HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against Alex Murdaugh concerning the delayed payment of $500,000 awarded in a 2018 wrongful death settlement.

According to the suit, Gloria Satterfield — who an attorney confirmed was the Murdaugh family housekeeper for 25 years — died on February 26, 2018 after falling in the Murdaugh home.

In 2018, a wrongful death claim was filed on behalf of Satterfield’s two sons, Michael Satterfield and Brian Harriott. The new lawsuit claims that following Satterfield’s death, Murdaugh said “he was going to take care of the boys because he was going to ‘sue [himself]’ for the death.”

Murdaugh suggested his college roommate and the Godfather of his son, Corey Fleming, to represent the sons. Instead of selecting one of the sons or another family member to represent Satterfield’s estate in the prosecution, Fleming appointed a prior colleague of his and Murdaugh’s, Chad Westendorf.

Eric Bland, the attorney representing Tony and Brian, told News 2 that he found it “odd that Murdaugh recommended a friend/attorney to sue himself.”

As the representative, Westendorf was the only one required “to petition the court for approval of any future
settlements and/or appear at any future hearings to approve settlements.”

Murdaugh admitted negligence and that he was at fault, and the parties came to a settlement of $505,000.

However, according to the recently filed lawsuit, “Tony and Brian did not participate in the settlement negotiations; Neither Tony, nor Brian signed any settlement agreements; Neither Tony, nor Brian, were told that any money was recovered for them.”

Murdaugh, Fleming, and Westendorff are all named as defendants in the new lawsuit, along with Palmetto STate Bank and Moss, Kuhn, Fleming, P.A.

The suit demands a jury trial and calls for “real answers to… questions surrounding the death of [Satterfield] and the disposition of the monies supposedly paid for their benefit.”