SC - Gloria Satterfield, Murdaugh family housekeeper, 2018 Trip & Fall Insurance Fraud

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1632460721266085888

 

[meanmaryjean]

I think the medical records will be far more enlightening than the autopsy findings.

 

[Gardenista]

Didn't murdock tell the lady's family he was going to defraud the insurance company and doesnt that sort of expose them in the process?

Yes, and I read somewhere that the insurance company is going to try to claw back their settlement. Not sure of all of the ins and outs of it though.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Thanks Seattle for starting this thread for Gloria. This woman worked over 20 years for this family and I can only imagine how taken advantage of she was. I’m sure no one ever cleaned up after themselves in that house. Why clean up? Gloria can do it. Sure, all while being paid the crappy wage of $10.00 per hour! This woman did all the dirty jobs while this family flew off to fabulous vacations while she stayed home and tidied up their messes.

I’m so glad to see that Gloria’s siblings and two sons are making sure her legacy lives on with the Gloria’s Gifts foundation to assist fellow residents at Christmas time. What a lovely way for Gloria to be remembered.

Gloria's Gift

www.gloriasgift.com

 

[bkgregg5]

Considering the only two people supposedly present when Gloria fell are now dead, I am unsure what they can prove in a court of law.

 

[Napoli]

How odd, no autopsy. In many places autopsies are mandatory if the death is outside of a hospital or nursing home.

Didn't they say that a dog knocked her over on the stairs, and she hit her head?

Correct me if i am mistaken but i thought she was alive when she left in the ambulance and died in the hospital. There is a rule where i live, if a patient dies within 48 hours of admission to the hospital, the coroner etc has the OPTION to order an autopsy. Sometimes, doctors will notify the powers that be...sometimes the doctors order it..then the coroner gets involved. Either this didnt look suspicious or someone was asleep on the job. Now, apparently LE didnt think it was anything but an accident weither, because when an ambulance was called i am sure LE was also present??? Of course, some with say this is all part of the MURDAUGH protection dynasty but i dunno... I do wonder if this woman took medication and if tox screens were done..accidental OD of for example blood pressure pills? Did she get dizzy? Did they do an MRI of her head after the fall? Mri/CT after a fall is standard...JMO

 

[Napoli]

I think the medical records will be far more enlightening than the autopsy findings.

Here's the problem...she could have had a TIA (mini stroke) those are not detectable on any imaging...then fell. She COULD have had an attack of vertigo. if anyone here has had true vertigo, you are powerless. BANG! ON THE GROUND. The subsequent stroke later in her hospitalization would lend credence to a prior transient cardio -vascular accident causing the fall. JMO

 

[Napoli]

I think the medical records will be far more enlightening than the autopsy findings.

Here's the problem...she could have had a TIA (mini stroke) those are not detectable on any imaging...then fell. She COULD have had an attack of vertigo. if anyone here has had true vertigo, you are powerless. BANG! ON THE GROUND. The subsequent stroke later in her hospitalization would lend credence to a prior transient cardio -vascular accident causing the fall. JMO

 

[Seattle1]

Correct me if i am mistaken but i thought she was alive when she left in the ambulance and died in the hospital. There is a rule where i live, if a patient dies within 48 hours of admission to the hospital, the coroner etc has the OPTION to order an autopsy. Sometimes, doctors will notify the powers that be...sometimes the doctors order it..then the coroner gets involved. Either this didnt look suspicious or someone was asleep on the job. Now, apparently LE didnt think it was anything but an accident weither, because when an ambulance was called i am sure LE was also present??? Of course, some with say this is all part of the MURDAUGH protection dynasty but i dunno... I do wonder if this woman took medication and if tox screens were done..accidental OD of for example blood pressure pills? Did she get dizzy? Did they do an MRI of her head after the fall? Mri/CT after a fall is standard...JMO

She died in hospital almost a month later:

SLED investigators to exhume remains of late Murdaugh housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield

Agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said they have received permission from the family, through their attorney, to exhume the remains of Alex Murdaugh's former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. On Monday, a judge and court appointed financial overseers approved...

abcnews4.com

6/3/22

[..]

(WTGS) — Agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said they have received permission from the family, through their attorney, to exhume the remains of Alex Murdaugh's former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.

[..]

Since her death as a result of a stroke in the weeks after her February 2018 injury at Murdaugh's home, the accepted narrative on how Satterfield died has been she fell down the brick front stairs of the home after being tripped by Murdaugh's dogs.

According to Satterfield family attorney Eric Bland, it was Alex Murdaugh who shared that account of Satterfield's injuries, blaming his dogs for causing the fall. Neither Maggie nor Paul Murdaugh mentioned dogs causing the fall in a 911 call in the moment's after the incident.

However, SLED opened a new investigation into Satterfield's death after Hampton County Coroner Angie Topper brought worries about potential mishandling of the case to state police.

