Satterfield remembered as 'champion for love and charity' through Gloria's Gift Foundation
In memory of Gloria Harriott Satterfield, the Harriott and Satterfield families have established the Gloria’s Gift Foundation. Learn more at gloriasgift.com
Posted by Bland Richter on Thursday, June 16, 2022
The family of Gloria Satterfield, a Hampton County mother of two who had worked for suspended and accused South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh before her death and the subsequent theft of her death settlements, held a press conference in Hampton’s historic Palmetto Theater Thursday to announce a charitable foundation established in Satterfield’s name.
According to her family, Satterfield loved the joy of Christmas and giving to others, and Gloria’s Gift Foundation will assist struggling Hampton County families in providing a special gift or meal at Christmas.
This nonprofit foundation will be funded initially with a portion of more than $7 million in civil suit settlement funds and later potentially from a $4.3 million confession of judgment recently signed by Murdaugh admitting liability in a wrongful death insurance scheme Murdaugh allegedly orchestrated involving Satterfield’s Estate.
“After having fought the good fight for justice, we choose to make sure that Gloria’s lasting legacy will not be that of a victim, but will be as a champion for love and charity,” said Ginger Hadwin, Satterfield’s sister.
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Satterfield died in February 2018 following what was reported as a trip and fall at Murdaugh’s Colleton County home, Moselle. Murdaugh allegedly approached Satterfield’s sons, Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriot, not long after her death and convinced them to sue his own insurance, after which he allegedly conspired with a longtime friend, Beaufort County attorney Cory Fleming, to steal the death settlements and insurance payouts.
Both Murdaugh and Fleming have been indicted in this case and suspended from practicing law, and Murdaugh, through his counsel, apologized to the Satterfield family during a Dec. 13, 2021, bond hearing.
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Murdaugh is now center stage in a sweeping and intensely followed crime saga as he is facing 82 criminal charges and 11 civil suits, even as state police investigate the June 2021 shooting deaths of his wife and younger son, but Thursday’s event was about re-writing the narrative for at least one victim and claiming a positive ending to Satterfield’s story and her legacy.
Members of the Satterfield, Harriot and Hadwin families said that they were hurt by media descriptions of Satterfield as just a “housekeeper” and a “nanny” for Murdaugh and his late wife, Maggie, and wanted her to be remembered as so much more.
“Today is about redefining Gloria’s legacy,” said Eric Bland, who, along with his partner, Ronnie Richter, have represented the Satterfield Estate and her heirs in their civil case. “The family got sick and tired of hearing that she was just a housekeeper, that she was Murdaugh’s housekeeper. She was far more than a housekeeper. She was someone who loved, lived, laughed.”
“She had a full, pure heart of kindness and love for everyone she met,” Hadwin said. “She was humble, she was a Southern lady filled with gratitude and grace… She was so much more than just a housekeeper.”
Satterfield’s story also involved playing a key role in the downfall of Murdaugh in the criminal and civil court systems. While he is charged in connection with stealing from numerous other legal clients and his former law partners, it was the Satterfield case that helped launch investigations into Murdaugh to the state level with the state State Grand Jury and the State Law Enforcement Division.
More: Power, prestige and privilege: Inside the rise and fall of the Murdaugh dynasty in South Carolina
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Prior to the filing of the Murdaugh’s confession of judgment, Bland told The Guardian that his clients had almost received “a full cup of justice.” After Murdaugh signed the legal confession, Satterfield’s family decided to share that cup with others in Hampton County during Christmas.
During the press conference, Satterfield’s family presented a ceremonial check for $55,000 to establish the charity fund, which was followed by a $20,000 check from Bland Richter, LLP. These funds, along with future donations, will be safely invested in order for the foundation to grow and continue to operate for years, said Bland and Hadwin, adding that the foundation would keep open, transparent records.
Gloria’s Gift will begin with gift packages worth $250 - $500 for somewhere between 10 to 20 Hampton County families in the first round later this year, they added.
Donations can be mailed by check to: Gloria Satterfield’s Foundation, P.O. Box 1093, Varnville, S.C. 29944.
The family is in the process of launching a website, which will be: gloriasgift.com. Applications for Hampton County families needing assistance can be found at that website.
The family is also looking for volunteers to assist with the holiday charity project.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Gloria Satterfield remembered as 'champion for love and charity'
