The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh, ordering a new trial in the 2021 shooting deaths of his wife and son. The court ruled that Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill engaged in jury tampering by making improper comments to jurors that could have influenced their verdict.
Murdaugh, a disgraced former lawyer, was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, at the family's hunting estate in June 2021. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The case drew national attention.
In its ruling, the state Supreme Court found that Hill told jurors not to be "fooled" by Murdaugh's defense and made other statements suggesting she believed he was guilty. The justices wrote, "We have no choice but to reverse the convictions and remand for a new trial." The court emphasized that the decision was based on the clerk's conduct, not on the evidence presented at trial.
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office said it plans to retry Murdaugh. A spokesperson stated, "We will continue to pursue justice for Maggie and Paul." Murdaugh's defense attorneys had argued that Hill's actions violated his right to a fair trial, and the court agreed.
Murdaugh's other convictions are not affected by this ruling. He previously pleaded guilty to numerous financial crimes, including stealing millions of dollars from clients and his law firm, and is serving a 27-year sentence for those offenses. He remains incarcerated.
The decision upends one of the highest-profile homicide cases in recent years. The court's order for a new trial means prosecutors must again present their case, though no date has been set. Murdaugh's legal team welcomed the ruling, while the state maintained its commitment to retrying the case.
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