Timeline of events in the Murdaugh saga, one year since the deaths of Paul and Maggie
Alex Murdaugh
Image: Hampton County Sheriff’s Office
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– It has been one year since the wife and child of Alex Murdaugh were found shot dead in Colleton County. ABC Columbia takes a look back at its coverage of the Murdaugh family mystery surrounding the once-prominent Lowcountry attorney.
June 2021
Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh
Image: CNN
On June 7, 2021, Alex Murdaugh called 911 after finding his wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot and killed at the family’s hunting lodge in Colleton County. Since that time, Murdaugh has been named a person of interest in the murders. The investigation uncovered a mountain of allegations of financial misdeeds including money laundering and theft. To this point, no charges have been filed in the deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
August 2021
Authorities announce that charges filed against Paul Murdaugh are dropped after his death. He was previously indicted for boating under the influence in connection with the February 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
September 2021
In early September, Alex Murdaugh was suspended from practicing law just days after his law firm accused him of taking money from the business.
Shortly after, Murdaugh is accused in a suicide-for-hire plot that never came to completion. He is accused of paying Curtis Edward Smith to shoot and kill him so that Murdaugh’s remaining son, Buster, could get a life insurance payout. The attempt failed, however, as the single bullet grazed Murdaugh and did not cause fatal injuries.
“On September 4, it became clear Alex believed that ending his life was his only option. Today, he knows that’s not true. For the last 20 years, there have been many people feeding his addiction to opioids. During that time, these individuals took advantage of his addiction and his ability to pay substantial funds for illegal drugs. One of those individuals took advantage of his mental illness and agreed to take Alex’s life, by shooting him in the head. Fortunately, Alex was not killed by the gunshot wound. Alex is fully cooperating with SLED in their investigations into his shooting, opioid use and the search to find the person or people responsible for the murder of his wife and son. Alex is not without fault but he is just one of many whose life has been devastated by opioid addiction.”
On September 15, SLED said it is opening a criminal investigation into the death of a housekeeper who worked for the Murdaugh family. Officials say Gloria Satterfield died on February 26, 2018, and it was the death certificate listed the manner of death as “natural.”
Gloria Satterfield
Courtesy: Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home
SLED says they are opening this investigation after a request from the Hampton County Coroner’s Office as well as information gathered during other investigations of Alex Murdaugh. Coroner Angela Topper says that a “Petition for Approval of a Wrongful Death Settlement” in the Court of Common Pleas stated that Satterfield died as a result of injuries from a trip and fall accident. The coroner says Satterfield’s death was not reported to them at the time, and an autopsy was not performed. Coroner Topper says listing the cause of death as “natural” is inconsistent with a trip and fall accident.
SLED says they will also investigate the handling of Gloria Satterfield’s estate.
The investigation announcement comes on the same day that Satterfield’s family filed a lawsuit alleging that Murdaugh never delivered on a settlement agreed to, following her death.
October 2021
On October 14, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Alex Murdaugh has been charged with two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. Authorities say the charges come in connection with SLED’s investigation into misappropriated settlement funds from the death of the family’s former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. Officials say Satterfield died on February 26, 2018.
“Today is merely one more step in a long process for justice for the many victims in these investigations. I want to commend the hard work and dedication that our agents have shown over the last four months, said SLED Chief Mark Keel. They will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of those who were victimized by Alex Murdaugh and others. As I have said previously, we are committed to following the facts wherever they may lead us and we will not stop until justice is served.”
Officials say Murdaugh was brought into custody after being released from a drug rehabilitation facility in Orlando. SLED says he was taken to Orange County Corrections, where he awaits an extradition hearing.
Murdaugh’s lawyers, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, released a statement in response to the recent arrest.
“Alex Murdaugh was taken into custody this morning at a Florida rehabilitation center. Alex is expected to be transported by SLED to Beaufort County where he will appear before a Magistrate for a bond hearing tomorrow.
We have not seen the warrants but have been informed that he is charged with two counts of obtaining goods under false pretenses relating to the settlement proceeds from the Estate of Gloria Satterfield.
Alex intends to fully cooperate with this investigation, as he has with the investigation into the murder of his wife and son. He deeply regrets that his actions have distracted from the efforts to solve their murders.”
On October 19, 2021, Judge Clifton Newman denied bond for Alex Murdaugh, saying he will reconsider bond after Murdaugh undergoes a psychological evaluation.
In the hearing held in Richland County, prosecuting attorneys argued that Murdaugh would violate conditions of bond due to his past dishonesty. They also said Murdaugh is considered a danger and requested restrictions such as GPS monitoring should be required if her were to be granted bond.
The defense argues that Murdaugh had lived a law-abiding life before his opioid addiction, for which he has been receiving treatment.
November 2021
On November 2, 2021, a judge ordered independent representatives to take over Murdaugh’s finances.
