Attorneys: Report contradicts Murdaugh claim about housekeeper’s death

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) – The attorneys for the family of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh’s former housekeeper responded to what they described as the latest misinformation campaign by “Team Murdaugh” in an ongoing lawsuit.

Nautilus Insurance Company is seeking to recover more than $3 million in claims money meant for Gloria Satterfield’s family that Murdaugh is accused of stealing.

Satterfield died in 2018 following a fall at the Murdaugh’s home.

Last week, Murdaugh claimed in a response to the lawsuit that the story about Satterfield tripping over one of his dogs and falling was a lie created to force his insurers to make a settlement payment.

Related: Murdaugh admits lies in new response to fraud lawsuit regarding housekeeper’s death

“As if he has not caused enough damage to the Satterfield family, Murdaugh took the additional steps in the lawsuit, although he didn’t have to, of suggesting by way of defense that because he successfully stole the money and because that money is gone, but also because the Satterfields were successful in obtaining money from other sources, that Nautilus should look to the Satterfields to get back the money that Alex stole,” Ronnie Richter, an attorney representing the Satterfield family, said during a Monday news conference.

In response to Murdaugh’s filing, Bland Richter released a copy of an investigative report from 2018 that states all the Murdaughs’ dogs were loose on the property on the morning of Feb. 2, 2018. That report also indicated it was common for the dogs to “get under people’s feet” when they came to the home.

Maggie Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh’s wife, described one of the dogs, named Bourbon, as “just horrible” and always whining and seeking attention, the report stated.

Both Maggie Murdaugh and her son, Paul, were asleep when Satterfield came to the home and were awakened by the sound of the dogs barking, according to the attorneys for the family.

When Maggie went to the front door, she found Satterfield at the bottom of the steps, bleeding from a head wound, with the four dogs near her, the report stated.

“Paul remembers that his father Alex arrived and asked what happened and that Satterfield ‘said something about the dogs,’” according to the report.

Attorney Eric Bland said that if Satterfield’s body was ultimately exhumed, her injuries would never tell how she died, as they would look the same whether she was pushed, she tripped or she was knocked down by the dogs.

“They’re not going to solve a crime, and it’s very convenient that the three people who could support or contradict Alex are all dead – Paul, Maggie and Gloria,” Bland said.

A jury convicted Alex Murdaugh of murdering his wife and son in 2021. He was sentenced to two life terms.

“The continued attacks on the Satterfields cannot and will not be ignored,” Richter said.

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