Victims of Alex Murdaugh who watched and waited while the once powerful attorney stood trial for murdering his wife and son finally got their day in court this week. They faced the towering man who promised help in their darkest hours, and then, betrayed them.
“I just- I trusted you,” a tearful Angel Gary told Murdaugh this week in a Beaufort County courtroom. “I had a lot of faith in you.”
Gary’s mother Blondell was killed when an ambulance she was riding in crashed into a tree. She turned to Murdaugh for financial relief for the family, only for him to pocket more than $100,000 of a wrongful death lawsuit settlement without her knowing.
“But you know what? Today I thank God,” said Gary. “God gave me this time to tell you that I forgive you.”
Gary was one of several victims who spoke to Murdaugh before he was sentenced to 27 years as a part of a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to 22 of the state’s roughly 100 financial crimes charges instead of standing trial and facing more than a dozen victims in multiple counties.
Prosecutors now believe the disbarred attorney from a dynasty of solicitors dating back a century, swindled more than $12 million dollars from personal injury clients, colleagues and friends over a decade.
In 2009, Pamela Pinckney was hospitalized with broken bones from a car crash when Murdaugh came to her bedside offering hope. He said he could get money to help her family struggling with medical bills. He took more than they got.
“Because of what you did to me, I thank God for giving me strength to get through what I went through,” Pinckney said in court.
Pinckney’s deaf son was left paralyzed from the neck down after the accident and later died. Murdaugh twice took money from lawsuit settlements meant for the Pinckney family. He even cashed in on another passenger injured in the same crash.
“But all I want to say to you is I forgive you from my heart on this day and forever more,” Pinckney told Murdaugh.
Another victim, Tony Satterfield, testified for the state during Murdaugh’s double murder trial earlier this year. The prosecution was trying to prove motive, that Murdaugh was a desperate man when he killed his family members because his secret life of lying and stealing was about to be exposed.
Satterfield’s mother Gloria worked as the Murdaugh family’s long-time housekeeper. She died after a mysterious fall at their home. Murdaugh promised Satterfield at the funeral, he would take care of him and his brother. Instead, he swiped all the settlement money, roughly $4 million.
Still, Satterfield told Murdaugh he forgives him and expressed sympathy.
“I'm sorry that your family has to now go through what they're going to have to go through the rest of their life because of your actions of what you did,” Satterfield said.
Gloria Satterfield’s sister Ginger Hadwin wrestled to reconcile with the man before her.
“I don’t get it. Do you not have a soul?” Hadwin asked Murdaugh.
Murdaugh also stole from childhood friend Jordan Jinks after he was seriously injured in a 2016 car crash. Jinks listened closely as the prosecution shared story after story of vulnerable people who had been victimized by Murdaugh but were not in the courtroom. There was a state trooper injured on the job and a woman killed in a drunk driving crash who left behind three children.
“What kind of animal are you?" Jinks asked.
Jinks said watching Murdaugh’s murder trial on television was painful. He knew his old friend had taken money. Yet, he just couldn’t believe Murdaugh would kill his own wife and child.
“But after sitting here today and hearing some of the devious things that you did to people, these victims here, I changed my mind, bro,” Jinks said.
Murduagh insists he did not kill his wife Maggie and son Paul. He’s currently fighting for a new trial, claiming jury tampering by the Colleton County clerk of court.
The prosecution says the 27-year prison sentence on the financial crimes charges guarantees Murdaugh will remain in state custody even if his murder convictions are tossed out. They hope the plea deal brings closure to the victims. Many suffered horrific loss, only to be victimized again by a once powerful and privileged man.
