Convicted murderer and former attorney Alex Murdaugh has been ordered to pay W.R. Berkley Corp.’s Nautilus Insurance Co. $14.8 million for a fraudulent insurance claim relating to the death of his family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.
The decision follows Murdaugh’s admission of conspiring with personal injury attorney Cory Fleming to deceive the Satterfield estate, according to a release from the US Attorney's Office in the District of South Carolina.
Murdaugh and Fleming orchestrated a scheme after Satterfield died from a fall at the Murdaugh residence. Murdaugh advised the estate to hire Fleming and file a claim against his home insurance policy, which settled for $505,000 and $3.8 million.
Instead of passing the full amounts to the estate, Murdaugh and Fleming diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars, misrepresenting the funds as “prosecution expenses” for state courts.
The fraudulent money was funneled into an entity called “Forge,” which Murdaugh presented as a legitimate corporation for managing insurance settlements. Fleming issued three checks totaling $3.48 million to Forge.
In April 2024, Murdaugh confessed to fabricating a story that his dogs caused Satterfield’s death to create liability and secure an insurance payout, as detailed in a January 2 order from the US District Court in Charleston.
This insurance fraud conviction adds to Murdaugh's extensive criminal record. He is currently serving two life sentences for the murders of his wife and son, plus an additional 40 years for financial crimes. His co-conspirator, Fleming, received a 46-month prison sentence.
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