saw the bridge coming."

Shortly after 2:20 a.m., a distraught Connor Cook called 911. "We're in a boat crash on Archer's Creek … There's six of us and one is missing."

One of the first people to arrive on scene was then-Beaufort County Sheriff's Deputy Stephen Domino. In an exclusive interview with Battiste and "48 Hours", Domino recalled the chaos he encountered. 

"Everybody was crying, scared, shocked, just worried about their friend," Domino said.

Mallory was nowhere to be found. And her boyfriend Anthony Cook was almost inconsolable as he spoke to the deputy and identified Paul Murdaugh as the driver of the boat.

"Do you know Alex Murdaugh?" Anthony Cook asked the deputy in a dash cam video. "That's his son."

"That's when he indicated that he couldn't be touched," Domino told "48 Hours."

It would take eight days of exhaustive searching by law enforcement and volunteers before Mallory Beach's body was recovered.

Mallory's aunt  says she later learned some of the details of what happened that night.

"He didn't want anybody else driving the boat," Reavis says of Murdaugh. "But all those children say that they begged for him to stop and they begged … 'Just let us out.' And he refused. … And that hurts my heart that she was so terrified."

Alex Murdaugh's behavior attracted a lot of attention after the crash.

According to statements from witnesses at the hospital, Alex was going from room to room, attempting to speak with his son's injured friends.

Local journalist Michael DeWitt has covered the Murdaugh family and the boat crash extensively as editor for the The Hampton County Guardian newspaper. 

"I think that from day one, ground zero, the effort was … What can we do to get Paul out of this?" DeWitt told "48 Hours". "How can we create a cloud of confusion … and say, 'Can you prove who was driving the boat?'"

In a deposition, Connor Cook said Alex Murdaugh told him that he "didn't need to tell anyone who was driving." And a hospital security guard went on the record saying he overheard Alex say on his cell phone, "She's gone. Don't worry." 

Hospital staff measured Paul Murdaugh's blood alcohol level at .24, three times the legal limit.

Mallory Beach's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against members of the Murdaugh family on March 29, 2019. Three weeks later, on what would have been Mallory's 20th birthday, Paul Murdaugh was charged with multiple felonies: boating under the influence resulting in the death of Mallory Beach and serious bodily injuries to two passengers. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

It's the story that locals in this part of South Carolina known as the Lowcountry say signaled the fall of the famed family. The Murdaugh's legacy of power and influence includes over 85 years as solicitors, the elected chief prosecutor. While Alex Murdaugh didn't continue the tradition started by his great grandfather, he did maintain a high level of sway in legal circles, working as a volunteer in the solicitor's office and as a partner in his family's law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick. 

Alex Murdaugh's legal connections, and his behavior after the fatal crash, have played a role in multiple legal filings, including the Beach wrongful death lawsuit and a petition filed on behalf of Connor Cook asking for an investigation into collusion and civil conspiracy.

Although he was charged in the death of Mallory Beach, Paul Murdaugh  would never face a trial.  He was killed alongside his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, on June 7, 2021.

When Mallory's aunt heard the news of the double homicide, she was devastated.

"The thought of the horror that they went through, I cried," Reavis said. "Things like that shouldn't be happening in our little community."

While she still grieves for Mallory, Reavis says she never wished any harm upon Paul Murdaugh.

"All I ever wanted was for him to get on the stand and say, 'I'm sorry,'" Reavis told "48 Hours." 

• Alex Murdaugh

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The award-winning sailing superyacht Vertigo

When the 18th century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge penned his famous account of Kubla Khan's stately pleasure dome, he was said to have been inspired by an opium-fuelled dream and was annoyed that distractions prevented him from fully transcribing the experience. With its dramatically arched coachroof, the 67.2 metre Vertigo could be said to resemble a 21st century 'pleasure dome', but, unlike Coleridge's masterpiece, it is the product of some very clear thinking and no distractions at all.

Designer Philippe Briand, who discussed the design of Vertigo in detail , did the first concept drawings in 2004, initial discussions with Alloy Yachts took place the following year and the project began to gain serious momentum in 2007. Construction of the striking ketch began in 2009, and more than 800,000 man-hours later she was launched in 2011.

