Alex Murdaugh coordinated with former housekeeper’s family to sue himself for insurance money and then took $3 million, affidavits say

Murdaugh was arrested Thursday in Florida on suspicion of misappropriating settlement funds in reference to Gloria Satterfield’s demise, authorities stated.

Satterfield, who labored for the Murdaughs for greater than twenty years, died following what was described as “journey and fall accident” on the Murdaugh house in 2018, according to attorney Eric Bland, who’s representing her property. Bland filed a lawsuit in September in opposition to Murdaugh on behalf of Satterfield’s property searching for the cash they are saying they’re due.

In line with the affidavits launched Saturday by the South Carolina Enforcement Division (SLED), “Mr. Murdaugh coordinated with (Gloria) Satterfield’s household to sue himself in an effort to search an insurance coverage settlement with the acknowledged intent to present the proceeds to the Satterfield household to pay for funeral bills and financial compensation for Satterfield’s youngsters.” Murdaugh deposited greater than almost $3 million into an account he owned, the affidavits stated.

In an e mail to CNN, Bland disputed SLED’s assertion.

“These have been reputable claims that have been introduced in reference to Gloria Satterfield’s demise,” he wrote.

Satterfield died, he wrote, after Murdaugh’s 4 canine tripped her, and her property made an “applicable negligence declare.”

“The declare was not fabricated and Alex appropriately referred them to an legal professional,” he wrote. “The property was unaware of the extraordinarily shut relationship although between (Cory) Fleming and Alex Mudaugh which was not absolutely disclosed.”

“He deeply regrets that his actions have distracted from the efforts to resolve their murders,” the assertion stated.

The investigation into Satterfield’s demise follows months of authorized and private challenges for Murdaugh.

Murdaugh’s taking pictures got here lower than three months after he known as authorities to report he discovered his spouse and youngest son shot useless at their house.

The affidavits launched Saturday describes what authorities say occurred after Satterfield’s demise. Murdaugh beneficial an legal professional to the household, and that legal professional brokered insurance coverage settlements of roughly $4.3 million, one affidavit stated.

A settlement settlement stipulated that $2,765,000 was for the Satterfield household, the affidavit stated.

“The Satterfield household have been by no means notified of the settlement nor obtained any of the proceeds from them, and the settlement settlement was not correctly filed within the court docket document,” the affidavit stated.

Murdaugh directed the legal professional to jot down a verify to a checking account created and owned by Murdaugh titled “Forge,” so as “to deprive the Satterfield household of insurance coverage settlements owed to them by changing the $2,961,911.95 to Mr. Murdaugh’s personal use,” in response to the affidavit. He had beforehand deposited $403,500 to the identical account as a part of a preliminary settlement settlement, in response to a second affidavit.

Whereas there’s a reputable firm known as Forge Consulting LLC that handles insurance coverage settlements, it isn’t affiliated with the Satterfield settlement nor the “Forge” account owned by Murdaugh, the affidavit stated.

“Mr. Murdaugh titled the account ‘Forge’ as a misrepresentation in an effort to conceal misappropriation of the funds in query,” the affidavit added.

After Murdaugh waived his extradition listening to on Friday, South Carolina Lawyer Basic Alan Wilson introduced Murdaugh’s bond listening to on a cost of acquiring property by false pretenses will happen Tuesday on the Richland County Courthouse in Columbia.