Topper in a letter to SLED Chief Mark Keel sent last September said Satterfield's death was not reported to her predecessor at the time it occurred, nor was an autopsy performed.

Additionally, Topper noted Satterfield's death certificate listed the manner of death as "natural," which Topper claims would be inconsistent with the traumatic head injuries Satterfield suffered and the ultimate cardiac arrest and stroke which followed while she remained hospitalized.

 

[DrQ]

IMHO Thank goodness the jury saw through his ploy to charm them. It appears that more than drama has followed this family. Not everyone who is wealthy behaves in this way. His conviction leveled the playing field. Now the boating accident civil case and "alleged" incident with the hit and run that didn't look like a hit and run Buster might find himself needing a defense attorney. There is also the "alleged" accident with the housekeeper and the stealing of the money for her sons. You can't make this stuff up. The hole just keeps getting deeper. I'm a believer in karma.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Here's the problem...she could have had a TIA (mini stroke) those are not detectable on any imaging...then fell. She COULD have had an attack of vertigo. if anyone here has had true vertigo, you are powerless. BANG! ON THE GROUND. The subsequent stroke later in her hospitalization would lend credence to a prior transient cardio -vascular accident causing the fall. JMO

True- BUT neither will an autopsy reveal that. But a head CT / MRI / plain film is going to show pattern injuries AND medical record is going to clearly document her condition immediately after the incident. Whereas the autopsy will only reveal her condition a month later when she died.

 

[gremlin444]

As of this weekend, per Eric Bland, the exhumation has not happened yet. Neither he nor Gloria's family think it was murder, but they have agreed to the exhumation because they know that if they say no, SLED will just get a court order.

 

[arielilane]

Three bodies, 1,700 acres and a whole lot of hogs: Inside Alex Murdaugh’s $4m Moselle estate​

Three bodies in three years​

At least three deaths have now taken place on the Moselle estate.

In February 2018 – three years before Maggie and Paul’s murders – the Murdaughs’ long-term housekeeper Gloria Satterfield died in a mysterious trip and fall at the family home.

Satterfield, who worked for the family for more than 20 years, was found at the bottom of the steps leading into the family’s home after she was believed to have tripped over the pet dogs.

She never resumed consciousness and died from her injuries three weeks later on 26 February.

At the time, her death was regarded as an accidental fall.

However, her death certificate cited her manner of death as “natural” and no autopsy was performed.

Questions have now been mounting around Satterfield’s death and investigators reopened an investigation into her death in September 2021 – days after Murdaugh’s financial fraud scheme came to light.

Investigators are planning to exhume her body.

As part of his 100 financial crimes charges, Murdaugh is now charged with stealing $4m in wrongful death settlement funds from Satterfield’s family as part of his decade-long multi-million-dollar fraud scheme.

 

[Napoli]

True- BUT neither will an autopsy reveal that. But a head CT / MRI / plain film is going to show pattern injuries AND medical record is going to clearly document her condition immediately after the incident. Whereas the autopsy will only reveal her condition a month later when she died.

i AM NOT IN FAVOR OF AN AUTOPSY BY EXHUMING THE BODY NOW OR IMMEDIATELY POST MORTEM. SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL A MONTH. Whatever they found upon admission to the hospital with imaging is going to be key and maybe it showed nothing. However, why was she in the hospital a month? Something must have shown??? Perhaps she really did fall from a TIA..had fractures or whatever, loss of consciousness and then at some time suffered the stroke they claim led to her ultimate demise. Just an educated guess..

 

[Seattle1]

i AM NOT IN FAVOR OF AN AUTOPSY BY EXHUMING THE BODY NOW OR IMMEDIATELY POST MORTEM. SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL A MONTH. Whatever they found upon admission to the hospital with imaging is going to be key and maybe it showed nothing. However, why was she in the hospital a month? Something must have shown??? Perhaps she really did fall from a TIA..had fractures or whatever, loss of consciousness and then at some time suffered the stroke they claim led to her ultimate demise. Just an educated guess..

IMO, we've only heard what interested parties wanted us to hear. For example, we have no knowledge about GS's health on the date she fell or if she had medical issues she was being treated for at the time.

I also don't think a foul play motive would leave behind a live witness. I too wish GS can be left to rest in peace. Regardless, AM took advantage of the situation and acted to capitalize on it just as he would have had the victim been his own mother that tripped down his steps. MOO

 

[nannymo]

Is it completely unviable that he was there? Or could there have been a manipulation in timelines?

OH! I think anything is possible in this case. I was just stating the Netflix story seemed to believe he was not there, but I think he stated he was there because he was the one who told the story about the dogs. I need to go back and listen again.

 

[Seattle1]

Copying a relevant post from the AM Guilty thread:

The 911 call was at about 9:24 AM and both MM and PM were home. I recall it was earlier said that MM was still in bed.

