DENVER – A South Carolina attorney who testified against Alex Murdaugh says the disgraced lawyer mirrors the arrogance of serial killer Ted Bundy, describing him as a manipulative figure who long believed himself to be above accountability.
Mark Tinsley, who represented the family of Mallory Beach—the teenager killed in a 2019 boat crash caused by Murdaugh’s son Paul—spoke at CrimeCon in Denver on Saturday. Tinsley secured a $15 million settlement for the Beach family against the convenience store that sold alcohol to underage Paul hours before the fatal crash.
That civil case forced Alex Murdaugh to disclose his dire finances, ultimately exposing a web of financial crimes. Just days before those disclosures were due, Murdaugh murdered his wife Maggie and son Paul, prosecutors said, in an effort to delay scrutiny and win sympathy from his community.
A Man Seen as ‘Untouchable’
Tinsley described Murdaugh as “untouchable” in Hampton County, where his family wielded legal and political influence for more than a century. Residents, he said, often feared crossing him.
“If I have the power to get your brother’s indictment dismissed, you’re beholden to me forever,” Tinsley told The News Focus. “And if you’re afraid I could do something to you, you’re equally afraid… He would use his friendships, but it was always about what he could get out of it for himself.”
Despite his friendly demeanor in public, Tinsley said Murdaugh cared only for his own interests. “Alex cared about one person. Alex. Always.”
Manipulation and Indignation
In Hampton County—a close-knit community where residents know each other’s families and histories—Murdaugh’s manipulative charm worked for years, Tinsley said. But once his crimes came to light, admiration turned to contempt.
Tinsley compared Murdaugh’s reaction to that reversal of fortune to Ted Bundy’s fury at being judged by those he considered inferior.
“If you find that video of Ted Bundy when he challenges the world, ‘how dare you criticize me, because I’m above all of you.’ That’s Alex,” Tinsley said.
“In my mind, there’s not a nickel’s worth of difference between Ted Bundy and that person. I mean, it’s just a monster.”
