Alex Murdaugh, the fallen South Carolina legal figure convicted of murdering his wife and son, is set to have his case revisited after the state’s highest court overturned his murder convictions due to allegations of jury tampering.

The Supreme Court of South Carolina determined that the 2023 trial, which resulted in Murdaugh receiving a life sentence, was compromised by misconduct from a court official.

Central to this dramatic development is Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the former Clerk of Court for Colleton County, who managed the high-profile trial. She is accused of improperly influencing the jury, allegedly making remarks that could have biased jurors and nudged them toward a guilty decision.

Alex Murdaugh appears in court during a hearing on jury tampering at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, S.C., on Monday, January 29, 2024. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier)

Testimonies examined by the court revealed that jurors recalled Hill advising them to “watch him closely,” “observe his actions,” and cautioning them against being “fooled” by the defense.

One juror recalled “that Hill told the jurors not to be fooled by the evidence Murdaugh’s defense presented,” according to the document, saying, “They’re going to say things that will try to confuse you. Don’t let them confuse you or convince you or throw you off.” 

The documents say Hill tried to “insert herself into the jury’s deliberations through these comments was in line with her stated desire for a guilty verdict to sell more copies of the book she planned to write.”

WATCH: Becky Hill walks into Colleton County Courthouse

The ruling references the post-trial court’s finding that, “Hill was attracted by the siren call of celebrity” and “allowed her desire for the public attention of the moment to overcome her duty to her oath of office.”

“Accordingly, we hold Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial by an impartial jury was violated, and the post-trial court erred in denying his motion for a new trial,” the ruling says. 

Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill smiles after pleading guilty in St. Matthews, S.C., on Dec. 8, 2025. Hill pleaded guilty to showing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (Jeffrey Collins/AP)

Because Hill was a top court official, her words carried unusual weight and raised serious concerns that the jury’s decision may not have been based solely on the evidence presented at trial.

In December 2025, Hill pleaded guilty to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it, plus two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote on the trial through her public office.

“There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them and will carry that shame the rest of my life,” Hill said in a statement read to the court.

There is no excuse for the mistakes I made.

— Becky Hill

She was sentenced to three years of probation.

WATCH: Becky Hill reads Alex Murdaugh 2023 guilty verdict

In 2023, Murdaugh was convicted of gunning down his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in 2021. The case exposed a web of lies, including Murdaugh’s opioid addiction and millions in stolen client funds.

Despite the legal win Wednesday, Murdaugh will not be walking free. He remains behind bars serving lengthy sentences for a string of financial crimes that cemented his fall from power.

Alex Murdaugh is handcuffed after being found guilty on all four charges, including two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent crime, at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on March 2, 2023. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier)

For his financial crimes, Murdaugh was sentenced in state court to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to 22 counts including money laundering and breach of trust. In federal court, he received a 40-year sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which he is serving concurrently with his state time.

Though his murder convictions and subsequent life sentences were overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, he remains in prison to serve the financial sentences.

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The union spanned eight years.

Within this time, there was an abundance of love, the crowning of a championship, and locker rooms drenched in champagne. Million-dollar memories were made, moments so surreal they seemed spun from a Hollywood script, casting the quintessential leading man in a basketball epic.

But as we stand now?

It resembles a scene from “Marriage Story,” two weary individuals locked in a room, desperately trying to salvage something that has quietly slipped away.

The time has come for the Lakers and LeBron James to part ways.

Not because they hate each other. Not because the relationship failed completely. But because sometimes relationships survive past their expiration date when both sides are terrified of what comes next.

LeBron may have admitted as much after the Lakers were swept out of the Western Conference semifinals by the reigning champion Thunder on Monday.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me,” he said, saying the scary part out loud.

The Lakers already know what their future looks like.

It looks like Luka Doncic.

Doncic is 27 years old and entering the prime of his career. LeBron is 41 years old and entering the final chapter of the greatest career in NBA history. Those two timelines are not synchronized anymore. One clock is beginning. The other is ticking loudly in the background like a smoke detector with a dying battery.

The Lakers could have built around Doncic last year, but LeBron handcuffed them by opting into the final year of his contract with a salary of nearly $53 million.

The 2025-26 season felt like the Lakers had already moved on emotionally and were dating someone new, but they still hadn’t told their ex-wife to move out of the house.

