Alex Murdaugh’s son is suing Netflix and HBO documentaries for defamation

The son of a naughty lawyer Alex Murdo File a lawsuit against Netflix And Warner Brosalong with a major newspaper chain, alleging that she was wrongly implicated in a 2015 murder.

Demand for Buster Murdo Airing on Friday, June 14, 2024, it is the latest episode in the vast saga of a legal dynasty’s fall from grace. South Carolina. Alex Murdo He will spend the rest of his life in prison because he killed his wife, MaggieAnd his youngest son, pee. Three generations have served as elected prosecutors in Low country to South Carolina; Jurisdiction was invokedMarduk’s country“.

Now his only surviving heir, who has not been accused of the crime, is fighting to clear his name.

But defamation lawyers South Carolina They say it will be an uphill battle for Buster Murdo And his lawyer Sean Kent. “It’s likely so Kent He declared that there was strong resistance Washington Post Robert B. RansomFrom the company Leventis and Ransoml Columbia, South Carolina.

crew Kent He said he appeared in court on Monday and did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. None of the defendants immediately responded to the court’s requests for comment. mail On Tuesday, June 18th.

The lawsuit claims that three documentaries are falsely linked Buster With death Stephen Smitha 19-year-old nursing student was found dead on a deserted stretch of road in Low country.

At the time the accident was reported as a hit-and-run. But in March 2023, after the media spectacle surrounding the murder trial Alex Murdothe South Carolina Department of Law Enforcement He was declared dead Smith It was murder. the body Smith Her body was exhumed in April 2023. National attention sparked numerous rumors surrounding the family’s death Smith Only one of them.

The three documentaries are “The Murdo Murders: The Deadly Breed“, which was broadcast on Discovery Plus And Investigation results; “Low Country: Mardu Dynasty“, which was broadcast on the platform the above to HBO; And “The Mardu Murders: A Southern Scandal“, L Netflix.

They all have the same idea: Buster Murdo He was a member of a powerful family that did not welcome his son having a romantic relationship with another man, so they killed him Smith. Some documentaries claim this Buster killing Smith With a baseball bat, which Buster He denied it.

series Netflix Shows a picture of a red-haired young man (Buster He has red hair) and carries a baseball bat, which the lawsuit claims was meant to represent him Buster Like a killer.

series Netflix Features too Michael DeWittNews Editor Hampton County Guardian, talks about the case. In the documentary, according to the lawsuit, he said, “We were hearing all these rumors about a possible connection,” and “there is some truth to that.” (newspaper Dewitt He spreads it Jeanettethe large media company that owns it USA Today And from hundreds of local news brands).

After knowing the broad outlines of the claim, ransom “My feeling is that there is enough truth in all these media presentations for them to do a good job,” he said of the accusers.

Defamation lawyer South Carolina We agree that a case is more likely to be won or lost by determining whether Buster He was a “public figure.”

The usual definition is someone who has advanced in society and is therefore vulnerable to criticism. Buster He participated in the series, which consists of three episodes Fox News “The fall of the House of Murdoch“, which was broadcast after the trial, but rarely attracted attention.

And if it is determined that he is a public figure? “The burden you have to bear to prove defamation is very high,” he said. ransom.

He added: “This decision can be made before the trial, but I do not think it will be made at the beginning of the case.” mail Stephen F. DiAntoniofrom the law office Di Antoniodepends on Charleston.

Di Antonio He said Buster He has all the characteristics of a person who was forcibly forced to appear in public.

“There was so much going on and problems and arguments while all this was going on. You couldn’t keep up. You were dragged into it,” he says. Di Antonio.

He continued: “It is also sad. Its end was tragic for many people. “It doesn’t escape me, but if the plaintiff in this case is identified as a public figure or an involuntary public figure or a limited-purpose public figure in this case, that would be a game-changer.”

The defendants have 30 days to respond to the legal appeal.

(c) 2024, The Washington Post