In a tangled web of financial misdeeds surrounding Alex Murdaugh, yet another chapter unfolds, this time involving Nautilus Insurance Co., a subsidiary of W.R. Berkley Corp.. The insurer is seeking to appeal a federal district court ruling from June that upheld a $3.8 million settlement, a sum that was supposed to go to the family of Murdaugh’s deceased housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. However, much of that money was allegedly stolen by Murdaugh himself in a fraudulent scheme that adds to the growing list of his financial crimes.
Satterfield, Murdaugh’s long-time housekeeper, died under mysterious circumstances at his family’s estate in 2018. Following her death, Murdaugh claimed the accident occurred due to a fall caused by his dogs. He persuaded her family to sue him for wrongful death, even suggesting a lawyer to represent them. The suit resulted in a $3.8 million settlement paid by Nautilus Insurance. However, the Satterfield family later discovered that they never received the bulk of the money. Instead, Murdaugh siphoned off most of the funds for himself.
In June 2024, a federal district court in South Carolina upheld the settlement, ruling that it did not have the jurisdiction to invalidate it despite Murdaugh’s theft of the settlement money. Nautilus Insurance, not satisfied with this decision, has filed a motion for leave to appeal the ruling on September 27, 2024, arguing that the court should allow for an immediate appeal. They seek to challenge the settlement approval and recover the funds that were intended for the Satterfield family but instead ended up in Murdaugh’s pockets.
The Murdaugh saga has gripped the nation, as the once-powerful South Carolina attorney has been implicated in a host of crimes, including fraud, theft, and the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. The theft of the Satterfield family’s settlement is just one piece of the broader financial misconduct that Murdaugh committed while masquerading as a trusted figure in his community.
In the coming months, the legal wrangling between Nautilus Insurance and the courts will add yet another layer to the complex case of Alex Murdaugh. With his long list of crimes already documented, it remains to be seen if Nautilus will succeed in recovering the stolen funds, or if this will become another bitter loss for those defrauded by Murdaugh.