Sister of Alex Murdaugh's late housekeeper Gloria Satterfield breaks down in court as she slams double murderer for stealing of family's $4.3M settlement: 'Do you not have a soul?'

The sister of Alex Murdaugh's late housekeeper Gloria Satterfield broke down in court as she slammed the disgraced legal scion for stealing millions from her family. 

Double murderer Murdaugh, who is serving a life sentence for brutally killing his wife Maggie and son Paul, appeared in a South Carolina courtroom on Tuesday to formally plead guilty to dozens of financial crimes.   

As part of plea agreement, Murdaugh admitted to stealing $9 million from vulnerable customers of his law firm and faces having 27 years added to his sentence. 

During the hearing, many of his victims gave powerful impact statements in the Beaufort County courtroom. 

They included the family of Gloria Satterfield, the longtime family maid who died in a fall at the Murdaugh home. Murdaugh had promised to take care of her sons after she died but later pocketed every penny of their $4.3 million insurance settlement. 

Addressing him in court, Gloria's sister Ginger Hadwin said: 'Those children, they lost a mother and you stole every dime from them. I just don't understand do you not have a soul?' 

The killer, who beamed as he entered the court, later wept as he apologized to victims and blamed his financial crimes on a crippling opioid habit. He also seized the opportunity to publicly deny killing his wife and son. 

The housekeeper's son Tony Satterfield said: 'You lied, you cheated, you stole, you betrayed me and my family and you did it at the cost of my mom's death.'

'I'm sorry that your family has to now go through what they're going to have to go through for the rest of their live because of your actions.'

Tony said, 'I want you to know that I forgive you. I will pray for you every day.' 

At Tuesday's sentencing, Eric Bland, an attorney representing victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes said, 'This wasn't Enron, this wasn't WorldCom - stealing from faceless people. This was people he knew, who he broke bread with.'

Also speaking was Pamela Pinckney, the mother of Hakeem Pinckney, a deaf man who became quadriplegic after a 2009 car crash. 

Murdaugh acknowledged taking most of a $309,000 settlement and than an additional $89,000 payment after Pinckney died in a nursing home.

She said: 'Because of what you did to me, I thank God for giving me strength to get through what you put me through.'

'To you, Alex Murdaugh, I never thought that you would betray me and did me and my family the way it was done at a vulnerable time in our live, at our lowest state.'

'You took us for granted, but all I want to say to you is I forgive you from my heart,' she added. 

Addressing his victims Murdaugh, while handcuffed, said: 'Each of you that spoke, I listened to you, I heard you. Your pain and your hurt is palpable. I promise you it resonates with me. I get it. I hope time will come you can look back and know that I care about each and everyone of you.'

'I would never hurt Maggie and I would never hurt Paul and it is important to me that you know that,' he added later when addressing one of his victims and friend Jordan Jinks.

'I deceived each of you. I'm not proud of it. I did terrible things. I do care about each of you. I do have special recollections of my interactions with every one of you outside of the terrible things I did.' 

Other victims of Murdaugh include state trooper Tommy Moore went to Murdaugh after his patrol car was hit by a driver who lost control in the snow, leaving him with a neck injury. Murdaugh admitted he stole $100,000 of the $125,000 settlement.

Even Murdaugh's brother, who worked in the family law firm, said Murdaugh took a $121,000 check meant for the brother and cashed it, prosecutors said.

Murdaugh appeared visibly irritated as prosecutor Creighton Waters described his financial crimes to the court. 

Prosecutors initially charged Murdaugh with 101 financial crimes, including breach of trust, money laundering and tax evasion and stealing $9 million, involving 18 victims.

Under the plea deal, the number was reduced to 22 crimes against each of his clients, with lawyers negotiating a 27-year sentence for the man already serving life in prison without parole.

At a November 17 hearing when asked by judge Newman if he understood the seriousness of his guilty plea during the plea deal hearing, Murdaugh responded there was 'no question in my mind.'

'I've had a long time to think about it,' he added, to which the judge replied: 'I'm sure you have.'

Tuesday's hearing will not mark the end of Murdaugh's legal problems. 

He also is awaiting sentencing on federal financial crime charges, and still faces insurance fraud and other local charges after asking a friend to kill him in September 2021 so his surviving son could get $10 million in life insurance.

His lawyers are seeking a new trial for the murder trial, citing allegations that the Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill improperly told jurors to disregard Murdaugh's testimony and pressured them to reach a quick verdict.

A different judge will decide whether to grant Murdaugh a hearing in which jurors, the clerk and maybe Judge Newman would be questioned under oath.

Newman recused himself from any of Murdaugh's future hearings over his murder conviction after coming under fire for a controversial interview with NBC News a month after the trial, where he commented on the blockbuster trial.