Transcripts for CNN Early Start With Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett 20210916 09:27:15 archive.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from archive.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
it is not clear whether smith has an attorney or how he intends to plea. murdaugh told south carolina police he was in such a bad financial position he thought death was his only way to ensure a life insurance payout for his son his attorney says. he believed that $10 million policy had a suicide exclusion. suicide exclusions are only good for two years. and he didn t realize that. so he arranged to have this guy shoot him. reporter: his lawyer says that murdaugh was in a massive depression after the unsolved murder of his wife and son and that he also has a severe opoid addiction. his father died of cancer that same week and he got through it with the use of opoids. reporter: and murdaugh abruptly resigned from his law firm after being accused of misappropriating funds which his lawyer says had been used to purchase drugs.
attorneys for murder yoaugh cla smith took advantage. this guy shooting him in the head, didn t try to persuade him not to do it, didn t hesitate at all. reporter: smith appeared in court on unrelated drug charges and he will be transferred to hampton county for charges in the alex murdaugh case. records show the connection going back more than a decade to when murdaugh represented smith in court first in a personal injury suit and then for a traffic infraction. murdaugh s lawyer says he spoke to him on monday and explains why he finally came forward. he didn t want law enforcement spending more time on this fake crime instead of focusing on solving the murders of maggie and paul. reporter: getting back to the fact that alex murdaugh is expected to turn himself into authorities today, it is possible that he could get a bond hearing on the same day and if he gets bond, he is more than likely going to be able to make