Alex Murdaugh booked in South Carolina, awaits court for charges related to former maid

COLUMBIA, S.C. (NewsNation Now) —  Prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh arrived back in South Carolina on Saturday following his arrest days earlier for his connection with missing settlement funds in the wrongful death lawsuit involving his former housekeeper.

Murdaugh faces two charges of obtaining property by false pretenses, according to the arrest warrants. The papers obtained by NewsNation affiliate WSAV show that two checks were written moving insurance settlement money that was supposed to go to Gloria Satterfield’s family to an account owned by Murdaugh.

The name on the account was “Forge” — a fake company Murdaugh allegedly used to funnel the settlement money to himself.

Satterfield was Murdaugh’s maid who died after a trip and fall inside their home in 2018.

The Murdaugh family told her sons their mother tripped over the family dog and died weeks later from her lingering injuries. The death was never reported to the Hampton County coroner, who asked state police to investigate why she was not called to review what she would consider an accidental death.

Yet, Murdaugh managed to secure more than $4 million from his insurers, but he only told her sons about $500,000 and then never sent them any, the lawsuit said.

On Thursday, Murdaugh was arrested after leaving rehab in Orlando.

The deaths of Murdaugh’s son and wife at their Colleton County home in June remain unsolved. Murdaugh said he found Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul, 22, shot to death after he returned home from visiting his father in a hospital, according to authorities.

State police have six ongoing investigations into Murdaugh, including the deaths and September charges against Murdaugh on insurance fraud and other counts for trying to arrange his own death so his surviving son could collect on a $10 million life insurance policy.

Murdaugh said his head was grazed by a bullet in the attempt. The man charged with firing at Murdaugh said the gun went off as he tried to prevent his friend from shooting himself.

The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate WSAV contributed to this report.