SC Attorney Accused in Bizarre Plot Surrenders

Alex Murdaugh allegedly arranged his own hit but survived
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 16, 2021 1:36 AM CDT
Updated Sep 16, 2021 12:02 PM CDT
New Twist in Murdaugh Case: Housekeeper's 2018 Death
A vehicle sits in the driveway of a home, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in rural Colleton County, near Islandton, S.C. A mother and son from a prominent South Carolina legal family were found shot and killed on the family's land.   (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP)

Update: A South Carolina attorney surrendered to authorities on Thursday in a convoluted case involving multiple deaths and alleged insurance fraud, reports CNN. Prosecutors say Alex Murdaugh arranged his own hit but survived, and that's only a small part of the story. Our original report, with timeline, follows:

Alex Murdaugh will surrender to authorities Thursday, his attorney says, to face charges that he conspired with another man to fatally shoot him so that his surviving son could collect $10 million in insurance money. Meanwhile, the strange case continues to get stranger, with the New York Times reporting that an inquiry has now been opened into the death of a housekeeper for the prominent South Carolina legal family. The timeline, including more on Gloria Satterfield's death:

  • July 8, 2015: A 19-year-old man was found dead near the Murdaughs' property in a case that remains unsolved.
  • Feb. 2018: Satterfield, the Murdaughs' longtime housekeeper, died at their home, and police on Wednesday reopened that investigation. Her death certificate lists cause of death as "natural," but the local coroner says the death wasn't reported to her office and no autopsy took place. In a settlement reached between Alex Murdaugh and the lawyer for Satterfield's family, however, it's referred to as a "trip and fall" accident. Lawyers for Satterfield's two sons say neither one has received any of the settlement money.
  • Feb. 24, 2019: Paul Murdaugh, Alex's college-aged son, was implicated in a boat accident that killed a 19-year-old woman. Alex Murdaugh and his father were accused of blocking the boat passengers from cooperating with authorities. Paul was awaiting trial on charges including boating under the influence causing death at the time he was killed.

  • June 7, 2021: Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Alex's wife Maggie Murdaugh, were found fatally shot on the family's property. Their murders remain unsolved. Police opened an investigation into the 2015 death after the Murdaugh deaths, leading to some speculation that Paul may be suspected in that death as well and that his family may have been involved in a cover-up.
  • Sept. 4, 2021: Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head as he changed a tire.
  • Sept. 6, 2021: Alex Murdaugh resigned from his law firm, which on the same day accused him of misappropriating funds from the company, and said he was entering rehab.
  • Sept. 14, 2021: Police arrested a man accused of shooting Murdaugh in the aforementioned suicide scheme.
  • Sept. 15, 2021: Murdaugh's lawyer said his client stole money from the law firm to feed his decades-long oxycodone addiction, and the attempt to wean himself off the drugs left him depressed and drove him to the suicide plot (as well as rehab after the plot failed).
Murdaugh's attorney says an arrest warrant has been issued for his client on charges of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, CNN reports. Murdaugh denies any involvement in the deaths of his wife and son. For more, CNN has a who's who of the case. (More Murdaugh family stories.)

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