It’s true that after Doncic went down with a hamstring injury April 2, LeBron led the team to a first-round upset over the Rockets. We appreciate that. But in the end, the outcome was still the same: a sweep and another season without a championship.

Both parties will come up with reasons to stay together.

The team went 16-2 when fully healthy and when LeBron selflessly became the third option. They could use that as a reason to stay together and “run it back.”

LeBron will point to the roots his family has in LA. That his son, Bronny, is still with the Lakers’ organization. He’s an hour plane ride from watching his other son, Bryce, play college basketball at the University of Arizona. His daughter, Zhuri, plays on a volleyball team here. His wife, Savannah, co-hosts a podcast here. The infrastructure of LeBron’s empire all resides in LA.

But divorce court is not about remembering the honeymoon.

It’s about accepting reality.

And the reality is that the Lakers have spent years reshaping themselves around LeBron. They’ve built rosters around his preferences, worked with his moods and made decisions based on his basketball worldview. They constantly tried to satisfy the demands of their superstar.

Sometimes it worked brilliantly like the trade for Anthony Davis and the 2020 championship in the bubble.

Sometimes it blew up in their faces like a scene from the “War of the Roses.” Remember the Russell Westbrook trade?

That’s the hidden cost of LeBron.

He’s not just a player. He’s an entire ecosystem.

And for eight years, the Lakers were married to him.

But now it’s time to move on with someone else.

It’s time to build around Doncic.

With over $100 million in salary coming off the books this summer, it’s time for the Lakers to have a clean slate and a fresh start.

They need to find athletic rim protectors and lob threats to pair with Doncic on the pick and roll. Surround him with long wing defenders and knockdown shooters who can spread the floor.

“Any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster,” Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said during a season-ending news conference Tuesday. His comments were polite, respectful and diplomatic.

But public statements during divorces are always polite before the lawyers arrive.

Privately, they should thank him for the last eight years, for banner No. 17, and let him know that it’s not beneficial to the team for him to return. That you can’t pass the torch to Doncic while LeBron is still holding it. That even if LeBron signed a veteran minimum contract, Doncic and the franchise would still live in his shadow.

The Lakers and LeBron gave each other eight unforgettable years. A championship. Global relevance. And historic moments that will live on forever.

But all great relationships eventually arrive at the same terrifying question:

Are we staying together because we still belong together?

Or because we’re afraid to say goodbye?

And for the first time since LeBron arrived in the summer of 2018, the answer feels painfully obvious. 

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Amid applause and ceremonial music, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping made their entrance at a grand State Banquet hosted by China, setting the stage for a unique blend of diplomacy and culinary exchange.

Once seated, both leaders appeared to be in high spirits as Xi Jinping’s translator initiated the evening with a toast. Xi warmly welcomed President Trump and his delegation, acknowledging their long journey to attend this significant event.

In his address, Xi emphasized the potential for the two nations to support each other’s success and contribute to the global good.

During their meeting, Xi advocated for a new era of “strategic civility” between the two economic powerhouses, underscoring the importance of their relationship in maintaining global stability and urging that it is too crucial to jeopardize.

Xi’s speech resonated with an aspiration for mutual progress, aligning China’s developmental ambitions with Trump’s domestic policies. He stressed that both countries can thrive without hindering each other’s prosperity, highlighting the cooperative potential during Trump’s state visit to China.

‘The people of China and the United States are both great people,’ Xi said. ‘Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great can go hand in hand. We can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.’

He even used Trump’s favorite phrase: ‘Make America great.’

Xi framed the meeting within a wider historical context, noting that this year marks the start of China’s 15-year economic plan and the 250th anniversary of American independence. He also looked back 65 years to the ‘milestone’ diplomacy of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, which ended two decades of frozen relations.

Xi said in his opening speech that both countries can ‘help each other succeed’ and ‘advance the well-being of the whole world’

Under the ‘new situation’ of modern global politics, Xi argued that ‘mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation’ remain the only viable paths forward.

‘The world today is changing and turbulent,’ Xi said. ‘Both sides should rise up to this historic responsibility and steer the giant ship of China/US relations forward, steadily and in the right direction.’

The banquet features a remarkable red, white and green design theme, complete with white table cloths at the Great Hall of the People.

Trump’s cabinet members are seen mingling at the dinner – including Secretary Rubio, Hegseth, Steven Miller, Scott Bessent, his communications lead Steven Cheung and powerful CEO’s across the technology sector like Tim Cook from Apple. 

