Where Is Curtis "Eddie" Smith Now? Four Years After the Botched Suicide-for-Hire Plot Tied to Alex Murdaugh

Curtis Edward "Eddie" Smith, a distant cousin of Alex Murdaugh, remains entangled in the long, unraveling scandal surrounding the once-prominent South Carolina attorney. Smith has been linked to Murdaugh's alleged money-handling, suspected narcotics activity and the staged Sept. 4, 2021 shooting that prosecutors say was intended to secure a life-insurance payout.

Background and relationship with Alex Murdaugh

Smith has described a decades-long relationship with Murdaugh. He said the two first met in the late 1980s or early 1990s and that Murdaugh once represented him after a logging accident that left Smith with a permanent disability. Prosecutors allege Smith cashed hundreds of checks on Murdaugh's behalf; between October 2013 and February 2021, authorities say Smith cashed 437 checks totaling about $2.4 million.

The Sept. 4, 2021 shooting

Two months after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, prosecutors contend Alex Murdaugh staged his own shooting so his surviving son could collect an insurance payout. On Sept. 4, 2021, Murdaugh reported being shot while changing a tire. Investigators later concluded the shooting was fabricated and identified Smith as the man in the pickup truck.

Smith has consistently denied firing the weapon. In interviews and in a televised documentary, he said the two men met to carry out the plan but that Murdaugh was holding the gun when it discharged. Smith described grabbing Murdaugh's arm and pushing the gun backward, saying he did not shoot him intentionally.

Charges, jail time and current status

Smith was arrested on Sept. 14, 2021, on charges related to the staged shooting, including aggravated assault, assisted suicide, battery and insurance fraud. Additional indictments followed: a November 2021 grand jury charged him with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana possession, and a June 2022 state grand jury added counts including oxycodone-related narcotics charges, multiple money-laundering and forgery counts, and trafficking methamphetamine (10–28 grams).

Bond set after the June 2022 indictment was later revoked after a house-arrest violation and inaccuracies about his bank accounts. Smith spent a total of 235 days in jail and was released in April 2023 to house arrest with limited permissions for church and medical appointments.

New developments and what’s next

As of the latest reporting, Smith still faces pending charges related to the Sept. 4 shooting, but no hearings or trial dates have been scheduled. In 2025, court disclosures revealed text messages between Smith and Murdaugh in the week of the murders; one of Murdaugh’s attorneys has argued those messages were not provided to the defense during the murder trial and could have relevance to appeal proceedings.

Where Smith stands now

Smith maintains his innocence on the most serious allegations. His legal fate remains unresolved as prosecutors and defense attorneys continue to litigate evidence and timing. Given the ongoing nature of indictments and potential implications from newly disclosed communications, Smith’s situation may change as courts set future dates and consider fresh evidence.