Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina lawyer convicted of killing his wife and son, lied when he said the family’s dogs had caused a housekeeper to fatally fall on their property in 2018, his lawyers said as part of a lawsuit accusing Murdaugh of life insurance fraud. in the death of the woman.
Gloria Satterfield, who was an employee of the Murdaugh family for more than two decades, died in 2018 from her injuries. been described as a “trip and fall accident” at the family home. She was 57 years old.
But Murdaugh “fabricated the critical facts” surrounding Satterfield’s death in order to receive millions of dollars in a settlement with Nautilus Insurance Co., his lawyers said Monday in response to a lawsuit filed by Nautilus against Murdaugh and others. The company alleges that it was defrauded.
“There were no dogs involved in the fall of Gloria Satterfield on February 2, 2018,” Murdaugh’s attorneys said in the legal filing. After Satterfield’s death, Murdaugh “fabricated Ms. Satterfield’s alleged statement that the dogs made her fall to force her insurers to make a settlement payment.”
In the document, the attorneys said Murdaugh not only fabricated that story to collect on the Nautilus insurance policy, but “acted to help the Satterfield estate succeed in a claim on those facts, which representatives of the Satterfield estate They believed they were true.” “
Jim Griffin, one of Murdaugh’s attorneys, told NBC News that the Satterfields and their attorneys should be added to the Nautilus lawsuit “because they ultimately recovered the fraudulent insurance proceeds.”
Eric Bland, a lawyer for the Satterfields, bristled at Murdaugh’s changing story. in a social media post Tuesdaysaying that a jury and a judge have found it “not credible.”
Bland said attorneys had recovered money for the Satterfields from parties other than Nautilus.
“These insurers had investigators investigate the claim thoroughly before paying the claim,” Bland said. “In addition they also had lawyers who did their job and investigated the claim before it was paid. This is nothing but noise. Only people without guts who try to continue victimizing Gloria’s brothers and children.”
Bland said in another post that Nautilus has “nothing to get back from the Satterfields because Alex stole the money.” Nautilus is doing the right thing by suing Alex, that’s where they will go and get their money back.”
After Satterfield’s death, members of the family saying Murdaugh told them that he would help their adult sons receive the settlement money for his death on his property.
But the lawyers for his sons, Michael “Tony” Satterfield and Brian Harriott, they stated that had did not receive any of the winnings of a $4.3 million settlement they said was secretly orchestrated by Murdaugh, according to a lawsuit filed against him and others. State investigators alleged that about $3.4 million was stolen after legal fees were paid.
Satterfield Estate Attorneys Announced in October 2021 that they had settled with Cory Fleming, Murdaugh’s best friend and fellow attorney who had represented the brothers in a wrongful death settlement, and with the law firm of Fleming et al.
“The firm and Mr. Fleming agree that the Estate will be reimbursed for all legal fees and expenses received out of the $4,300,000 recovered for the Estate,” the lawyers said. “These fees are related to the claims brought against Alex Murdaugh for the death of Gloria Satterfield. In addition, the company’s malpractice insurer has agreed to pay the Estate the full limits of the insurance policy.”
murdaugh, 54, was sentenced in March of murdering his wife, Margaret, 52, and their youngest son, Paul, 22, in June 2021 in what prosecutors said was a scheme to win pity and divert attention from financial crimes that threaten ruin your reputation. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
His lawyers have filed a notice of appeal. his convictions.