'He lied and he stole from us': Legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh's former law firm washes its hands of him after he was exposed for 'stealing millions to feed drug habit' and charged in 'suicide hitman plot' to defraud $10m in life insurance
- The firm of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, and Detrick (PMPED) released a statement distancing itself from former partner Alex Murdaugh, 53
- Murdaugh was arrested and charged with arranging his own death by hiring a hitman to kill him on September 4; The hit was botched and Alex survived
- Authorities say Murdaugh arranged his own death in order to get his surviving son, Buster, 25, a $10million life insurance benefit
- Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22, shot multiple times at their Colleton County home in South Carolina June 7
- He is also alleged to have misappropriated funds from his law firm in order to fuel his addiction to opioids
- South Carolina authorities have also launched a criminal investigation into the February 2018 death of Gloria Satterfield, a family housekeeper
- An attorney for Satterfield’s family alleges that Murdaugh encouraged them to use a longtime friend as their attorney without revealing their relationship
- The friend whom Murdaugh recommended then tried to take a $4million settlement, it has been alleged
Alex Murdaugh’s former law firm said the South Carolina legal heir ‘lied and stole from us’ after it was revealed that he allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars in order to feed an addiction to painkillers.
The firm of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, and Detrick (PMPED) released a statement on its website Friday distancing itself from its former partner, the 53-year-old Murdaugh.
It said: 'We were shocked and dismayed to learn that Alex violated our principles and code of ethics. He lied and he stole from us.'
The firm also said that nobody among its partners conspired with Murdaugh.
'No member of PMPED was aware of Alex's scheme,' the firm said in its statement.
'When we learned he betrayed our trust, we requested his resignation immediately.
‘We have yet to speak to anyone who was aware of his addiction to opioids.
Alex Murdaugh, 53, is seen above at his bond hearing in South Carolina earlier this month. Murdaugh, who comes from a lineage of men who held the top prosecutor post in several South Carolina counties, was arrested and charged with arranging his own death by hiring a hitman to kill him on September 4.
'While Alex's situation is tragic, be assured the firm is strong and focused on representing its many clients.’
The firm added: 'We provide legal services locally and statewide. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in handling our clients' cases.
'Despite the widespread recent publicity, we continue to work to represent our clients with the same diligence and professionalism as prior to the discovery of Alex's misdeeds.
'The funds taken by Alex will not affect current or future PMPED operations.
'No client of PMPED will suffer a financial loss as a result of Alex's misconduct.'
Murdaugh, who comes from a lineage of men who held the top prosecutor post in several South Carolina counties, was arrested and charged with arranging his own death by hiring a hitman to kill him on September 4.
He has been released from jail and is currently in an out-of-state drug rehab facility.
Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22, shot multiple times at their Colleton County home June 7.
His former law firm said the South Carolina legal heir ‘lied and stole from us’ after it was revealed that he allegedly misappropriate millions of dollars in order to feed an addiction to painkillers
He has been released from jail and is currently in an out-of-state drug rehab facility. Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22, shot multiple times at their Colleton County home June 7. From left: Paul, Maggie, Alex, and Buster, 25, the surviving son
His drug addiction got worse and in a deep depression on September 4, he decided he should die, but instead of killing himself, he hired someone to do it, defense attorney Dick Harpootlian said.
The goal was to get his surviving son a $10 million life insurance benefit, state police said.
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But the shot only grazed his head and Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy and filing a false police report - all felonies that could bring up to 20 years in prison if convicted of all three charges.
There is no minimum sentence.
The killings of Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son Paul in June remain unsolved.
Harpootlian said Murdaugh is adamant he had nothing to do with their deaths.
The attorney has acknowledged that Murdaugh suffered from an addiction to opioids. It is alleged that Murdaugh misappropriated funds from his law firm to feed his habit.
Police have launched a criminal investigation into the 2018 'trip-and-fall' death of Alex Murdaugh's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield (pictured)
PMPED's latest statement also addressed a criminal investigation into the February 2018 death of Gloria Satterfield, a family housekeeper.
An attorney for Satterfield’s family alleges that Murdaugh encouraged them to use a longtime friend as their attorney without revealing their long standing relationship.
The friend whom Murdaugh recommended then tried to take a $4million settlement.
Satterfield died in February 2018 after tripping over the family dog, a lawyer for the sons told media outlets.
Alex Murdaugh (left) is being accused of swindling the sons of his deceased housekeeper out of $4 million. Eric Bland (right) is representing the Satterfield family in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday against Murdaugh, Fleming, Westendorff, Palmetto State Bank and Moss, Kuhn, Fleming, P.A.
Murdaugh spoke to the sons at their mother's funeral and convinced them to hire Corey Fleming as their lawyer for a wrongful death settlement with his insurance company.
But he did not tell them Fleming was a longtime friend, old college roommate and godfather to at least one of Murdaugh’s sons.
Murdaugh and Fleming arranged a $505,000 settlement in public records almost a year ago, which the sons have not seen a dime of, attorney Eric Bland said.
But since filing the suit, Bland said he learned of a second $4.3million settlement with a different insurer that was never revealed to Satterfield’s son or placed into the public court docket.
