In 2018, Gloria Satterfield died while working as a housekeeper for former lawyer Alex Murdaugh and his family. It is believed she fell and hit her head. Her family remembers her as a generous, kind soul who loved the Murdaughs as if they were her own flesh and blood.
This is perhaps why it is so difficult for them to reconcile how Alex could have stolen the insurance settlement money from them. In 2021, Alex pleaded guilty to 22 financial crimes, including money laundering, breach of trust, and financial fraud. He was given 27 years in addition to the life sentence he is already serving for murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
Gloria’s son Tony told People what a big heart his mother had. “She loved Maggie and Alex and Paul and Buster just awfully,” he stated. “She loved what she did, her job. She took pride in it. She talked highly of them.”
Ginger, Gloria’s younger sister, explained it was Alex’s idea to pursue the insurance money in the first place. “He said he would make sure the boys were taken care of,” she explained. “He was just looking out for the boys because he thought a lot of Gloria and he was just going to make sure [her sons] Brian and Tony were taken care of, and to show his appreciation for all the years that Gloria had shown her love, looking out for his family and his boys.”
More from LittleThings: Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Admits He Lied About How Gloria Satterfield Died
Alex recommended his former roommate to help the family file the insurance claims, and at the time no one questioned his motives. “I thought it was going to be good for the boys,” Ginger recalled. “Every now and then, he would reach out and see how we were doing,” Tony recalled. “And kind of update us and say, ‘It's a hard case, we're still working on it. Time's on your side.’”
Tony, Ginger, and the rest of the family were devastated when they found out Alex had settled for more than $4 million and never told them. They could not believe it. “It made me sick to my stomach,” Tony recalled.
Alex not only stole from Gloria’s family but many other victims as well. Prosecutors believe he stole millions of dollars from more than 18 clients. Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor on both the financial and murder cases, had strong words about Alex’s crimes. “The wreckage that was left is unprecedented,” he stated. “This was as egregious as it comes."
According to Creighton, Alex was an expert at manipulating people for his own benefit. “Everyone would always describe Alex as a charismatic, friendly person," he explained. "He was able to speak to and develop relationships with people, regardless of economic status or race or any sort of demographic. And he used that to his advantage because he is so very good at that.”
It was difficult to come to terms with the hard truth of who Alex really is, not only for Gloria’s family but all of his victims. “There is not one person out there who knew who he really was,” Creighton continued. “And ultimately, I think that that was very much the hardest part on his victims, on his law partners, on his family and friends, to have been so fooled by someone for so long. When you have a man who so many people thought they were close with but no one knew who he really was, that's really chilling.”
Ginger and Tony are working to heal from the wounds Alex inflicted on their family. They established a foundation called Gloria’s Gifts to honor Gloria’s legacy of giving. The foundation will help make sure disadvantaged children receive a gift for Christmas.
“We just want to help people because she struggled and we just want to help people that struggle,” Ginger explained.
“It's her legacy,” Tony mused. “It shows that she didn't die in vain, that her death had a purpose. Now we can smile when we hear the name Gloria.”
