‘Dateline’ speaks with Cook family in new Murdaugh special airing Friday

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)- The parents of Connor Cook, one of the passengers in the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach, will share new details about that night with NBC’s Craig Melvin during Friday’s episode of ‘Dateline.’

The two-hour special, “Dark Waters,” examines the Murdaugh family’s storied history, including the many scandals that have swirled around the family for years.

The first of those scandals happened in 2019 when Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul was accused of crashing a boat while drinking with his friends, resulting in the death of a 19-year-old girl.

Now, Cook’s parents and one of the passengers who was on the boat are speaking out for the first time on network television to reveal what happened in the aftermath of the accident.

During the special, Marty Cook–Connor’s father– claims that shortly after the accident Alex called him to say that it was his son driving the boat, not Paul.

“We were fairly good friends coming up through high school and what shocked me was that, you know, he would be willing to use my son [Connor] as a scapegoat to get his son out of something that his son actually did,” Cook tells Melvin. “You know, that hurt, you know. Thought I had a little better standing with him than that. But I don’t think anybody has any standing with Alex Murdaugh.”

The episode will also highlight new reporting on what to expect during Murdaugh’s upcoming trial in January. Murdaugh is accused of murdering his wife and son in June 2021 but has pleaded not guilty.

Following Friday’s episode, ‘Dateline’ will release a podcast episode on Wednesday, Nov. 9 which features a behind-the-scenes look at Melvin’s reporting and insights into the case.

“Dark Waters” premieres Friday, Nov. 4 at 9:00 p.m. on News 2.