December 2021
In December 2021, lawyers representing Murdaugh requested his $7 million bond be reduced. The following month, a judge denied the request after a hearing to consider the matter was held on January 10.
The order from Judge Alison Renee Lee can be found here.
March 2022
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says a State Grand Jury issued a superseding indictment against suspended attorneys Alex Murdaugh and Cory Fleming. Authorities say the indictment includes four new charges for Murdaugh and 18 for Fleming.
In the latest indictment, officials say both men were charged with one count of criminal conspiracy for conspiring to give Murdaugh a share from Fleming’s fee from a million dollar settlement from a civil claim against Murdaugh for the death of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh family’s former housekeeper. Murdaugh now also faces three counts of false statement or misrepresentation in connection with an insurance transaction. Fleming is also charged with three counts of false statement or misrepresentation in connection with an insurance transaction, value $50,000 or more; four counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value $10,000 or more; three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000; three counts of money laundering, value $100,000 or more; three counts of money laundering, value more than $300 but less than $20,000; and one count of computer crime, value more than $10,000.
According to authorities, Murdaugh was suspended from law practice by the South Carolina Supreme Court on September 8, 2021. He was previously indicted on accusations of a scheme to commit suicide and commit insurance fraud.
Officials say Fleming was suspended from practicing law on October 8, but was not previously indicted in the State Grand Jury investigation.
May 2022
On May 4, Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the State Grand Jury issued superseding indictments with new charges for former banker Russell Lucius Laffitte, along with suspended attorneys Corey Fleming and Alex Murdaugh. Officials say these indictments bring 21 new charges agains Laffitte, five new charges against Fleming and four new charges against Murdaugh.
Officials say the first new indictment comes from Hampton County, where Murdaugh and Laffitte are both charged with one count of criminal conspiracy. Authorities allege they conspired to misappropriate funds to Murdaugh which were being held by Laffitte in trust as a conservator for Natarsha Thomas at Palmetto State Bank. This indictment also includes charges of breach of trust with fraudulent intent value $10,000 or more and computer crime value more than $10,000 for Laffitte.
Authorities say the second new indictment is also venued in Hampton County, and charges Murdaugh and Laffitte with one count of criminal conspiracy for allegedly misappropriating $309,581.46 in funds to Murdaugh. Officials say Laffitte held the funds in trust as a conservator for Hakeem Pinckney and his estate at Palmetto State Bank. Officials say Laffitte is also charged with computer crime value $10,000 or more and breach of trust with fraudulent intent value more than $10,000. This indictment also charges both Murdaugh and Fleming with one count of criminal conspiracy. The indictment alleges they misappropriated $89,133.44 in funds to Murdaugh that Fleming held in trust as attorney for Pamela Pinckney. Fleming is also charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 and breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value less than $2,000. Authorities say these charges come in connection with Fleming’s alleged use of $8,078.46 for personal use which was held in trust for Pinckney. Investigators say this was used to pay for Fleming to take himself, Murdaugh and another attorney on a private plane to the 2012 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Finally, this indictment individually charges Fleming with breach of trust with fraudulent intent value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 for allegedly misappropriating $4,560.00 to Murdaugh from funds Fleming held as attorney for Pamela Pinckney under the false guise of unspecified case expenses.
The third indictment, from Allendale County, charges Murdaugh and Laffitte with one count of criminal conspiracy for allegedly misappropriating $1,172,945.76 in funds that Laffitte controlled for Palmetto State Bank. Investigators say this was done, in part, so Murdaugh could pay back loans Laffitte issued to him from clients in an unrelated case Laffitte served as a fiduciary for. This indictment also accuses Laffitte of aiding and abetting Murdaugh, charging Laffitte with 12 counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent value more than $10,000.
According to authorities, Murdaugh was suspended from law practice by the South Carolina Supreme Court on September 8, 2021. He was previously indicted on accusations of a scheme to commit suicide and commit insurance fraud. The state indictments on Murdaugh now total 79 charges for schemes to defraud victims of $8,492,888.31. He is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
Officials say Fleming was suspended from practicing law on October 8. Authorities say he has been indicted for schemes to defraud victims out of $3,725,203.85.
According to officials, the Grand Jury has indicted Laffitte for schemes to defraud victims out of $1,832,772.30.
June 2022
On June 2, a court approved a $4.3 million judgement in favor of the estate of the Satterfield.
On June 6, SLED announced that the family of Alex Murdaugh’s housekeeper who died in 2018 has given them permission to exhume her body. They are investigating Gloria Satterfield’s death, after she died from a fall at Murdaugh’s home.
Last week, a court approved a $4.3 million judgement for Satterfield’s estate. The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Murdaugh.
SLED says Murdaugh is accused of misappropriating settlement funds. He’s currently in jail on numerous charges.
