On HBO Max’s ‘Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty’ as well as Netflix’s ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’ the viewers learn about the influential Murdaugh family from Lowcountry, South Carolina, and the various alleged crimes that led to their downfall. In February 2019, Paul Murdaugh, then-19 years old, was on his family boat with five other friends when it crashed, leading to the death of Mallory Beach. Her parents Renee and Phillip Beach were devastated in the aftermath but continued to push for justice. So, if you’re curious to find out more about them, here’s what we know.
Who Are Mallory Beach’s Parents?
Born in April 1999 as the youngest of three daughters to Renee Searson Beach and Phillip Harley Beach, Mallory Beach was the light of her parents’ lives. The latter still fondly remembers how much his daughter loved hunting and looked forward to a challenge as a child. He added, “She said, ‘Daddy, I want to shoot a deer with a bow because it is too easy with a gun. She wanted that challenge. She was determined she could do it.” Phillip also revealed that his little girl genuinely always cared for other people, wheather they are her loved ones or strangers. He said, “Anyone who was pushed to the side — she cared for them… She would tell me about them. That’s how she was raised. We raised her not to hate.”
The last time Phillip spoke to Mallory was on the morning of February 23, 2019, when he had taken her car to an auto shop for repairs. Later the same day, Mallory and her boyfriend, Anthony Cook, planned to attend a house party with four other friends, including Paul Murdaugh. Though before the party, Paul had bought some alcohol using his older brother’s ID and headed out in his boat. Little did anyone know that this would culminate in the boat crashing and ejecting three of the six friends, including Mallory, in mere hours.
It was later reported that Paul had been intoxicated, with his blood alcohol level being three times over the legal limit at 0.286. In fact, according to the others in the boat, he refused to give up the wheel and was “belligerent” throughout. Paul, his girlfriend/Mallory’s friend Morgan Doughty, Anthony, his cousin Connor Cook, and Connor’s girlfriend/Mallory’s Best Friend, Miley Altman, survived with some injuries. However, Mallory was nowhere to be seen, driving them all to panic. Renee and Phillip soon arrived at the scene, and the mother said, “I just kept praying that they would see her on a sand bar or somewhere that just couldn’t get to us, but she was safe.”
Unfortunately, Mallory wasn’t found that night. By then, the others, barring Anthony, were rushed to the hospital. There, Paul’s father, Richard Alex Murdaugh, had allegedly tried to steer the investigation clear of his son by asking the others not to tell the authorities who was driving the boat at the time of the incident. Renee said, “That night, I’m worried about finding my child, and they’re worried about how they’re going to cover up Paul driving.” Ultimately, the ordeal ended in tragedy when two fishermen found Mallory’s body about a week later.
While the family had a feeling their beloved Mallory wouldn’t be found alive, they were content to gain some closure, with Renee saying, “I know there’s so many times that people go missing and they never find the body, but it was like a closure for that.” About two months after the accident, Paul was charged with boating under the influence, and Phillip said, “I was pleased that finally, it was starting to move forward. Her life meant something. For us, she was our baby. We had to defend her honor.” However, the one thing that continues to bother them is the fact a law enforcement official never directly contacted them. They only heard of the incident and the subsequent updates either through Mallory’s friends’ parents/loved ones or by being at the scene themselves.
Where Are Mallory Beach’s Parents Today?
In the months following Mallory’s tragic accident, her mother and the personal representative of her estate, Renee, filed a civil suit against the convenience store that sold the alcohol to underage Paul, Paul’s father Alex, and Paul’s older brother, Buster Murdaugh. As for the criminal case, Phillip and Renee will never actually see Paul stand trial despite the fact he was indicted because he was found murdered along with his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, in June 2021. So, in January 2022, Mallory’s family filed a creditor’s claim of $50 million against their estates.
This lawsuit was recently settled, with Renne, along with two co-receivers from the Murdaugh family, being awarded $275,000 from the sale of the Murdaugh family’s nearly $4 million Moselle property across Hampton and Colleton Counties. Renee and Phillip have continued to fight for answers in the death of their daughter. After Paul and Maggie’s death, Phillip said, “We’ve heard that statement, that ‘You finally got justice.’ This is not justice for us. These people were brutally murdered, and he did not deserve it. Neither did his mama.”
We should mention Renee and Phillip had divorced when Mallory was a child. But today, they are amicable co-parents and loving grandparents who seem to be doing their best to move on. While Phillip is married to a woman named Robin, it appears as if Renee currently works as a nurse at a hospice. They both still reside in South Carolina and are likely extremely close to their remaining daughters, Savannah and Morgan.
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