COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) – The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division released 911 calls Tuesday from the 2018 fall of the Murdaugh family’s longtime housekeeper.
Gloria Satterfield died after the incident, that’s been described as a trip and fall accident at the Murdaugh’s home.
According to files released by SLED, the 911 call was made at 9:24 a.m. on Feb. 2, 2018, from the Murdaugh family’s hunting lodge at 4147 Moselle Road.
That’s the same Islandton property where, more than three years later, mother and son Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were found shot to death.
An attorney for Satterfield’s estate identified the callers as Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, though SLED wouldn’t confirm their identities.
“My housekeeper has fallen, and her head is bleeding. I cannot get her up,” Maggie Murdaugh tells the 911 operator.
She describes the incident, saying Satterfield fell going up the brick steps outside.
The 911 operator asks questions about Satterfield’s condition. Maggie replies that she’s “not responding,” but is mumbling and breathing okay.
The other caller, believed to be Paul Murdaugh, then picks up the phone.
“Ma’am she can’t talk,” Paul Murdaugh says of Satterfield. “She’s cracked her head and there’s blood on the concrete and she’s bleeding out of her left ear. And out of her head. She’s cracked her skull.”
“I was holding her up and she told me to turn her loose and she was trying to use her arm but then she fell back over,” he adds.
Documents show Satterfield was airlifted to a hospital for further treatment. She later died at the hospital.
According to the Hampton County Coroner’s Office, her death was not reported to the coroner at the time, nor was an autopsy performed.
The Murdaugh family told authorities Satterfield was tripped by the dogs, leading to her fall. There was no mention of the animals during the 911 call.
On the death certificate, the manner of death was ruled “Natural,” which is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident.
SLED announced in September it was opening an investigation into her death based on a request from the coroner Wednesday, along with information gathered during other ongoing investigations involving the family’s patriarch, Alex Murdaugh.
Her death sparked a wrongful death lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh and accusations that he pocketed the money rather than pay Satterfield’s sons.
In recent weeks, attorneys for Satterfield’s estate announced two settlements have been reached in the wrongful death case.
Meanwhile, Alex Murdaugh is the only defendant left, and at this time, he remains in jail for charges related to the settlements.
Eric Bland, who has represented the Satterfield estate in the case against Alex Murdaugh, released the following statement regarding the 911 tape:
Obviously, it was very sad for my clients to have to listen to the tape and the statements about Gloria’s injuries from the fall. We do not read anything into the tape other than the accident happened the way that Alex described it to the family. Although Maggie didn’t mention the dogs in the 911 call as having caused the fall, Maggie seemed genuine in her concerns for Gloria. At times, both Maggie and Paul were short with and talking down to the 911 operator who was just doing her job but maybe the stress of the situation caused them to be a little too caustic with the woman who was just helping them. It is just tough for my clients to hear these things about their mother and sister. As to Mr. Murdaugh’s subsequent conduct in creating an opportunity for profit out of this tragedy, our positions as set forth in numerous court filings is unchanged.
WCBD contributed to this report
