COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. A fresh application has been filed requesting the court to overturn Alex Murdaugh’s admission of guilt.
The former attorney, who was convicted earlier this year of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul, is presently on trial for suspected financial crimes.
The new motion is related to the death of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs’ former housekeeper, and the loss of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds.
Murdaugh had claimed for years that his dogs were to blame for the trip-and-fall tragedy that killed Satterfield in February 2018 at his Colleton County property.
Murdaugh claimed Satterfield informed him the dogs tripped her. However, Murdaugh stated earlier this month that he made up the dog tale and had no idea how or why Satterfield fell.
Murdaugh’s lawyers now claim that the foundation for his confession of guilt was merely another of his falsehoods. According to the complaint, Murdaugh was the only one who indicated the dogs tripped up Satterfield.
“During the six-week murder trial, counsel did positively learn that there were no dogs around Ms. Satterfield at the time of her fall,” Murdaugh’s lawyers write in their petition.
Murdaugh altering his statement is significant since the dogs were the reason his insurance companies gave the Satterfields the money in the first place. Murdaugh would not have been allowed to suit himself and pocket the insurance settlement meant for the Satterfields if it hadn’t been for the dogs.
The Satterfields are not Murdaugh’s only alleged financial victims. He is now facing over a hundred counts stemming from similar fraud operations.
This is why, according to Murdaugh’s attorneys, he is coming forward now, and why Satterfield’s lawyers, notably Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, insisted on a confession of judgment in the first place.
“(The confession of judgment is) to the detriment of Mr. Murdaugh’s other victims who were defrauded of funds for legitimate claims,” the request states.
Murdaugh has not paid Satterfield’s boys any money from the original insurance settlement. However, that confession of judgment forced the hands of other businesses, who have paid out more than $7 million in reparations so far.
Bland and Richter stated in a news statement that Murdaugh’s attorneys’ request is without merit.
“(Murdaugh’s attorneys) are disappointed that they will not receive $160,000 for Murdaugh’s appeal due to recent arguments made by Bland Richter,” according to the news release.
2023-05-16 Murdaugh's R… by Matt Sockol
