ATLANTA, GEORGIA: The family attorney for Mallory Beach, a victim of a tragic boating accident, has expressed outrage and condemnation over a film company's casting call for a forthcoming drama series based on the life of Alex Murdaugh. The lawyer, Mark Tinsley, called the casting call "dehumanizing and thoughtless" after it featured a picture of Mallory with the word "FLOAT" written across her face in red ink.
Casting call controversy
Set Life Casting, an Atlanta-based company, posted the controversial casting call, which came into the possession of the Daily Mail. In addition to the offensive image, the advertisement required actors to be comfortable with activities such as floating and splashing in water. Tinsley spoke to the newspaper and expressed his disappointment, saying, "She died a horrible death. I mean this should not just be a, 'Hey, we need a young pretty blonde girl to come and splash and float in the water.' She deserved more respect than that."
Mallory Beach tragically lost her life in February 2019 when the boat she was on, along with five other teenagers, crashed into bridge pilings on Archers Creek in South Carolina. The incident occurred while Paul Murdaugh, who was later murdered by his father, was driving the boat under the influence. All six passengers were thrown into the water, and while the others made it to shore, Mallory did not. Her body was found in a marshland several days later.
Concern for the Beach family
Expressing concern for Mallory's parents Renee and Phillip Beach, Tinsley hoped they would not discover the insensitive casting call. He expressed his fears that it would be a torment for them to see their daughter reduced to a mere prop. Tinsley emphasized the need to remember the victims and their families, stating, "So many times, the victims get lost in the telling of the story. They're just ink on paper. This was tasteless and insensitive, and I pray that the family doesn't know about it."
The drama series, tentatively titled 'Hot Take; Murdaugh Murders', revolves around the life of Alex Murdaugh and is described as a story of wealth, deception, drug addiction, and murder. The project description, obtained by the Daily Mail, highlights seven active criminal investigations surrounding the Murdaugh family, including unsolved deaths, insurance fraud, drugs, and murder.
Reflecting on the growing media coverage surrounding Murdaugh's crimes through movies, documentaries, and docu-dramas, Tinsley expressed concern about society's fascination with such stories. He called on those involved in these projects not to forget the victims and their families, remarking, "These people - the Beaches - are incredible not because of what happened to them, they're incredible in spite of it."
Tinsley shared a touching story about Phillip Beach, who, during the search for Mallory's body, prayed with Paul Murdaugh, despite suspecting his guilt. "Phillip prayed with Paul on the causeway while his daughter's body was in the marsh, missing," the lawyer recalled. "At one point I called to talk to Renee, and she told me, 'Paul's here and he's staring at me, and he's got this crazy guilty look on his face.' I said, 'I'm happy to call and they will take him away.' And she said, 'No. Mallory wouldn't want that to happen.' She said, 'Mallory would want him to be able to deal with whatever he has to deal with as a result of what he's done.' That's the sort of people we're talking about here. These are consistently just genuinely good people, through and through. In all of the worst moments when you and I wouldn't be gracious, they have been."
Unraveling of Murdaugh's crimes
Paul Murdaugh, who died in 2021, was facing criminal charges and wrongful death suits related to the boating accident at the time of his death. The Beach family's lawsuit against the Murdaugh family and other teens on board exposed a web of fraud and stolen client settlements, resulting in a significant legal and financial downfall for Alex Murdaugh. The Beach family's pursuit of justice played a crucial role in unraveling Murdaugh's criminal activities. The revelations ultimately led to the exposure of his alleged motive for the murder of his wife and younger son. In February, Murdaugh was convicted of the double murder and is currently serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Looking back on the series of events, Tinsley expressed sorrow at being associated with the reasons that led Murdaugh to commit such heinous acts. He questioned the brokenness within Murdaugh and whether it was something he had learned or evolved into. Tinsley also speculated whether Mallory's case would have eventually uncovered Murdaugh's crimes if her death had not been involved, highlighting the deep-rooted issues within Murdaugh's life.
The legal battle continues for Buster Murdaugh, Paul's older brother, who was sued alongside his father by the Beach family and three other teenagers who were on the ill-fated boat. While Buster settled with the Beach family earlier this year for an estimated $600,000, the lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh and Parkers, the store that supplied alcohol to the teens, is ongoing. Alex Murdaugh is expected to be deposed in prison during the week of July 17, and the trial is scheduled to begin on August 14.
Hope for a greater purpose
Tinsley reiterated the Beach family's hopes that their tragedy would serve a greater purpose and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. "When I first met Phillip, he said something to the effect of, his daughter didn't die in vain and her death will serve a greater purpose," the family attorney recalled. "He's very religious. If you've truly been injured, truly suffered a loss the position under law is you're made whole. In something like this, you can never be made whole but it's a very cathartic, lifting of responsibility when your child dies and someone else says, 'These are the people who are at fault' and that's what we hope for."
Expressing his sympathy, Tinsley stated, "There's a spectrum of behavior from the worst of the worst to just thoughtless and insensitive. This casting call, it's thoughtless and insensitive. I felt bad for Paul and Maggie during Alex's trial because nobody was there truly standing up for them. The victims get forgotten. They deserved better. And when you see something just thoughtless like this, well, Mallory deserves better too."
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