On Tuesday, South Carolina state police released a 911 audio in connection with the death of the Murdaugh family’s housekeeper.
“My housekeeper has fallen and her head is bleeding and I can’t get her up,” Maggie Murdaugh said to a 911 dispatcher after their longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, supposedly fell down an outdoor flight of stairs at the Murdaugh residence in Hampton.
Satterfield, who had worked for the Murdaugh family for decades, died in 2018 after supposedly falling down a flight of brick steps at the Murdaugh family home. South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who is being investigated for fraud in Satterfield’s death, is alleged to have taken $3.4 million from the two sons of his late housekeeper.
In September of this year, Satterfield’s sons filed a lawsuit accusing Murdaugh, attorney Corey Fleming, and Hampton banker Chad Westendorf of stealing millions from their late mother’s estate, which included payouts from a wrongful death settlement.
During the 911 call, it was never explained how Satterfield slipped and fell in the Murdaugh home, but Maggie Murdaugh explained they found her bleeding at the bottom of eight brick steps.
Alex Murdaugh’s youngest son, Paul, is also heard on the 911, explaining that Satterfield was bleeding and had a crack on her head.
“Ma’am, she can’t talk … She’s cracked her head and there’s blood on the concrete and she’s bleeding out of her left ear,” Paul said.
Police arrested Alex Murdaugh on September 16 and charged him with stealing insurance settlement money from Satterfield’s family, as well as other financial crime allegations. This was weeks after he allegedly hired ex-client Curtis Smith, 61, to fatally shoot him so Murdaugh’s surviving son would receive a $10 million life insurance payout.
On September 4, Murdaugh, 53, called 911 from Hampton County, claiming someone had shot him in the head. A day before the shooting, Murdaugh was forced out of his family law firm amid allegations he misappropriated funds. He announced he was entering rehabilitation for drugs two days after the shooting.
Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud in connection with the September 4 shooting, while Smith was charged with assisted suicide, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and insurance fraud. Smith has denied involvement in the apparent suicide-for-hire plot. Both men were eventually freed on bond.
The disgraced lawyer allegedly devised the suicide plot following the murders of his wife and son, Maggie and Paul, 52 and 22. On June 7, Alex Murdaugh called 911 claiming he discovered Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, 52 and 22, fatally shot near some dog kennels on their 1,770-acre estate in Colleton County.
No arrests have been made in connection with Paul and Maggie Murdaugh’s murders.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to a related episode.
[Feature Photo: Paul and Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook]