Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, accused of murdering his wife and son, now alleges that he hired his cousin to commit the killings, The State reports.

In a new court filing, lawyers for Murdaugh argue that investigators should have given more weight to a lie detector test taken by Murdaugh’s cousin Curtis “Eddie” Smith.

“Smith decidedly failed a polygraph when questioned if he murdered Maggie and Paul,” the motion reads, according to the newspaper. “The reason Smith failed the polygraph when asked if he murdered Maggie and Paul is because he in fact did commit these heinous crimes.”

Prosecutors allege that the legal scion fatally shot his wife, 52-year-old Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, in June 2021 at a family hunting lodge.

Smith has asserted he was “nowhere near” that property when the shootings occurred, but the lie detector test indicated that Smith may not have been telling the truth, according to Murdaugh’s court filing as described by The State.

Smith reportedly alleged in the polygraph that a groundskeeper murdered Maggie and Paul after Paul came home and discovered that his mother was having an affair with the groundskeeper. No evidence has ever been provided to substantiate the allegation.

Aimee Zmroczek, a lawyer for Smith, told the newspaper that his client did not commit the murders and has an “ironclad” alibi at the time of the slayings, according to the State.

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“Eddie Smith continues to be a victim of Alex Murdaugh and his deeds,” Zmroczek told the State. “If you look at this case since the murders, there has been a desire on the part of Alex Murdaugh to insinuate that Eddie Smith is somehow involved. This is a continuation of that.”

Smith has already been accused of providing drugs to Murdaugh and helping him steal money from clients and other attorneys, the newspaper reports. Prosecutors also allege that Smith tried to help Murdaugh fraudulently attempt to collect on a $10 million life insurance policy for his surviving son, Buster, by shooting Murdaugh in the head. The gunshot injured but did not kill Murdaugh.

Prosecutors were expected to file a written response to the allegations on Monday. Murdaugh’s murder trial is scheduled for late January.

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[Featured image: Police Handout]