EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Cook Files a Defamation Lawsuit Related to Murdaugh and Stephen Smith Post

EXCLUSIVE: As Anthony Cook Sues, New Details Resurface in the Murdaugh and Stephen Smith Investigations

By James Seidel | CC News Network | Murdaugh Murders X2 Podcast

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. — The CC News is first to report that Anthony Cook has filed a new Hampton County defamation lawsuit and it’s bringing renewed attention to the legal consequences of publicly accusing individuals of involvement in the deaths of Stephen Smith, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh—while also adding new context to an exclusive lead previously uncovered by CC News Network, and what Dick Harpootlian said in the first Murdaugh hearing last week in court in Lexington, S.C.

The lawsuit, filed by Keith Anthony Cook Jr., accuses Grange Simons Lucas III of falsely identifying Cook on social media as being involved in the deaths of Stephen Smith, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh. Cook alleges the statements were false, defamatory, and caused severe damage to his reputation, emotional well-being, and business interests. He is seeking actual damages, punitive damages, and other relief.

Cook’s complaint further alleges he is not a public figure and asserts claims for defamation, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Cook may have a difficult time explaining as to whether he’s not a public figure, or he is a public figure.

Arguments Lucas could make

Lucas could argue that Anthony Cook voluntarily injected himself into one of the most public criminal controversies in South Carolina by:

• voluntarily appearing in the Netflix show called Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal;
• participating in interviews about the Murdaugh and 2019 boat wreck matters;
• giving media interviews regarding those controversies;
• becoming a recognizable figure in national coverage of the Murdaugh investigations.

South Carolina recently adopted a three-part test asking:

1. Did the plaintiff voluntarily inject himself into a public controversy?
2. Did the alleged defamation occur while he remained involved in that controversy?
3. Was the allegedly defamatory statement related to that same controversy?

Those are the questions the Hampton County court would likely analyze.

Why Netflix matters

One of the strongest facts isn’t simply that Cook appeared on television.

It’s that he allegedly chose to participate in a nationally distributed documentary discussing the very controversy that is the subject of this lawsuit.

Courts often look at whether someone voluntarily sought media attention or access to influence discussion of a public controversy. Media engagement can be an important factor in limited-purpose public figure analysis.

A Separate Lead

The lawsuit comes just a few months after the CC News Network received information from a source regarding an alleged conversation overheard during a sporting clay shoot near Broxton Bridge Plantation outside Varnville, SC.

According to the source, two men arrived together in a gunmetal gray pickup truck pulling a trailer with a side-by-side vehicle and began unloading equipment before allegedly discussing both Stephen Smith’s 2015 death and the June 7, 2021 murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

The source claimed one of the men allegedly stated to his passenger that a friend had struck and killed Stephen Smith years earlier before the conversation allegedly shifted to the Murdaugh murders, with Maggie being described as “collateral.” Then the source also claims he heard the driver of the gunmetal truck tell his friend with him at the time that “The 2019 boat wreck and the death of Stephen Smith were connected.”

The source further claimed the men laughed during the discussion and suggested Alex Murdaugh had been wrongly convicted and they were happy about that because they all hated him, while also stating he believed the weapons connected to Moselle would never be recovered.

CC News Network independently verified certain background details of the witness’s account, including the individual’s presence at the clay shoot and the vehicle he drove. CC News Network has not independently verified the alleged statements concerning the deaths of Stephen Smith, Paul Murdaugh, or Maggie Murdaugh. The person that was overheard telling the story admitted in writing to the CC News Network that he was at this particular clay shoot on that day, and he did drive a gunmetal pickup truck there that day, pulling a trailer and side by side. The individual’s presence at the event and ownership of a gunmetal pickup truck were independently confirmed.

Independent Corroboration

While the alleged conversation itself remains partially unverified, portions of the source’s account were independently corroborated in writing and through recorded interviews.

After being contacted by CC News Network, the driver of the grey truck acknowledged that he had attended sporting clay shoots in the Broxton Bridge area during the relevant time period.

The driver also confirmed he had owned multiple gray pickup trucks over the past decade, consistent with part of the source’s description.

However, the driver categorically denied making any statements about Stephen Smith or the Murdaugh murders.

“I’ve never talked about the Smith case because I have no knowledge of what happened,” the driver told CC News Network.

CC News Network’s investigation into the death of Stephen Smith and the 2019 Mallory Beach boat crash has identified publicly documented friendships and social associations among several individuals whose names have surfaced in both matters. Those associations are matters of public record and do not, standing alone, establish criminal conduct or participation in any offense. Rather, they provide context for the overlapping relationships that have become part of the broader public discussion surrounding these cases.

CC News Network confirmed that the driver is acquainted with an individual whom FITSNews has previously referred to as a “person of interest” in the Stephen Smith investigation. That fact is included solely as background regarding publicly reported associations. CC News Network is not suggesting that the friendship establishes involvement in any crime, and no law enforcement agency has publicly identified the driver as a suspect in the death of Stephen Smith or the murders of Paul or Maggie Murdaugh.

Why the Lawsuit Matters

The newly filed complaint illustrates precisely why allegations involving high-profile criminal investigations can carry significant legal consequences.

According to the complaint, Lucas allegedly published statements accusing Cook of participating in the murders despite Cook maintaining he had “no participation whatsoever” in the deaths of Stephen Smith, Paul Murdaugh, or Maggie Murdaugh.

What Cook is alleging that Lucas posted:

“The white truck was used the night the boy was killed in the Hit an run by two guys hog hunting at night illegally, pulled out on the road accidentally hitting him, also were the same one’s who out revenge stole gun from the property then killed Paul, Maggie was collateral kill as a witness, one tall the other was short, also was the boyfriend of the girl killed in the boating accident, common knowledge in that area from Hampton to Earnhardt.” (sic)

Similar Allegations Raised in Separate Accounts

According to CC News Network’s earlier reporting, a confidential source alleged during a recorded interview that the source alleged that Patrick Wilson told them he and Shawn Connelly were driving when they believed they had “hit someone” and thought they had killed that person. The source also alleged that Wilson became visibly upset and vomited while recounting the incident.

