Where is Anthony Cook from Netflix’s ‘The Murdaughs: Death and Scandal in South Carolina’ now?

The Murdaughs: Death and scandal in South CarolinaNetflix’s new true crime miniseries examines a deadly boating accident that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach and a chain of murders that left Paul and Maggie Murdaugh shot dead and teenager Stephen Smith already in love with her. Murdaugh family keyholder, Gloria Satterfield, killed under mysterious circumstances. Throughout the miniseries, Netflix introduced Anthony Cook, who was dating Mallory at the time of her death and was present during the boating accident. His testimony played an important role in a trial against Paul’s father, Richard Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted in March 2023 of murdering his wife and his son.

Read on to find out where Anthony Cook is now.

Who is Anthony Cook?

On February 24, 2019, Anthony and Mallory planned to attend a house party on Paukie Island, near their Low Country, South Carolina hometown. The couple planned to meet with Anthony’s cousin Connor Cook, his girlfriend, and Mallory’s best friend Miley Altman, Paul Murdaugh, and his girlfriend Morgan Doughty.

Paul, then 19, drove his family boat to the party and used his older brother Buster Murdaugh’s ID to buy alcohol at a nearby store. The group of six left the party at midnight, so Paul and Cooner decided to go to a bar in Beaufort, South Carolina, where they had more drinks before heading back to the ship.

The group headed home around one in the morning. According to surviving victims, Paul, who was three times the legal breathalyzer limit, got behind the wheel of the boat despite being visibly intoxicated. According to Anthony, Paul refused to let anyone else drive the boat. He even considered taking an Uber back home with Mallory, but he decided against it because he didn’t want to abandon the rest of his friends.

Things got so intense on board that Anthony grabbed Mallory and pulled her into his lap as they sat in the bottom of the boat. Paul, who was arguing with Morgan, put the boat up to speed and crashed into a bridge near Parris Island, South Carolina, throwing himself, Anthony and Mallory off. Both Paul and Anthony managed to surface, but Mallory remained missing for a week before she was found dead.

Paul was later charged with three counts of drink driving, but due to his father’s close ties to law enforcement in his community, there was speculation that there had been delays in the investigation. Paul would never have a chance to answer for his crimes. In June 2021, the 22-year-old and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, were shot and killed on his property.

Where is Anthony Cook now?

Anthony filed a lawsuit against Paul’s father, Alex, the store where Paul bought the alcohol, and the clerk who sold it to him in December 2021. According to Paul, Alex knew that Paul had falsely used his older brother’s ID and that he still he was drunk before allowing him to drive the boat.

According to a screenshot obtained by Daily Mail, Anthony posted about the tragic loss of his girlfriend nearly a month after the incident. “I have to live the rest of my life with the memory of jumping into the icy black water with the love of my life in my arms,” ​​he allegedly wrote on Facebook. “I had to swim against the current for 15 minutes in a panic screaming her name and begging her to answer me. I had to swim to shore without her to save my own life and live in regret forever.”

He has kept a relatively low profile in the aftermath of the accident and subsequent murders. According to ABC News, Anthony suffers from painful symptoms similar to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Although he reportedly went through a drinking phase after the accident, Anthony is believed to be working as a power lineman in the southern United States.