Medical records show Murdaugh did have gunshot wound to the head, tested positive for drugs

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Medical records provided by Alex Murdaugh’s spokesperson show that the former lawyer did have a gunshot wound on his head following the alleged suicide-for-hire plot.

Murdaugh’s attorneys say he asked someone he knew, Curtis Smith, to shoot him in the head in an attempt to allow his living son Buster to collect a $10 million life insurance policy.

Smith and his attorney said he did not shoot Murdaugh and instead tried to keep the gun away from him. Both Smith and Murdaugh are facing charges related to the alleged insurance fraud scheme.

WIS obtained the records from a spokesperson for Murdaugh that say he had injuries to the back of his head and was admitted to a Savannah hospital ICU. The documents state Murdaugh immediately lost his vision after the shooting but that it slowly returned over time.

A CT scan of Murdaugh’s head showed a skull fracture and “underlying small subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage”, meaning he had bleeding on his brain, according to the documents.

A drug screening of Murdaugh’s blood showed a positive result for opiates and barbiturates. Murdaugh’s attorneys have said that their client has been addicted to opioids for 20 years.

The documents provided also show that Murdaugh was airlifted from Hampton to Savannah and that the Hampton County EMS say “two wounds to the back of the patient’s” head and the bleeding was “controlled” by the time he was being airlifted but there was “heavy matting of congealed blood in the patient’s hair” that made it difficult for medical professionals to assess the injury.

Smith’s lawyers maintain their client was the “fall guy” in this case and in an interview this week Smith said, “If I had shot him, he’d be dead.”

MORE: Lawyer for man accused of shooting Alex Murdaugh says his client is the “fall guy”

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