The sons of a housekeeper who died on Alex Murdaugh’s property in 2018 asked a South Carolina court on Monday to jail the disgraced lawyer until he returns the millions of dollars he allegedly embezzled from them in an insurance scam.
Eric Bland, a lawyer for Gloria Satterfield’s sons, Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott, filed a motion requesting Murdaugh’s arrest, citing a state law that allows for arrests in certain civil cases even when criminal charges are not involved. The late housekeeper’s sons have accused Murdaugh, attorney Corey Fleming, and Hampton banker Chad Westendorf of devising a plot in 2018 and 2019 which robbed them of their inheritance, according to the Island Packet.
Gloria Satterfield died in a reported accidental fall at Murdaugh’s home in February 2018. Afterward, a $500,000 wrongful death claim was filed against Murdaugh on behalf of her estate — with Fleming representing the estate, according to WCBD.
Lawyer Bland claimed the claim was granted and the case was closed, but the sons nor the estate ever received a payout. Filings indicated that the sons’ inheritance was $2.7 million, and an order that was never filed stated there was a total of $4.3 million in insurance proceeds that the sons never received, the Island Packet reported.
Bland said he believes Murdaugh and his conspirators owe Gloria Satterfield’s estate at least $4 million.
Monday’s motion also accused Judge Carmen Mullen of signing an order in 2019 which awarded the $4.3 million to other parties and not Gloria Satterfield’s sons. Mullen, according to the filing, was not made aware at the time that the sons were not included in the settlement.
Murdaugh was arrested last month amid allegations that he had an ex-client, Curtis Edward Smith, 61, attempt to fatally shoot him so his serving son would receive a $10 million life insurance payout.
On September 4, Murdaugh called 911 and said he had been shot in the head in rural Hampton County, South Carolina. A day earlier, he resigned from his family law firm amid allegations he misappropriated funds. Two days after the shooting, Murdaugh said he was entering rehabilitation for drugs.
Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report. He is currently free on a $20,000 bond while he undergoes rehabilitation in another state.
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[Featured Image: Gloria Satterfield/Herndon & Sons Funeral Home; Alex Murdaugh/Hampton County Jail]
