Murdaugh charged with taking insurance money in maid’s death

FILE - Alex Murdaugh walks into his bond hearing Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Varnville, S.C. For a century, the Murdaughs have quietly steered much of the legal world in this corner of the state, by running the prosecutor's office and a large civil law firm. Then, in June, Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son Paul were killed at the family's sprawling estate. Six investigations are underway, over the killings, stolen money, death coverups and a Sept. 4 shooting in which a bullet grazed Murdaugh's head on a lonely highway. Police said he tried to arrange his own death and make sure a $10 million life insurance policy would pay off for his surviving son. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) FILE - Alex Murdaugh walks into his bond hearing Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Varnville, S.C. For a century, the Murdaughs have quietly steered much of the legal world in this corner of the state, by running the prosecutor's office and a large civil law firm. Then, in June, Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son Paul were killed at the family's sprawling estate. Six investigations are underway, over the killings, stolen money, death coverups and a Sept. 4 shooting in which a bullet grazed Murdaugh's head on a lonely highway. Police said he tried to arrange his own death and make sure a $10 million life insurance policy would pay off for his surviving son. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

By JEFFREY COLLINS / Associated Press October 15, 2021 4 min read

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A prominent South Carolina lawyer has been charged with stealing insurance settlements meant for the sons of his late housekeeper that a lawsuit said total more than $4 million, state police said Thursday.

Alex Murdaugh was arrested at a drug rehab facility in Orlando, Florida, where his attorneys said he has spent the past six weeks since claiming he was shot in the head on the side of a lonely road near his home, authorities said.

The arrest is the latest development in six state police investigations into Murdaugh, including the deaths of his wife and son, millions of dollars missing from the huge law firm founded a century ago by his great-grandfather and trying to arrange his own death so his surviving son could collect on a $10 million life insurance policy.

Thursday’s arrest on two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses involves Murdaugh’s housekeeper for decades, Gloria Satterfield, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a statement.

Murdaugh told Satterfield’s sons at her February 2018 funeral that he would get insurance settlements for her death and take care of them, according to a lawsuit filed by the sons. Murdaugh managed to secure more than $4 million from his insurers, but he only told the sons about a $500,000 settlement and then never sent them a dime, the lawsuit said.