It is both the yard's and the designer's biggest project to date. At 837 gross tonnes, this is the first time Alloy Yachts has ventured over 500 gross tonnes, with the added classification burdens that come when that frontier is crossed.

Vertigo won her share of accolades when she appeared on the scene, winning Sailing Yacht of the Year in the 2012 World Superyacht Awards. She was also named sailing yacht of the year at ISS awards and was named Best in Show at the Monaco Yacht Show .

Built for extended cruising by a European couple with young children, Vertigo combines six-star luxury accommodation with serious performance and plenty of energy-sapping sporting equipment to keep guests of all ages fit and entertained anywhere in the world. Vertigo is also available for charter .

With a reputation for sleek, low-profile contemporary designs, Briand's lines and proportions are superbly balanced. The superstructure is a sculpted dome arcing across the space between the two masts, with the line of the flybridge extending aft to a tapered point like a speed blur. Supported by delicate mullions, the whole superstructure appears to float on glass. Painted in Alexseal metallic silver over the jet black hull, the dome's sense of weightlessness is emphasised. The total effect is of a low-slung profile, streamlined, aerodynamic, powerful.

Internal aesthetics, functionality and comfort were entrusted to the renowned French design house of Christian Liaigre the first time he has undertaken a superyacht project from the outset.

The task of executing all the elements, finding engineering solutions and translating the dream into reality fell to the yard, while the rig and sail programmes were handled by Southern Spars and North Sails, respectively.

Towering above deck, the nearly equal length carbon-fibre masts (67.9 metres and 62.4 metres) support a 5,037 square metre sailplan to maximise performance. Constrained by a draught limit of 5.05 metres, the underwater profile comprises a fin keel with a daggerboard that projects down through the keel and increases the draught to 9.1 metres.

As a sailing command centre, the flybridge ensures outstanding visibility all round. For docking manoeuvres, bow and stern thruster and throttle controls are tucked discreetly into the outermost edges of the helm stations to give the helmsman unrestricted views forward and aft. The twin helm stations are neatly laid out with pushbutton sail controls commanding no fewer than 16 captive winches, custom built by Alloy Yachts.

Most yachts of this size would resort to firing up the twin engines and motoring when the breeze drops much below 10 knots. However, with this sail area and the attention paid to creating a performance-oriented hull, a gentle breeze translates into a 12 to 14 knot reach with all sails flying ensuring a glorious experience for everyone.

In tropical climates and gentle to moderate breezes, the flybridge is a superb area, with twin helm stations forward, large sunbeds aft, curved settees around the sides and a central table and chairs. Immediate catering needs are met with a portside barbecue and starboardside fridge, icemaker and sink.

Protection from the elements is ensured by a clever glass wind shield that rises from the back of the aft-facing settee at the table. Further protection is afforded by a dodger that lifts up and over the helm stations, while two bimini covers can also be erected. With one bimini deployed, it can be slid forward or back to provide shade exactly where you want it, while allowing the sunlovers to bask. With both up at once, the entire seating area is shaded.

The aft cockpit is a great refuge in all weathers. The environment can be controlled by side windows sliding up and down, a rear curtain that pulls up out of the spa-pool surround and connects with the trailing edge of the flybridge overhang, and with a pair of louvres set into the roof that open and shut at the touch of a button.

For Vertigo's  interior, the brief was distilled to three words: Urban at Sea. The owner had seen some of Liaigre's commercial work in New York hotels and on Rupert Murdoch's 56 metre Pe rini Navi R o sehearty, and was impressed by the look. Briand's close relationship with the interior designer was helpful in bringing Liaigre's studio into the project from the outset, as opposed to furnishing and styling existing spaces. The result was an 'amazing collaboration' between the design studio and the yard as they negotiated around structural issues to achieve the overall result.

Glimpses of the full longitudinal expanse are afforded with sightlines running all the way from the twin cockpit entrances aft to the raked windscreen enclosing the wheelhouse forward. The degree of separation between the various spaces can be orchestrated by glass panels and doors equipped with liquid crystal displays that can be rendered transparent or opaque at the flick of a switch.

Throughout the interior, the furnishing and finishes are spare and simple. The treatment is notable for its lack of artwork apart from two small sculptures in strategically placed alcoves. 'The boat speaks for itself,' says project manager Andrew Senn. 'We appreciate the effort and work that has gone into creating an interior of this quality. Why hide it behind a piece of art when the boat itself is a piece of art?'