Separately, the social media post referenced in Anthony Cook’s defamation lawsuit contains allegations involving the deaths of Stephen Smith, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh. Among the allegations contained in the post are claims that:

• Stephen Smith was struck by two men while hog hunting at night.
• Those same individuals later stole a gun and killed Paul Murdaugh. (At Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial, Blanca Simpson testified that she observed an unfamiliar white four-door Ford F-150 pickup truck near the Moselle hangar on the day of the murders. That testimony, standing alone, does not establish any connection to the allegations contained in the social media post.)
• Maggie Murdaugh was “collateral.” (Various commentators have publicly speculated that Paul Murdaugh may have been the intended target and Maggie Murdaugh was killed because she was present. However, that is not the prosecution’s theory presented at trial, and no court or law enforcement agency has made such a finding.)

The inclusion of these allegations is intended to compare the subjects discussed in the separate accounts and the claims at issue in Cook’s lawsuit. CC News Network has not independently verified the truth of the allegations contained in the social media post or the confidential source’s account, and no law enforcement agency has publicly identified the individuals discussed as suspects in the murders of Paul or Maggie Murdaugh or the death of Stephen Smith based on these allegations.

Analysis: An Exceptionally Fast Defamation Filing

One aspect of this lawsuit that stands out is how quickly it was filed.

According to the complaint, the allegedly defamatory Facebook post was published “on or about March 1, 2026.”

Court records show the summons and complaint were signed by attorney Patrick Carr on March 4, 2026, and electronically filed in Hampton County on March 5, 2026.

That means, based on the allegations in the complaint, the lawsuit was prepared, drafted, reviewed, signed, and filed in approximately four days from the date of the alleged publication.

While there is no legal waiting period before filing a defamation action in South Carolina, such a rapid filing is noteworthy. Defamation cases often involve weeks or months of investigation, preservation of evidence, consultation with counsel, and evaluation of damages before litigation begins.

The timeline suggests that Cook acted almost immediately after the alleged publication, moving from the appearance of the social media post to a filed lawsuit in less than one business week.

The complaint itself seeks damages for defamation, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging the social media statements falsely accused Cook of involvement in the deaths of Stephen Smith, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh.

Whether the speed of the filing reflects the seriousness with which Cook viewed the allegations, prior preparation, or other circumstances is not addressed in the complaint. What is clear from the court record is that the legal response came with unusual speed following the alleged March 1 publication.

Who is Patrick Carr, Plaintiff’s Attorney?

Attorney Patrick Carr, who now represents Anthony Cook in the recently filed defamation action, also attended Becky Hill’s widely discussed birthday gathering during the Alex Murdaugh trial. The gathering included members of the media, attorneys, and others connected to the case.

In addition, Carr Legal Group lists Beverly F. Cook, Anthony Cook’s mother, as a Certified Paralegal employed by the firm. That existing professional relationship, along with Carr’s prior representation of Cook in litigation arising from the 2019 Mallory Beach boat crash, provides context for how the lawsuit was prepared and filed so quickly following the alleged March 1, 2026 social media post. Neither Carr’s attendance at the birthday gathering nor Beverly Cook’s employment with the firm, standing alone, suggests any wrongdoing or unethical conduct.

The Murdaugh Defense Team’s Assertions in Court

The renewed attention surrounding these allegations also comes as Alex Murdaugh defense attorney Dick Harpootlian has publicly asserted that the defense possesses evidence linking the June 7, 2021 murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh to the 2015 death of Stephen Smith. During recent court proceedings, Harpootlian argued that the defense has “extraordinary evidence” connecting the two cases and has sought additional DNA testing and investigative resources to pursue those leads.

Harpootlian has not publicly disclosed the specific evidence supporting that claim, and no court has made any finding that the two cases are connected. Nevertheless, the statement marks one of the strongest public assertions by Murdaugh’s defense that an alternative theory exists tying the two investigations together.

The Investigation Continues

At present, no law enforcement agency has confirmed the source’s account or identified any new suspects connected to either the Stephen Smith investigation or the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

Likewise, the source’s account remains exactly what investigators often receive in long-running criminal cases—a lead that may ultimately prove accurate, inaccurate, or impossible to verify.

CC News Network continues seeking additional witnesses, event records, photographs, and other documentation that could either corroborate or refute the alleged conversation.

We reached out to Patrick Carr for comment and received no response.

Anyone who attended sporting clay shoots in the Broxton Bridge or Varnville area and may have information is encouraged to contact CC News Network. Anonymous tips are accepted., although and independent verification process remains the standard before publication.

Disclaimer: CC News Network has not independently verified the alleged statements concerning the deaths of Stephen Smith or the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. The information described in this article consists of witness accounts, reported statements, and publicly filed court allegations. No law enforcement agency has identified the individuals discussed in this article as suspects, and no court has found that they were involved in any criminal conduct.

About the Author

James Seidel

Administrator

About the CC News Network James Seidel: Publisher, Award Winning Journalist, Author. Investigator, Podcaster, Talk Show Host, and Music Producer. The CC News Network is a distinguished media company in the world of South Carolina News, Weather, Sports and True Crime. At the beginning, James Seidel was only known as Crime and Cask and well known for his relentless pursuit of truth and justice in the Alex Murdaugh trial. As a journalist, author, investigator, radio talk show host, and record producer he has made significant contributions to uncovering some of the most complex and high-profile criminal cases of our time.

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