By HEATHER RUPPE
The ongoing criminal investigations into former attorney and prominent community member Alex Murdaugh continues, this time as South Carolina’s top law enforcement agency has released 911-audio calls related to the death of a woman linked to Murdaugh. This has resulted in Murdaugh being indicted on 27 new charges.
On Nov. 30th, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) released audio 911-tapes related to the Feb. 2, 2018 incident and subsequent death of Gloria Satterfield, a former housekeeper for Murdaugh and his family. Satterfield’s death was ruled at the time as accidental; however, this case has now been reopened and is being investigated by SLED.
As a part of what was released by SLED to the media on Nov. 39th, there is an original incident report done by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office on February 2, 2018. In that report, notes state that an “elderly female (Satterfield) fell while walking up eight brick steps,” and that the woman was “bleeding from the top of the head.” The report also states that the 911-caller said the woman was “breathing” and was also “bleeding from the head and left ear,” according to the original incident report.
This occurred at the Murdaugh residence in Islandton.
The tape
In a 911-audio tape released by SLED, the 911-dispatcher is heard taking to a woman who called and reported the fall.
In the call, a woman is heard on the 911-call, calmly telling the 911-dispatcher that her “housekeeper has fallen” and that “her head is bleeding.”
The unidentified woman (who was identified by the dispatcher on the tape as “Maggie,” who is the wife of Alex Murdaugh) speaking to the dispatcher also said she didn’t know the woman’s age, adding she was “58, maybe.”
The female caller also said the victim “fell going down the steps” outside and said the woman (Satterfield) was not responsive, but was “mumbling.”
The dispatcher also asked if they were able to control the woman’s bleeding, at which point the woman said “no.”
When the dispatcher asked the female caller to carry the phone to the victim so she could speak with her, the call is instead handed over to a man, who tells the dispatcher that the woman “can’t talk.”
The male caller, whose voice sounded young, then says he was holding the woman up and she asked to be let loose, at which point the male caller says the woman fell again.
The dispatcher asks the man if the woman has a history of strokes, at which point the male caller quickly grew frustrated and asked the 911-dispatcher to “stop asking questions.”
“M’am, can you stop asking these questions?” he says, on the tape.
The dispatcher then tells the unidentified man on the phone that her asking these questions does not hinder emergency responders from getting there.
The dispatcher then asks for a description of the house, and the dispatcher ends the 911-call.
Satterfield’s death is still under investigation by SLED.
Murdaugh’s legal battles
Alex Murdaugh was thrown under international spotlight and legal scrutiny after his wife and son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, were found to shot to death on their Colleton County property in June of this year. Their deaths are still under investigation and no suspects have yet been named. Since their deaths, SLED has opened up at least five additional ongoing criminal investigations into cases linked to Murdaugh, including the death of Satterfield.
On Nov. 29th, the S.C. State Grand Jury levied 27 new and additional criminal charges against Murdaugh , including breach of trust, obtaining property by false pretenses, money laundering, computer crimes and forgery – all of which are linked to multiple alleged victims over the course of several years and that allegedly occurred throughout several South Carolina counties.
Following the release of the tapes related to Satterfield’s death, SLED Spokesman Ryan Alphin said the agency will not be releasing any more information on this investigation at this time. This includes SLED confirming “the identities of the individuals on the 911-call,” Alphin said, in a written statement sent last week to a mass number of media outlets. Alphin’s statement is because SLED has received multiple media requests asking for the names of those heard in the 911-tapes related to Satterfield’s death.
In recent months, Murdaugh has also been charged with conspiracy, filing a false police report, and false claim for payment for orchestrating his own failed suicide attempt that was meant to deliver millions in insurance money to his surviving son.
