Now, Satterfield’s children are suing Murdaugh, that was jailed Thursday on fraudulence charges stemming from his attempt to have himself killed. (His better half’s and son’s deaths continue to be unsolved as well as Murdaugh has actually denied obligation.)
An attorney for Satterfield’s estate told CNN the household relied on Murdaugh to assist them bring a wrongful fatality insurance claim versus him. The caretaker died following what was referred to as a “trip as well as loss” crash at the Murdaugh home in 2018.
“Our customers had tremendous trust in Murdaugh. They viewed him as family members,” the lawyer, Eric Bland told CNN’s Erin Burnett Thursday.
Yet according to the household’s lawsuit, regardless of a civil negotiation, Satterfield’s sons never received any kind of money. On Thursday, Bland alleged Murdaugh had misused millions in settlements from the Satterfield family members.
“It’s a disgrace, we’re going to get to the base of it, as well as we have no compassion or pity for Alex Murdaugh,” Bland said.CNN has reached out to attorneys for Murdaugh for comment.On Wednesday, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department stated it was opening up a criminal probe into Satterfield’s death.Satterfield, that invested more than twenty years working for the family members, passed away in what was explained at the time as a”trip as well as fall crash”at the Murdaugh house, according to Bland.The examination right into Satterfield’s fatality was opened, SLED stated, at the demand of the Hampton Region coroner, that highlighted disparities with Satterfield’s specified way of fatality, along with details collected during SLED’s other investigations including Murdaugh.”The decedent’s death was not reported to the Coroner at the time, neither was a postmortem examination done,”the coroner’s request to SLED said.”On the death certificate the way of death was ruled’All-natural,’which is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and drop crash.”‘ He has dropped from grace’Murdaugh was apprehended Thursday on fees associated with an insurance coverage scams scheme that court records state involved Murdaugh scheduling his own murder so his enduring child can accumulate the life insurance payout.Murdaugh showed up in court Thursday, where Hampton Region Magistrate Court Tonja Alexander set a$20,000 individual recognizance bond.
Murdaugh was needed to surrender his passport to SLED and sign a waiver of extradition.He faces charges of insurance coverage fraud, conspiracy theory to dedicate insurance policy fraud and also submitting an incorrect authorities report, according to a declaration from the SLED.
The situation will be prosecuted by the state Chief law officer’s office.His attorney Prick Harpootlian claimed Murdaugh would be going back to an out-of-state recovery facility where he’s being dealt with for an opioid dependency that the attorney stated contributed to his financial issues.At one factor Murdaugh showed up to clean rips from beneath his glasses while Harpootlian defined the murders of his wife and also boy and the toll their deaths carried him.” He has actually fallen from grace,”
Harpootlian claimed.”However before any of that falling happened, his other half and boy were extremely killed, which has had a remarkable effect on him. So we ‘d ask you to allow him to go as well as assist heal himself.” Bland disregarded Harpootlian’s remarks, calling it”lawyer spin”and also claiming Murdaugh’s lawyers were”casting a defense that does not exist. “Conspiracy theory Murdaugh was shot in the head on a roadway September 4 but survived. A household spokesperson had actually previously condemned the capturing on an unidentified man in a blue vehicle. But Murdaugh confessed to authorities on Monday that he had actually conspired with a guy
— recognized by authorities as Curtis Edward Smith, a previous client of Murdaugh– to eliminate him as part of the system, according to an affidavit to sustain charges versus Smith.After he was fired, Murdaugh called 911 to report he had been shot on a roadway in Hampton Region, according to SLED, and he was taken to a medical facility in Savannah, Georgia.Authorities at first defined Murdaugh’s injury as a”superficial gunshot wound to the head,”though Murdaugh’s attorneys claimed his skull was fractured in the shooting.Murdaugh purportedly gave Smith with a firearm and guided Smith to fire him in the head.
Smith admitted Tuesday to being present at the capturing and to dealing with the weapon afterward, the testimony states.Murdaugh chose to end his own life however thought his life insurance policy
had a self-destruction exclusion, Harpootlian told NBC’s”Today Show,”and that the plan”was an effort on his component to do something to safeguard”his eldest and just living child.Smith, 61, was charged Wednesday with assisted suicide, assault as well as
battery of a high and also exacerbated nature, directing and also presenting a weapon, insurance policy fraudulence and also conspiracy theory to dedicate insurance coverage scams, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.On Thursday, Hampton Region Magistrate Judge Alexander set bond for Smith at $55,000. Asked if he had an interest in a public protector, Smith responded,”I’m most likely mosting likely to look at one, of course,”including he would likely request one very early following week.Murdaugh had stood for Smith as his lawyer on a minimum of two celebrations dating back to 2010, according to court records from the Colleton
County 14th Judicial Circuit. He initially stood for Smith in an injury legal action that Smith brought against a land management business. Murdaugh is additionally noted as Smith’s attorney for a 2013 website traffic violation, the court records show.Investigations into numerous fatalities Murdaugh’s apprehension Thursday is the current development in what’s come to be a sprawling, prominent crime saga unfolding in the southern region of the Palmetto State, where the Murdaugh family members has been an effective legal dynasty for decades.Over 87 consecutive years, three generations of Murdaughs acted as the 14th Circuit Lawyer, a workplace that manages the prosecutions in Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton as well as Jasper counties.Tragedy first struck in early June, when Alex
Murdaugh’s wife Margaret and also child Paul, 22, were fired dead outside the household’s home in Islandton, about a hr north of Hilton Head Island, according to SLED. Colleton Region Constable’s deputies determined both victims had experienced numerous gunshot wounds.At the time of his fatality, Paul Murdaugh was dealing with charges of boating intoxicated, creating great bodily damage as well as triggering death in link to a 2019 watercraft collision that claimed the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, court documents reveal.
Paul had actually pleaded not guilty and court records show the costs were gone down after his death.About 2 weeks after the killings, SLED introduced that, based on details collected in the course of the investigation, it was reopening an examination right into the fatality of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old whose body was located on a Hampton Area roadway in 2015.
CNN’s Martin Savidge, Eric Levenson, Amanda Watts, Gregory Lemos, Melissa Alonso, Caroline Kenny and also Christina Maxouris added to this report.