Murdaugh’s attorneys speak out after Supreme Court rules Murdaugh eligible for new trial

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– Last week it was announced that Alex Murdaugh would get another day in court to fight the case of him allegedly killing his wife and son.

Now his lawyers Dick Harpootlian, and Jim Griffin held a press conference after the Supreme Court ruled Alex Murdaugh is eligible for a new trial and overturned his murder convictions.

Murdaugh who was a prominent attorney from a South Carolina Lowcountry legal dynasty was convicted by a jury of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, in March 2023.

He received two life sentences for the murder charges.

Murdaugh’s attorneys argued that Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill comments about the case violated Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial and an impartial jury, while prosecutors downplayed their importance.

Hill was charged last May with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct on charges that allege she made sealed evidence available to the media, lied under oath about doing so, and used her court position to promote her book about the trial.

She pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2025 and was sentenced to three years of probation.

In response to Murdaugh’s attorney’s press conference, Attorney General Alan Wilson released a statement.

The statement can be read below: 

“This case is being treated exactly as it should be, as a brand-new trial. Every legal option is on the table, and those discussions are happening as they should happen, with the dedicated prosecutors and staff within the Attorney General’s Office, not as part of some campaign apparatus.

In 2022, the legal and practical realities surrounding the death penalty were very different. South Carolina had not carried out an execution in more than a decade. That has changed, and it is one of several factors that must now be considered as we move forward.

Mr. Harpootlian himself acknowledged that the Becky Hill matter was previously referred to and reviewed by an independent prosecutor. Those issues were already evaluated outside of our office.

What is disappointing is watching Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin spend their time trashing SLED and attacking South Carolina law enforcement instead of treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves.

At the end of the day, our responsibility is simple: follow the law, protect the integrity of the process, and ensure justice is pursued fairly and professionally.”

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