Murdaugh-busting attorney Eric Bland to speak at DI News Author Series

Trial lawyer Eric Bland has been called many things: a bulldog attorney, a media firebrand; a straight shooter.

 

But in his new memoir, “Anything But Bland: Moxie, Murdaugh, and Making Life Happen on Your Own Terms,” the man who helped expose the financial crimes of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh steps into the spotlight with his brand of unfiltered honesty and vulnerability.

 

On Saturday, June 21, at 11 a.m., Bland will headline The Daniel Island News Author Series at the Daniel Island Recreation Center, offering a behind-the-scenes look at his life, his legal battles – including his central role in the Murdaugh saga – and the personal drive that shaped his path.

 

Far from a dry legal memoir, “Anything But Bland” blends courtroom drama with his personal storytelling of humor, life lessons, and raw reflections. The book documents a series of sharply written vignettes that range from childhood bullying and family dynamics to courtroom showdowns and cable news commentary.

 

“I wanted to write a legacy for my family,” Bland said. “I rarely talked about what I do with my kids. They saw me in the press and on TV but didn’t know how my life developed from being bullied and overcoming that.

 

“I also wanted to tell the unique perch I had in the Murdaugh civil and criminal matters and my role.”

 

The memoir chronicles Bland’s early struggles with insecurity, his journey into law, and how he became an unlikely national figure after representing the family of the late Gloria Satterfield, the family housekeeper who died on Murdaugh’s property. That wrongful death case, centered on millions in stolen insurance funds, helped

expose the elaborate financial fraud behind the Murdaugh family’s public image.

 

“As I write in the book, it was a 30-year journey of taking on the hard cases, which put me in the right spot to receive the phone call from Mark Tinsley on Sept. 7, 2021,” Bland recalled. Tinsley asked him to consult with Satterfield’s children, who had received no money from a wrongful death settlement.

 

“I met with the family and was shocked,” Bland said. This led him to file suit and uncover thefts by Murdaugh and another lawyer, Cory Fleming, exposing a web of financial crimes.

 

Over the next year, Bland became a nightly media presence and a key spokesperson for the prosecution during Murdaugh’s trial for the murders of his wife and son. He debated high-profile attorneys on shows like “Today,” “Good Morning America,” and “20/20” as “the trial of the century” captivated the nation.

 

“I knew this was going to be a historic case,” Bland said.

 

His efforts helped secure Murdaugh’s conviction and a 67-year prison sentence for theft and fraud, an epic conclusion to a saga marked by murder, deceit, and the fall of a powerful South Carolina family dynasty.

 

Part memoir, part manifesto, the book also explores what Bland calls the “public theater of justice,” sharing candid insights on media scrutiny, social backlash, and the weight of having a public voice in high-profile cases.

 

“There will be a time that you have to step up and do something uncomfortable… and it will make a difference,” Bland said. “Don’t wait for luck; make your own through good skill, not good luck.”

 

Register to meet Eric Bland at The Daniel Island Author Series by visiting bit.ly/DINEWS_Bland. Copies of “Anything But Bland” will be available for purchase and signing after the event.