Family of former Murdaugh housekeeper starts charity to help Hampton Co. community

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - The family of the woman who served as the housekeeper to a prominent Lowcountry attorney’s family for two decades is announcing the formation of a charity to help the community.

From the loss of a family member to giving back to their community, Gloria Satterfield’s family and their attorneys announced a new foundation in her memory.

The family talked about starting a charity that will help hard working people in Hampton County, just like Gloria. Throughout the powerful speeches it’s obvious the family wants her to be remembered for more than her connection to the Murdaughs, but as a loving mother, sister and friend.

“I’m going to try to get through this, but I’m a very emotional person and when I talk about Gloria it’s love. The whole family loved her dearly,” Gloria’s sister, Ginger Hadwin said.

A donation of $55,000 to the charity, cementing the memory of their lost sister and mother.

“Gloria’s lasting legacy will not be of a victim, but will indeed that be of a champion of love and charity.”

The charity is called Gloria’s Gift, and the family says it’s inspired by Gloria’s love of Christmas. They hope it will help families like their own in this community for years to come.

They say Gloria’s love for Christmas and commitment to buying gifts, even when she couldn’t afford to, inspired them to start this foundation to get gifts to families in Hampton County.

“The family wanted to give back, wanted to give back to people just like Gloria. People who are god-fearing people, people who are law-abiding, people who work hard,” Eric Bland, the attorney for the Satterfield family.

The law firm representing the family donated $20,000 to Gloria’s Gift. A charity the family hopes will allow Gloria’s legacy to be one of helping the Hampton County community she loved like blood.

“We’re forgotten so much down here and it’s a fight everyday, and we go through a lot of pain… and this family went through a lot of pain,” Rep. Justin Bamberg said.

As family, friends, and community members took the stage, it’s clear they hope this foundation is a turning point not just for Hampton County, but for the memory of their lost loved one.

“As of today, this is no longer Alex Murdaugh’s story, this is Gloria Satterfield’s story,” Hampton County resident Michael DeWitt said.

With the donations from the Satterfield family and their attorneys, the charity is starting off with $75,000 of funding.

The family has been in a multi-million dollar fight with Murdaugh over the last year and recently got a signed confession from him admitting to owing them the money.

The family’s attorneys point out many other victims haven’t gotten that confession yet and are skeptical the money will be re-paid in full.

“Unless there’s manna from heaven, I do not believe that they’ll be a dollar-for-dollar recovery by the receivers of every dollar that was taken by Alex,” Bland said.

Gloria’s body will be exhumed at some point by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

“This family wants to know every stone will be turned; they want to know everything that happened. Do they believe that she was intentionally killed, the answer is absolutely not. Do they believe that Alex used this as an opportunity to enrich himself at how she fell, the answer is absolutely yes.”

SLED did get permission from the Satterfield’s to exhume Gloria’s body, and today the family attorneys said law enforcement has promised to be as respectful as possible throughout that process.

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