HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (Court TV) — A South Carolina man who is accused of fatally shooting another driver during a 2023 road rage incident has filed an unusual lawsuit against the victim’s family attorney, claiming the lawyer orchestrated a “media firestorm” solely to enhance his own celebrity status and permanently damaged the defendant’s ability to receive a fair trial.
Weldon Boyd filed the civil complaint Nov. 3 in Horry County against attorney Mark B. Tinsley, seeking a declaratory judgment that Tinsley “manufactured, disseminated, and perpetuated a false narrative through manipulative use of media outlets” for personal publicity rather than to serve his client’s interests.
Witness Mark Tinsley, attorney for Mallory Beach’s family, answers questions during Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. Attorney Murdaugh is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their Colleton County home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool)
Tinsley fired back at the allegations, calling the lawsuit “baseless and flawed” in a statement to Court TV.
“What I will say is that I am proud to represent the Spivey family because I believe we should all do our part to live in a world where right is right and wrong is wrong,” Tinsley said. “What happened to Scott Spivey, and then to his family, is simply wrong.”
The lawsuit stems from a September 9, 2023, road rage incident that allegedly ended with Boyd fatally shooting Scott Spivey. According to the complaint, Spivey had been drinking heavily for nearly five hours before getting behind the wheel and initiating the confrontation by stalking Boyd’s vehicle, running it off the road, and firing a .45 caliber pistol at Boyd and his passenger while they were trapped in their car.
“Y’all need to get this guy off the road. He’s aiming guns at people,” Boyd told a 911 dispatcher during the incident, according to the complaint.
Multiple eyewitnesses confirmed Spivey’s aggression, and after a seven-month investigation, Horry County law enforcement concluded Boyd and his passenger acted in justifiable self-defense. The South Carolina Attorney General’s office reached the same conclusion in April 2024.
But Boyd alleges that Tinsley, who represents Spivey’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit, has used his legal access to non-public materials to wage a calculated media campaign designed to boost his own public profile rather than serve his client.
“Tinsley did not let the truth get in the way of a good story,” the complaint states, referencing Tinsley’s alleged pattern of seeking celebrity status through high-profile cases.
FILE – Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, in June 2021, sits during a hearing on a motion for a retrial, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, S.C. Federal prosecutors said Murdaugh didn’t tell the truth about where $6 million he stole went and whether a so far unnamed attorney helped him and want to revoke a plea deal on federal financial crime charges, according to court documents. (Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool, File)
Boyd’s lawsuit specifically points to Tinsley’s involvement in the Alex Murdaugh murder case, which Court TV covered extensively during the disgraced attorney’s double murder trial. The complaint alleges Tinsley leveraged his role in that high-profile case to raise his public profile before turning his attention to the Boyd-Spivey incident.
Court TV’s Trial Archives | Murdaugh Family Murders (SC v. Alex Murdaugh 2023)
The lawsuit details numerous instances where Tinsley allegedly provided “exclusive” information to media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Sun News, and various podcasters. Boyd claims Tinsley shared police files, deposition videos, and other materials obtained through civil discovery to generate sensational coverage.
“Tinsley told one individual that he started with one media outlet because he knew ‘the others [will] follow.’ He was correct,” the complaint states.
Tinsley defended his handling of the case, saying he has treated it like any other.
“In every case in which I’m involved, I endeavor to do my best to represent the interests of my clients, the same way as I would if I were representing myself or my family,” Tinsley said. “When I was retained to help the Spivey family in February of 2024, I filed the lawsuit on the family’s behalf because it was warranted by the facts and the law, but more importantly it was the right thing to do.”
Tinsley pushed back on Boyd’s characterization of his media strategy, suggesting Boyd’s own recorded calls created problems.
“If Mr. Boyd didn’t like the way he sounds in the secretly recorded calls HE MADE, then he should not have recorded himself,” Tinsley said.
Tinsley also referenced what he called a “police corruption matter” connected to the case, saying Boyd’s recorded calls led to investigations of multiple police personnel and the separation of two officers from the Horry County Police Department.
“It is not my fault that Boyd’s secretly recorded calls led to multiple police personnel being investigated,” Tinsley said.
Boyd points to Tinsley’s social media presence, where he refers to himself as a “dragon slayer” and has been dubbed “Tiger Tinsley” by media outlets. The complaint suggests that Tinsley employed the same media-savvy approach that garnered him attention during the Murdaugh proceedings.
MORE | From Murdaugh to Morphew: Crime, media and the court of public opinion
The media attention has had real consequences, according to Boyd. In May 2025, nine South Carolina legislators wrote to Governor Henry McMaster requesting that the case be reopened. In October 2025, the Attorney General assigned a new solicitor to review the investigation.
Attorney Mark Tinsley, who represents the family of Mallory Beach in the high-profile Murdaugh boat crash case. (Court TV)
“Tinsley’s initiation of the media firestorm included not only traditional media outlets but also multiple podcasters, many of whom made false statements regarding the events of September 9, 2023, largely as a result of Tinsley’s manipulation of the facts,” the complaint alleges.
Tinsley dismissed Boyd’s claims as bullying tactics.
“It’s very unfortunate that some people believe they can make things up, threaten, and bully to get their way,” Tinsley said. “However, neither I nor the Spivey family will be bullied by the likes of Weldon Boyd.”
Boyd is not seeking monetary damages but wants a court declaration that Tinsley’s actions have “perverted the course of justice” and made it impossible for Boyd to receive fair treatment in South Carolina courts. He’s also requesting that Tinsley pay his legal costs.
Tinsley said he plans to file the appropriate motions soon to address the allegations.
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