A piece of art, yet one that must function efficiently at sea in all conditions and serve a wide range of purposes.

For those who want more action than a snooze on the sofa, there are plenty of more energetic entertainments on offer. For exploring, there is the limousine tender in the aft garage and two other six metre tenders in the forward garage, plus sailing dinghies, kayaks and so on.

In addition, the midships sections of the hull open up on both sides to create additional boarding platforms and 'beaches' for all kinds of water-borne activities diving, snorkelling, water-skiing, boardsailing or swimming. This midships lazarette has been dubbed the 'midarette'

'Effectively, the whole idea is that this is like a watersports club,' says Senn. 'Guests can come down here and choose any of the toys on the racks.' Opposite the watersports club is the gymnasium, where guests can work up a sweat and an appetite, with the water lapping alongside and fresh air blowing through.

Through her size and looks alone, Vertigo will always be a head-turner. But she is much more than that. The collaboration between owner, designers and yard has created an exceptional superyacht, exuding outstanding quality in every detail of her construction. As a vehicle for experiences and adventure, Vertigo is exceptionally well equipped in every sense, a stately pleasure dome worthy of Kubla Khan's approval.

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• Courts & Trials

Family of Murdaugh Boat Crash Victim Mallory Beach Gets $15M in Wrongful Death Settlement

The family of the 19-year-old woman who died in the 2019 boat accident received a settlement from the convenience store that sold Paul Murdaugh alcohol

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with a statement from an attorney representing Parker’s

The family of Mallory Beach — a 19-year-old woman who died in a 2019 boat crash involving Alex Murdaugh ’s son Paul Murdaugh — has reached a $15 million settlement with the convenience store that sold alcohol to Paul, attorneys say.

In February 2019, after a night of heavy drinking, Paul, 20, got behind the wheel of a boat with five passengers. The boat crashed into a bridge piling around 2 a.m., and Mallory was thrown from it. Her body was found a week later.

Paul allegedly used his mother Maggie Murdaugh’s credit card and his brother Buster Murdaugh’s ID to illegally buy alcohol from Parker’s Corporation earlier that day, Fox News reports.

Paul was awaiting trial for the charges he was facing in connection with the deadly crash when he and his mother Maggie Murdaugh were shot and killed on their Islandton, S.C., property in June 2021.

After months of investigating, Alex was charged with the murders of Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22. In March of this year, Alex was found guilty of murdering his wife and son.

"The Beach family’s fight is not over," Beach family attorney Tabor Vaux told Fox News. "The [civil] conspiracy case is alive and active and we look forward to exposing the corruption and the depths to which Parker's was willing to harass and intimidate the Beaches, trying to diminish their resolve to hold those accountable who contributed to the preventable death of their daughter."

"It wasn't about the money, but that's a number that represents a level of accountability that they hope would make people who sell alcohol take their responsibility seriously and keep it out of the hands of minors," Mark Tinsley, a Beach family attorney said, per the outlet. "The Beach family didn't want this settlement confidential because they want other ‘Greg Parker’s' to know, that if you sell alcohol illegally, you will be held accountable."

As PEOPLE previously reported, Tinsley believes that many victims of the once-powerful Murdaugh family had been overlooked.

"The sad part is that the victims are getting lost in all of this," Tinsley said.

Joshua Boucher/Pool/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty 

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Alex, who owned the boat, and his older son Buster, who was accused by Mallory’s family of giving his driver’s license to Paul so he could buy alcohol, were sued by Mallory's family for wrongful death.

Tinsley said Mallory's death devastated many in the Lowcountry community. At the visitation, Mallory's family "stood in line for over four hours receiving friends in a line before the funeral," Tinsley previously told PEOPLE.

"What I have learned about her is that she was unquestionably a people person, and people loved her,” he added. “Just a very bright, vibrant person. She had a strong belief in her faith, and she was active in the church, and she loved adopted animals."

Buster Murdaugh and the estate of Maggie Murdaugh settled with the Beach family in January, Fox News reports. Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Paul and Maggie.

PK Shere, the attorney for Parker’s, released a statement, saying, in part, "It is disappointing that the contents of settlement discussions have been disclosed Sunday night counter to the mediation agreement that was signed by all who participated."

The statement added, "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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