Special referee Walter Tollison on Monday filed an order with how Murdaugh’s remaining $1.8 million in funds will be disbursed. After unsuccessful attempts at mediation the decision was handed down.
The decisions in the order were made after “unsuccessful mediation,” Tollison said.
The division call for, 45% of the money will go to victims of the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach with 29% going to Beach’s mother, 11% to Morgan Doughty and 5% to Miley Altman. The victims in the boat crash settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Parker’s Corporation last year where the Beach family was awarded $15 million.
The second largest portion goes to Arthur Badger and his wife’s estate who will receive 24%. More than $1 million was transferred out of Badger’s settlement and into other accounts including Murdaugh’s accounts.
Murdaugh’s former law partner John Parker recieve 15%. Murdaugh owed the former law partner $477,000. Parker’s Law firm will receive 14% though a portion of that recovery will go towards some of Murdaugh’s victims represented by attorney Justin Bamberg. Those clients are Christopher Anderson, Angel Gary, Johnny Bush, Natasha Thomas, Pamela Pinckney, Jamian Risher and Malik Williams.
Tollison stated “In a perfect world, there would be unlimited funds,” he added, “the distribution was made while being mindful of the “amount and degree of hurt and devastation.”
Tollison said he considered money already recovered as one of the factors in his decision on how funds were allocated.
The sons of Murdaugh’s former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield’s sons were also left out of the distribution. The family filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh in September 2021, claiming he stole insurance money owed to them after Gloria Satterfield died in a trip and fall accident at the Murdaugh estate in 2018.
Murdaugh admitted to the wrongdoing and agreed to the $4.3 million judgment in 2022.
