South Carolina Supreme Court grants Alex Murdaugh's appeal for new trial
The justices said court clerk Becky Hill’s comments tainted the jury and forced a retrial, while Murdaugh remains imprisoned on other convictions.
- On Wednesday, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions and ordered a new trial, citing "improper external influences on the jury" by former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill in a unanimous 5-0 decision.
- Evidence cited by the court indicated Hill urged jurors to "watch his body language" and "Don't let the defense confuse you," marring the 2023 trial that convicted Murdaugh of killing his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul.
- Following her resignation in March 2024, Hill pleaded guilty in December 2025 to perjury and obstruction of justice charges for using her court position to promote a book about the trial, receiving three years of probation.
- Despite the vacated murder convictions, the 57-year-old Murdaugh will remain imprisoned while serving concurrent state and federal sentences totaling 40 years for dozens of financial crimes, keeping him incarcerated for decades.
- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson must now decide whether to retry Murdaugh for the 2021 killings of Maggie and Paul in circuit court, determining the next phase of the sprawling legal saga.
368 Articles
368 Articles
South Carolina Supreme Court throws out Alex Murdaugh murder convictions, orders new trial
The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s double murder convictions on Wednesday, ruling that the disgraced attorney was denied a fair trial because a county clerk improperly influenced jurors, a finding the justices called “breathtaking and disgraceful.” The decision wipes away the life sentence Murdaugh received after a 2023 jury found him guilty...
Alex Murdaugh Trial Juror Slams Court's 'Crazy' Move To Overturn His Convictions, Denies Being Influenced By 'Helpful' Clerk
S Carolina Dept of Corrections / MEGA A juror who helped convict Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife and son says she was stunned after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned his guilty verdicts and ordered a new trial. Speaking after the ruling, juror Ami Williams insisted she was never influenced by former court clerk Rebecca Hill, whose conduct became central to Murdaugh’s appeal. The court ruled that Hill’s actions during the 2023…
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Alex Murdaugh Says He Is “Thankful” After South Carolina Supreme Court Overturns Murder Convictions
Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh is expressing relief and disbelief after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned his 2023 murder convictions in the killings of his wife and son, a dramatic legal development that could lead to one of the most closely watched retrials in recent American criminal history.
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