Earlier, during their two-hour summit, Xi warned Trump that if Taiwan is ‘mishandled’, the US and China ‘will clash, or even come into conflict, pushing the entire relationship into a very dangerous situation,’ state media channel CCTV reported.

Trump, seemingly unfazed by Xi’s classical reference, was effusive in return and praised the pageantry of his welcome, calling it ‘an honor like few have ever seen before’, and singling out the ‘happy and beautiful’ children for special praise.

He told Xi: ‘It’s an honor to be with you, it’s an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.’ 

On their meeting, a White House official told The Daily Mail: ‘President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China. The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries.’

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have arrived at a lavish welcoming State Banquet hosted by the Middle Kingdom – ready to partake in food diplomacy

Xi said in his speech that both countries can ‘help each other succeed’ and ‘advance the well-being of the whole world’

The banquet features a red white and green design theme, complete with white table cloths at the Great Hall of the People

The banquet features a red white and green design theme, complete with white table cloths at the Great Hall of the People

Trump’s cabinet members are seen mingling at the dinner – including Secretary Rubio, Hegseth, Steven Miller, Scott Bessent and his communications lead Steven Cheung

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ahead of a state banquet for President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People

Trump walked over to Xi, who was waiting by the steps, and the pair shook hands, with Trump warmly patting the Chinese leader’s hand as they exchanged a few words

President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing

President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing

President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14

Xi Jinping speaks during a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People on May 14

US President Donald Trump participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14

They continued: ‘Leaders from many of the United States’ largest companies joined a portion of the meeting. The Presidents also highlighted the need to build on progress in ending the flow of fentanyl precursors into the United States, as well as increasing Chinese purchases of American agricultural products.’

Trump had been dazzled a day earlier by the full red-carpet treatment laid on by his Chinese host, lavished with imperial pomp rarely afforded a US leader as he was met by goose-stepping troops, thundering cannons and flag-waving children.

The White House further said that two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. 

President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future. 

 Both countries also agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

It is Trump’s first face-to-face with Xi since the Iran war erupted on February 28. 

The mood appeared upbeat as American business leaders were met by reporters as they left the Great Hall after the initial talks.

Tesla boss Elon Musk, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and Apple’s Tim Cook were spotted filing down the steps toward their bus.

‘Wonderful,’ Musk declared. Asked what had been achieved, the world’s richest man replied: ‘Many good things.’

Cook flashed a peace sign followed by a thumbs up, while Huang told the press gaggle: ‘Meetings went well. Mr Xi and President Trump were incredible.’

The President’s motorcade swept into Tiananmen Square at 10.01am Thursday almost exactly on schedule, with Trump emerging moments later in his signature dark suit and red tie to a blaring military fanfare. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, stands with US President Donald Trump during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

US President Donald Trump (R) and China’s President Xi Jinping (L) greet children waving Chinese and US national flags and flowers during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14

US President Donald Trump is welcomed by children during a ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (bottom C), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (bottom centre R), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (bottom R), Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (second row R), senior advisor Stephen Miller (bottom L), Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (centre R second row) and Apple CEO Tim Cook (centre L middle row) attend a welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14

An honor guard stands at attention prior to a welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People on May 14

Trump salutes next to Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on May 14

He walked over to Xi, who was waiting by the steps, and the pair shook hands, with Trump affectionately patting the Chinese leader’s hand as they exchanged a few words.

Xi, accompanied by Trump, then worked the front row of the heavyweight US delegation lined up on the steps, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The two leaders then mounted a red and gold dais as a military band struck up the Star Spangled Banner and troops in full ceremonial dress marched past. 

Thundering cannon salutes boomed across Tiananmen Square round after round as Trump stood beside Xi, before the President broke into a broad smile as he saluted the troops.

A crowd of brightly dressed Chinese schoolchildren waved flowers and US and Chinese flags while chanting ‘welcome, welcome, welcome to China’. 

The pair finally swept into the Great Hall after around 20 minutes of pageantry, US cabinet secretaries, officials and American business executives filing in behind them.

The two leaders buckled down for a roughly two-hour bilateral behind closed doors. 

Trump plans to press Xi to lean on Iran to accept a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Xi is widely expected to push for tariff relief and access to American-designed AI chips.

The summit was originally slated for March but was postponed when the war broke out.

Trump participates in an welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14

Trump and Xi, leading the world’s two largest economies, have plenty to hammer out over their two days together. 

