The conviction of Alex Murdaugh for double murder has been overturned.
On May 13, the South Carolina Supreme Court mandated a new trial for the ex-lawyer, over three years after he was found guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, at their expansive hunting estate in Colleton County.
The court’s decision for a retrial stemmed from concerns raised by Murdaugh’s attorneys that Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court, may have unduly influenced the jury.
“Our justice system mandates that every individual is entitled to a fair trial, complete with an impartial jury that remains unaffected by external influences aiming to skew the verdict,” stated the court’s decision, as reported by Oxygen. “Despite the considerable time, money, and resources invested in this extensive trial, we are compelled to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s request for a new trial due to Hill’s improper external influences on the jury, thus necessitating a retrial.”
Defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin expressed their approval of the court’s ruling in a statement to Oxygen.
“The Supreme Court’s decision today affirms that the rule of law remains strong in South Carolina. The Court found that Becky Hill’s conduct during the trial attacked Alex Murdaugh’s credibility and his defense,” they said. “The Court rightly described her conduct as ‘breathtaking,’ ‘disgraceful,’ and ‘unprecedented in South Carolina.’”
When Was Alex Murdaugh Convicted?
Maggie and Paul were found shot to death—by two separate weapons—outside dog kennels on the family’s hunting compound on June 7, 2021.
Although Alex had initially claimed that he was never at the dog kennels that night, his voice can seemingly be heard in a Snapchat video taken by Paul at 8:44 p.m. that night just minutes before his death, Oxygen previously reported.
Prosecutors argued that Alex killed his family members in attempt to hide numerous financial crimes he committed at his law firm.
His defense team argued, however, that Alex had been at his mother’s home around the time of the murders and returned home just after 10 p.m. to discover the grisly scene, according to Oxygen’s Dateline: Secrets Uncovered.
Why Was Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Conviction Overturned?
Months after his conviction, Alex’s attorneys moved for a new trial, arguing that Hill had tampered with the jury by telling jurors not to believe his testimony or evidence and pressuring them to reach a guilty verdict, according to the supreme court’s decision.
One juror—identified as Juror Z—confirmed that Hill told her to watch Alex “closely” during his testimony and “not to be fooled,” according to an affidavit filed as part of the motion.
According to the supreme court’s decision, “Juror Z explained Hill’s statements influenced her finding Murdaugh guilty because ‘[t]o me, it felt like she made it seem like he was already guilty.’”
Other jurors also reported hearing Hill make comments about the case.
In their decision filed May 13, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Hill “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut.”
“As noted at the outset, Hill’s shocking jury interference was accomplished outside the presence and knowledge of the outstanding trial judge and superbly competent and professional counsel for the State and the defense,” they concluded. “We are accordingly constrained to reverse the post-trial court’s denial of Murdaugh’s motion and remand for a new trial consistent with this opinion.”
The supreme court noted in their decision that Hill denied allegations that she was attempting to influence the jury.
Oxygen reached out to the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General—who prosecuted the case—for comment on the decision, but did not receive an immediate reply.
In addition to his murder sentence, Alex was also sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2024 for federal charges of fraud, money laundering, and other financial-related crimes. He is also serving time for state-level financial crime convictions.
Prosecutors will have to limit the mention of the financial crimes in his re-trial for murder.
As part of the South Carolina Supreme Court’s decision to order the new trial, they noted that if prosecutors decide to present evidence of Alex’s financial crimes, they will have to “complete its introduction of that evidence efficiently without the lengthy presentation of inflammatory details with little to no probative value that was permitted in the first trial.”
In response to the decision, his attorneys said in a statement to Oxygen that they expect the retrial to “look very different from the first.”
“The initial jury heard more than twelve hours of testimony about Alex’s financial crimes. The Court held that this evidence went far beyond what was necessary and gave rise to unfair prejudice,” his attorneys said in the statement to Oxygen. “On retrial, that will not be permitted. Alex has said from day one that he did not kill his wife and son. We look forward to a new trial conducted consistent with the Constitution and the guidance this Court has provided.”
What Happened to Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill?
Hill pled guilty in December to charges of obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that had been part of a sealed court record as well as two counts of misconduct in office, according to CNN. The misconduct charges were based on allegations that Hill took bonuses and promoted a book she wrote on the trial using her public position.
She was sentenced to three years of probation.
“The guilty plea is not surprising,” Alex’s attorney Dick Harpootlian said at the time in a statement to Oxygen. “More importantly, the agency expected to impartially investigate these charges has a vested interest in avoiding any outcome that would question the verdict of the initial Alex Murdaugh murder trial. If Becky admittedly perjured herself in the jury tampering hearing held by Judge Toal, what else could she have lied about?”
reached out to Hill’s attorney for comment on the supreme court decision, but did not receive an immediate reply.