愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Alex Murdaugh asks to leave jail after 5 days behind bars

Alex Murdaugh sits during his bond hearing Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Varnville, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) Alex Murdaugh sits during his bond hearing Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Varnville, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
Share
COLUMBIA, S.C. -

Lawyers for prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh plan to ask a judge on Tuesday to grant bond for their client, who has spent five nights in jail following his second arrest in about a month.

Murdaugh, whose wife and son were shot to death months ago in a killing that is still unresolved, stole US$3.4 million of insurance money that was meant for the sons of his housekeeper, who died after falling in his home, according to sworn statements by the State Law Enforcement Division.

Murdaugh is already out on a recognizance bond for a September arrest on insurance fraud charges after state agents said he tried to arrange his own shooting death on a roadside so that his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. The would-be fatal bullet only grazed him.

Murdaugh's latest bond hearing on two new charges of obtaining property by false pretenses is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday. He was arrested at a drug rehab center near Orlando, Florida, on Thursday and brought back to South Carolina.

The housekeeper's insurance isn't the only six-figure case being investigated by state police. Murdaugh's former law firm -- founded by his great-grandfather a century ago -- has accused him of stealing possibly millions of dollars.

Murdaugh's attorney, Dick Harpootlian, said last week that Murdaugh plans to do what he can to right his financial wrongs, and has accepted that he will probably spend time in prison. Each charge of obtaining property by false pretenses carries a sentence of up to 10 years. The three felony charges from the botched attempt to arrange his own death could bring up to 20 years in prison if he's convicted.

Murdaugh continues to insist he had nothing to do with the June deaths of his wife, Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22. Murdaugh said he returned to their rural Colleton County home to find them shot to death. Tight-lipped state police have neither named any suspects nor ruled anyone out.

Murdaugh's housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, died from a stroke and heart attack in February, more than three weeks after being hurt in a fall at the Murdaugh home. No autopsy was performed, and a coroner said her death was improperly described as "natural" on her death certificate.

Murdaugh told Satterfield's sons he would help them get insurance settlements for her death, recommending they hire attorney Cory Fleming without telling them Fleming was a family friend, according to a lawsuit filed by the sons.

Murdaugh negotiated more than $4 million in payments, then had the checks -- minus fees and attorney payments -- sent to his bank account, authorities said.

A lawyer for the sons said they haven't seen any money from the settlements.

Fleming has promised to return any money he received to the sons and pay them an unspecified amount from a malpractice insurance policy.

The state Supreme Court has temporarily suspended the law licenses of both Fleming and Murdaugh.

In addition to all of the other cases, state police are looking into whether Murdaugh has connections to a 2015 hit-and-run death and whether he or other family members tried to obstruct the investigation into a boat crash involving Paul Murdaugh that killed a 19-year-old woman in 2019.

The Murdaugh family has dominated the legal community in Hampton County for nearly the past century. Murdaugh's father, grandfather and great-grandfather were elected prosecutors and the family founded and built a prestigious law firm known for suing railroads.

Correction

This story has been corrected; the housekeeper's name was Gloria, not Glorida.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.

Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.