Trump called on Xi to ‘open up’ his economy further to US businesses on Wednesday, with a 17-strong cohort of American CEOs flown in to the White House to act as economic negotiators and iron out roadblocks to further investment. 

The President arrived late Wednesday evening local time in the Chinese capital before heading to his hotel for rest.

Trump was greeted on the tarmac by a military band, roughly 300 students waving US and Chinese flags and the nation’s Vice President Han Zheng.

Tomorrow, before the President heads back to the US, he will participate in a bilateral tea and working lunch.

According to a maritime law specialist, U.S. federal authorities might still file charges related to the mysterious disappearance of Lynette Hooker in the Bahamas, even if her body is never recovered.

Recent images obtained by Fox News Digital depict sections of the sailboat ‘Soulmate,’ associated with Lynette and Brian Hooker, cordoned off with crime scene tape. The boat is currently stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard facility in Fort Pierce, Florida, following its reported seizure over the weekend.

Sources indicate that investigators have been actively collecting evidence from the sailboat since Tuesday, and this process appears to have extended into Wednesday.

The U.S. Coast Guard conducted a thorough search of the ‘Soulmate,’ which is docked at their Fort Pierce station as of May 13, 2026. The sailboat, owned by Brian Hooker and his missing wife Lynette, was returned from the Bahamas to the U.S. by the Coast Guard. (Image courtesy of Fox News Digital)

Brian Hooker initially reported to Bahamian authorities that his wife accidentally fell off a dinghy near Hope Town around 7:30 p.m. on April 4, allegedly taking the ignition key with her. He claimed to have paddled ashore and reached a marina in Marsh Harbour around 4 a.m. on April 5, approximately eight hours after Lynette went overboard. Despite an extensive search lasting several weeks, Lynette Hooker remains missing.

Brian Hooker hasn’t been charged with a crime. The Coast Guard Investigative Service is probing Lynette Hooker’s disappearance.

U.S. Coast Guard investigators search the boat Soulmate docked at their station in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 13, 2026. The vessel belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing wife Lynette Hooker and was brought back to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

U.S. Coast Guard investigators search the boat Soulmate docked at their station in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 13, 2026. The vessel belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing wife Lynette Hooker and was brought back to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

Kenneth Engerrand, an adjunct professor of maritime law at the University of Houston Law Center and shareholder in the Brown Sims law firm, told Fox News Digital that even if investigators aren’t able to find Lynette Hooker’s body, the Coast Guard’s investigation could still result in criminal charges.

“They can’t file charges without substantial evidence, but that’s why they’re on the boat. They’re looking for evidence. And what will have to happen is the Coast Guard can develop the evidence that’s necessary in conjunction with the U.S. attorney in Florida,” he said. “Sometimes it takes more effort to develop evidence, and this is the case where that’s the situation because you don’t have the body.“

“That’s a much more difficult process without the body, but it’s not impossible to do,” Engerrand said.

Engerrand said that Coast Guard investigators didn’t need a warrant to search Brian and Lynette Hooker’s sailboat since it’s American-flagged.

Brian Hooker visits the Central Police Station in Freeport, The Bahamas, on April 14, 2026, to retrieve his wedding ring and watch with his lawyer, Terrel A. Butler. Hooker was released from jail the previous night after police questioned him about the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

“They have a specific federal statute for that, and the courts have upheld that, with just a few limitations and so the Coast Guard can conduct a complete investigation with respect to the boat and activity that occurred on the boat under that statute that’s valid until they get to the point where they are doing a focused criminal investigation. They don’t need a warrant for any of that and once they get to the point of focusing on him, all they need is reasonable suspicion,” he said. “They don’t even have to have a warrant then to do investigation in connection with activity on a vessel that is an American flagged vessel.“

Brian Hooker was detained for five days by Bahamian police after his wife disappeared, but wasn’t charged. His Michigan-based attorney previously asked Americans to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I would ask those watching to treat him the way you would want to be treated, to give him the benefit of the doubt, and to consider that not all of us, nor you, considering your own relationships, the way you speak to one another, we all handle things in different ways,” Crystal Marie Hauser said.

Brian Hooker left the island for the U.S. to tend to his “very ill” mother, his Bahamian attorney previously said.

After Lynette Hooker went missing, Brian said in a Facebook post that he was “heartbroken.”

“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he wrote. “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”