The South Carolina Supreme Court docket has overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh, who was discovered responsible of killing his spouse and youthful son, discovering that the courtroom clerk’s “improper exterior affect” on the jury denied him a good trial.
Murdaugh’s spouse, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and youthful son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, had been discovered lifeless from a number of gunshot wounds close to the canine kennels on the household’s searching property in 2021.
Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering them following a six-week trial, with jurors deliberating for almost three hours earlier than reaching a responsible verdict.
Alex Murdaugh is led to the Colleton County Courthouse by sheriff’s deputies for sentencing Friday, March 3, 2023 in Walterboro, S.C., after being convicted of two counts of homicide within the June 7, 2021, capturing deaths of Murdaugh’s spouse and son.
Chris Carlson/AP
The South Carolina Supreme Court docket dominated that Murdaugh will need to have a brand new trial, citing the actions of former Colleton County Clerk of Court docket Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the courtroom clerk who served through the double homicide trial.
Hill “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility and his protection, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut,” the courtroom’s opinion acknowledged. “As famous on the outset, Hill’s surprising jury interference was completed outdoors the presence and information of the excellent trial decide and fantastically competent {and professional} counsel for the State and the protection.”
In a footnote, the justices stated they “commend the post-trial courtroom, which inherited Murdaugh’s movement for a brand new trial and was positioned within the unenviable place of evaluating unprecedented jury interference by a clerk of courtroom inside the context of a murky space of legislation.”
Following the choice, South Carolina Legal professional Basic Alan Wilson stated his workplace will “aggressively” search to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders “as quickly as potential.”
“Let me be clear — this determination doesn’t imply Murdaugh will likely be launched,” Wilson stated in an announcement. “He’ll stay in jail for his monetary crimes. Nobody is above the legislation and, as all the time, we are going to proceed to battle for justice.”
Murdaugh was additionally convicted on a number of monetary crimes following the homicide trial and is serving a 27-year sentence on state costs and a 40-year sentence on federal costs associated to these crimes.
Within the homicide trial, prosecutors made the case that Alex Murdaugh, who comes from a legacy of outstanding attorneys within the Lowcountry area, killed his spouse and son to achieve sympathy and distract from his monetary wrongdoings, whereas the protection argued that police ignored the likelihood that anybody else may have killed them.
Murdaugh has continued to take care of his innocence. His protection alleged that jury tampering and evidentiary errors — together with the inclusion of his monetary crimes — denied him a good trial.
Murdaugh’s attorneys contend that Hill tampered with the jury by “advising it to not consider Murdaugh’s testimony and different protection proof, pressuring it to succeed in a fast responsible verdict, misrepresenting info to the trial courtroom in an try and have the courtroom take away a juror she believed to favor the protection.”
Alex Murdaugh arrives in courtroom in Beaufort, S.C., Sept. 14, 2023.
James Pollard/AP
Throughout oral arguments earlier than the state Supreme Court docket justices on the matter in February, the protection alleged that Hill tampered with the jury to make sure a responsible verdict as a result of, they claimed, it could assist her promote extra copies of a ebook she would go on to put in writing in regards to the high-profile case.
Murdaugh’s protection claimed that Hill influenced the decision by remarks heard by some jurors through the trial, together with in a single occasion to observe Murdaugh’s physique language throughout his testimony, in response to courtroom filings.
“The clerk of courtroom allowed public consideration of the second to beat her responsibility,” Murdaugh’s legal professional, Dick Harpootlian, stated through the February listening to.
Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters countered through the listening to that Hill made a “few fleeting feedback” over the course of a six-week trial that included almost 90 witnesses and virtually 600 reveals, arguing that they weren’t sufficient to affect the decision.
Chief Justice John Kittredge referred to as Hill a “rogue clerk of courtroom” through the listening to and stated he needed to make observe that the “overwhelming majority” of clerks within the state are “devoted, conscientious public servants” who “don’t act like this.”
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court docket Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill listens throughout her responsible plea, Dec. 8, 2025, in St. Matthews, S.C.
Jeffrey Collins/AP
Hill resigned because the Colleton County clerk of courtroom in March 2024, amid the South Carolina Regulation Enforcement Division’s investigation into allegations she might have abused her authorities place for monetary achieve.
She pleaded guilty in December 2025 to obstruction of justice, perjury and misconduct in workplace for exhibiting pictures that had been sealed courtroom proof to a reporter through the trial after which later mendacity about doing so on the stand throughout a listening to associated to Murdaugh’s bid for a brand new trial.
The fees didn’t allege any jury tampering, and he or she denied any tampering with the jury throughout her testimony.
This can be a growing story. Please examine again for updates.
