On a tragic Mother's Day, May 8, 2022, 58-year-old Teresa Lischer was found dead in her Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, home. An investigation by the Horry County Police Department soon revealed that her death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound. Ms. Lischer, a registered nurse who had moved to Myrtle Beach to live out her dream of being near the ocean, was remembered for her love of helping people, the outdoors, and spending time with her beloved dog, Rudy.
The investigation into her
death quickly focused on her boyfriend, Charles William Murphy Jr. He had been the one to call 911 on the morning of May 9, 2022, claiming he had just discovered Lischer's body. Murphy told authorities that Lischer had asked him to leave their home on Leste Road the previous Friday and that he had been gone all weekend. However, his story began to unravel as police uncovered contradicting evidence.
Investigators obtained footage from a neighbor's Ring security camera that showed Murphy entering and leaving the residence throughout the very weekend he claimed to be absent. This crucial piece of evidence, coupled with the discovery of gunshot residue on his clothing, solidified him as the prime suspect in Lischer's murder. It was later determined that she had been fatally shot with a shotgun on the Saturday night of that weekend.
Prosecutors argued that Murphy had spent the time between the murder and his 911 call attempting to cover up his crime. In January 2025, a Horry County jury found Charles William Murphy Jr. guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. Following the conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
