HAMPTON, S.C. – Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who was at the center of a well-known South Carolina legal dynasty, is set to be sentenced in a state court following a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to plead guilty to 22 counts of financial crimes. The charges include money laundering, fraud, and breach of trust as he scammed clients and his family’s law firm.

Murdaugh has been accused of stealing $8.8 million from his victims over a period of 10 years, and state prosecutors have suggested a 27-year prison sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. This will run concurrently with his federal prison sentence for similar financial crimes to which he pleaded guilty in September.

His victims, including a woman whose son was paralyzed in a car accident and a man who was injured in a car accident in which his wife was killed, are expected to have the opportunity to speak at the sentencing. They, along with the family of Gloria Satterfield, whom Murdaugh employed as a housekeeper before her mysterious death in 2018, are seeking justice.

In the case of Gloria Satterfield, her family alleges that Murdaugh stole almost $3.5 million in life insurance proceeds following her death. He directed checks meant for Satterfield’s sons to his own personal bank account. Murdaugh’s fraudulent activities, including life insurance fraud, have been revealed in legal proceedings. He also faces allegations of trying to stage his own death in a life insurance scheme to benefit another son.

While Murdaugh claims he stole money to feed a 20-year opioid addiction, prosecutors argue that he killed his wife and son in order to gain sympathy and distract from his financial troubles. Murdaugh is also attempting to win a new trial on the murder charges and has alleged jury tampering by the court clerk.

Despite the forgiveness offered by Satterfield’s family, they are determined to address Murdaugh during his sentencing, ensuring that he hears their words and takes responsibility for his actions. As they seek closure and justice, the legal troubles of Alex Murdaugh continue to unfold in the South Carolina legal system.