Bland said he is turning the information over to the State Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating Satterfield’s death after a coroner said the accidental death was never reported to her office.
Fleming did not respond to an email or phone message. Murdaugh’s lawyers have not commented about Satterfield’s death or other lawsuits.
In its statement, PMPED said: 'We have read the media reports about the lawsuit and settlement resulting from the death of Gloria Satterfield.
'If these reports are accurate, we are stunned at what occurred.
'It’s important for everyone to know that PMPED did not represent Alex in that case. His insurance company hired counsel to represent him.'
Alex Murdaugh and wife Maggie. Satterfield's family sued Murdaugh Wednesday claiming he had not paid out 'one single dime' of the settlement reached for her 'wrongful death'
Murdaugh also tried to convince a friend of his son to use the same lawyer, Fleming, again without revealing their friendship as investigators tried to sort out who was driving a boat in a 2019 fatal crash, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
Murdaugh’s son would eventually be charged.
Fleming is also prominent in a lawsuit by Connor Cook, who was in a boat that crashed in 2019, killing a 19-year-old woman.
The night of the crash, investigators were not sure if Cook or Paul Murdaugh was driving the boat.
Alex Murdaugh approached Cook in the hallway of a hospital as he headed to get his jaw X-rayed and told him everything would be alright if he would ‘keep his mouth shut,’ according to Cook’s lawsuit.
Alex Murdaugh then encouraged Cook to hire Fleming as his attorney without revealing their relationship, the lawsuit said.
Fleming became Cook’s lawyer and told him not to talk to investigators and that set him up to be falsely identified as the driver of the boat, the suit said.
It was not until Cook hired a new lawyer and spoke to prosecutors that Paul Murdaugh was charged with boating under the influence causing death, a charged pending when he was killed.
The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating whether Alex Murdaugh or other friends or family members tried to obstruct the investigation into the boat crash as well as the questions surrounding Satterfield’s death.
They also are seeing if the family was involved in a 2015 hit-and-run, unraveling the shooting of Murdaugh this month on a lonely highway and looking into millions of dollars missing from the law firm that fired Murdaugh earlier this month.
Family murders, deaths, drug addictions, thefts and arrests: The riddles facing investigators who've now charged Alex Murdaugh
2015: Teenager Stephen Smith dies
Smith was found on the side of the road.
Cops investigating the double murder have also reopened the case into a 2015 hit-and-run of teen Stephen Smith
Police officially rule his death a hit-and-run but he had suffered blunt force trauma to the head
His mother has since shared her belief that she thinks he was killed in a hate-crime because he was gay
Case notes obtained by DailyMail.com revealed Paul's older brother Buster was named multiple times in the investigation.
Police wanted to know more about his relationship with Stephen
Stephen's mother said he had been having a 'fling'.
In a deposition years later, one of Paul's friends said the family had 'covered' other killings up.
He mentioned Smith's death.
2018: Murdaugh family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield dies
Murdaugh family housekeeper Gloria Sattlerfield dies
Gloria died after 'falling' down the stairs in the family house
The family gave her family $500.000 in a wrongful death settlement but it's unclear why her death was ruled to be their fault.
Alex Murdaugh was listed as the defendant in the lawsuit.
Satterfield was only 57 when she died.
She left behind a husband and children.
Her death was also mentioned in the deposition by Paul Murdaugh's friend.
2019: Mallory Beach dies being thrown from boat driven by Paul Murdaugh
Mallory Beach, 19, died in February 2019
Paul was charged afterwards because he'd been drinking and was behaving 'belligerently' that night.
He had been released on bond.
Other kids were on the boat but were unharmed.
One testified that they were scared to speak about the Murdaugh family because they knew how to 'cover things up'.
That boy named Stephen Smith and the housekeeper, and claimed Paul pushed her
June 7 2021: Paul and Maggie are murdered
The mom and son were found shot dead at the family home in Hampton, South Carolina.
Alex Murdaugh says he found them at the home.
The medical examiner said the pair had been dead for an hour at most when he discovered them.
Alex's son Paul, 22, (left) and wife Maggie, 52, (right) were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds on June 7 at the family hunting lodge
Alex's father Randolph Murdaugh III died 'peacefully' at home three days after Maggie and Paul were found shot dead
June 10 2021: Alex's 81-year-old father Randolph Murdaugh III dies 'naturally' and 'peacefully' at home
September 3: Alex resigns from his law firm amid claims he misused funds
The firm has hired a forensic investigator to go through the accounts
September 4: Alex calls 911 claiming he's been shot in the head in a drive-by.
He only had 'surface' wounds and was also able to call his brother
September 6: Alex resigns from his law firm
The South Carolina legal scion releases a statement confirming his resignation from the firm and announcing he has entered rehab
He said: 'I'm resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated these murders.'
September 16: Alex turns himself into police over insurance fraud scheme
Murdaugh handed himself over to cops in connection to insurance fraud scheme where he arranged his own killing so that his surviving son could collect $10 million payout.
He faces charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report.
