SC Supreme Court ruled Alex Murdaugh is eligible for a new trial
SOUTH CAROLINA (WCIV/CNN) — The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that Alex Murdaugh is eligible for a new trial, and overturned his murder convictions.
In an unanimous opinion issued Wednesday, the Court stated:
As the Fourth Circuit declared, the Remmer presumption is “[a]live and well.” Lawson, 677 F.3d at 642. It serves to protect the right to a fair trial by an impartial jury for all defendants. Here, Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court, 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. 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.
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.
The Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill was charged last May with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct. The charges alleged 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.
Murdaugh’s attorneys argued her comments violated his right to a fair trial and an impartial jury, while prosecutors downplayed their importance.
Attorney General Alan Wilson says he will retry Murdaugh for the murders.
“While we respectfully disagree with the Court’s decision, my Office will aggressively seek to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders of Maggie and Paul as soon as possible. Let me be clear—this decision does not mean Murdaugh will be released. He will remain in prison for his financial crimes. No one is above the law and, as always, we will continue to fight for justice.”
Murdaugh is currently serving a 27-year sentence at the SC Dept of Corrections for the financial crime convictions that the Attorney General’s Office secured.
Alex Murdaugh’s defense team, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin released a statement on the Supreme Court’s decision for a new trial.
“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. The Court rightly described her conduct as ‘breathtaking,’ ‘disgraceful,’ and ‘unprecedented in South Carolina.’
We respect the decision that made clear that the retrial must 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. 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.”
