HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A Hampton County judge this week decided to separate trials connected to the death of Mallory Beach and a convenience store accused of selling alcohol to minors.

A multi-million-dollar civil lawsuit filed in March 2022 named the founder and CEO of Parker’s Corporation, Gregory Parker, along with several other defendants and members of the Murdaugh family, alleging several boaters were highly intoxicated the night of a crash that killed Mallory Beach near the Archer’s Creek Bridge on February 24, 2019.

Surveillance footage revealed Paul Murdaugh, using his brother’s ID, placed alcohol that was purchased from Parker’s into the same boat that crashed into the bridge.

Hampton County Judge Daniel Hall granted a motion by Parker to sever, meaning it would see a separate jury trial on charges connected to the investigation.

The trial for the claim against Parkers will be tried on October 10, 2022.

Mark Tinsley, attorney for the Beach family, provided the following statement on Wednesday’s ruling:

“I wish it were as simple as Parker’s simply getting their own trial. The Beach family wants to hold everyone who contributed to the death of their daughter accountable in one trial. We are weighing our options to make the best decision we can about where we go from here given the court’s ruling. At this point, I plan on asking the judge to reconsider his ruling in hopes that the family won’t be put through two full trials. We haven’t decided whether we will appeal if the judge refuses to consider his decision, but we are leaning that way.”