Whether or not GS was coming to work as usual is unknown because it was important to AM that this was never reported as GS at work to avoid this being a Worker's Comp Claim (i.e., on-the-job accident).

During the trial, I recall one of the personal injury lawyers citing how blaming the dog for a fall is a slam-dunk owner negligence claim:

Who’s Liable for Falls Caused by Dogs?​

People of all ages are seriously injured every day from tripping over or being knocked down by dogs. Even friendly dogs can cause severe physical injuries by knocking over or tripping an unsuspecting person.

Remember that even when a friendly dog knocks you down, it’s still an attack. Failure of the dog owner to control their dog makes them liable, meaning legally responsible, for the injuries to the person who was knocked down.

The most common non-bite dog injuries are from falls.

Large dogs can cause falls by leaning against a person. All sizes of jumping dogs knock people over, and smaller dogs can easily trip a person by running between their legs or flopping down in the path of someone’s feet.

A bruised knee and torn pantyhose from tripping over a loose Yorkie at your cousin’s outdoor wedding won’t be much of a basis for an injury claim, especially if your treatment was limited to a couple of glasses of wine and a bag of frozen peas.

On the other hand, if Grandma tripped over the little dog and broke a hip, her injuries are serious and her damages substantial. Small children and the elderly are generally at higher risk of injury from non-aggressive dog attacks.

Who Pays for Your Injuries​

Negligence makes a dog owner responsible, or liable, for the injured victim’s damages. Damages include medical expenses, out-of-pocket costs, replacement services, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.

[..]

'I cannot get her up': Authorities release Murdaugh family's 911 call made after housekeeper's fall

In the 6-minute call, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh become aggravated by the operator's many questions as the longtime housekeeper for the Murdaugh family lay bleeding from her head.

www.wjcl.com

What If Someone's Dog Knocked You Over: Can You Get Compensation?

You are entitled to pursue injury compensation if you are knocked down or trip over someone else's dog. Here's how to build a strong claim.

www.injuryclaimcoach.com

 

[TeaTime]

Didn't murdock tell the lady's family he was going to defraud the insurance company and doesnt that sort of expose them in the process?

The lawsuit was not fraudulent. He told no one that he planned to steal it all.

Who witnessed the dogs knocking her down because she was already incoherent before AM even got there, per Maggie on the 911 call. But, he got there before EMS.

Having his dogs trip her and cause her death on his property makes him liable. Period. Her family had a viable claim and he sent them to his buddy because one can not sue oneself. And, yes. He fought for full policy limits by admitting fault.

Then, he played the shell game with the settlement monies and was sending $200K a month somewhere, claiming it was for drugs.

They probably lied and said she was just there to get a check, not work, so therefore, she was not injured on the job, for which there would be no coverage as he had no worker's compensation for this long-term employee.

I don't believe for a nano second that she ever said she was tripped by the dogs. That was all AM to ensure coverage.

He needed money and within a month of renewing his umbrella policy, voila'. A claim.

It stinks.

 

[Seattle1]

Didn't murdock tell the lady's family he was going to defraud the insurance company and doesnt that sort of expose them in the process?

No, the Satterfield boys never understood AM was going to use the injury and loss of their mother to enrich himself!

While it's true that AM advised the Satterfields to sue him, I don't think they had to be coerced considering GS incurred nearly a month of hospital expenses after the accident, followed by funeral costs with no means to pay these expenses. I seriously doubt that Murdaughs provided GS with the 'Gold Plan' of medical coverage as her employer of 20+ years.

At the time of GS's accident, AM was insured by two carriers and I recall AM told GS's sons about his homeowner's policy by Lloyds of London (at $500K coverage) but failed to tell them about his supplemental, umbrella coverage (at $5M).

In suing AM for GS's fall, he had the sons believing they might net $100K after the expenses were paid!

AM settled with his homeowner's plan quickly for the max coverage at $505K (and AM, CF, and CW kept the proceeds).

It was after learning from media reports that their suit against AM had been settled at $505K --all the while AM was telling them the lawyers were still working hard on their claim, that Satterfield sought the help of attorney EB.

Attorney for family of former Murdaugh housekeeper files lawsuit

 

[Seattle1]

In going for the exhumation, this is from DM quoting EB so take it with the usual DM disclaimer:

'My clients relive it every day. They're going to exhume Gloria over the next couple of months,' he said.

'She had a crushed skull and 12 broken vertebrae, so they just want to make sure it wasn't cause by human hands as opposed to a fall.

'I've been to the property the stairs are very steep, they're pointed brick, she would definitely have tumbled twice if she fell from the top, but from my clients' standpoint it's highly emotional…you don't know the condition the coffin is going to be in and her husband was interred with her, so it never ends.'

7/14/22

Legal heir Alex Murdaugh is charged with murdering wife and son

South Carolina legal heir Alex Murdaugh has been indicted for the murders of his wife and son at hunting lodge where the family lived.

www.dailymail.co.uk