The South Carolina Supreme Court on May 13 overturned Alex Murdaugh’s double-murder conviction and ordered a new trial.
The court ruled that issues raised in Murdaugh’s appeal — including allegations that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill improperly influenced jurors — warranted further proceedings.
"Our justice system provides—indeed demands—that every person is entitled to a fair trial, which includes an impartial jury untainted by external forces bent on influencing the jury toward a biased verdict," the justices wrote in their unanimous opinion. "Although we are aware of the time, money, and effort expended for this lengthy trial, we have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh's motion for a new trial due to Hill's improper external influences on the jury and remand for a new trial."
Murdaugh, 57, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences after being convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his 22-year-old son, Paul, in June 2021 at the family's hunting property.
There were no eyewitnesses to the incident, but a Snapchat video Paul sent to a friend placed Murdaugh at the crime scene just moments before the two were fatally shot.
Soon after his conviction, Murdaugh's defense team filed an appeal accusing former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill of improperly influencing jurors during the trial.
They argued in their filing that the comments Hill allegedly made to jurors about Murdaugh and his testimony violated his Sixth Amendment right to a fair and impartial trial.
Prosecutors dismissed this notion in their response, arguing that there is no evidence to suggest Hill's comments had any impact on the verdict even if the comments she made to jurors were inappropriate.
At the time of Maggie and Paul's deaths in 2021, Murdaugh — who hailed from a local legal dynasty — was being pressured to reveal his financial records following a fatal boating accident that resulted in the death of a young woman who was friends with Paul.
He was convicted in March 2023 after a six-week trial, during which he took the stand in his own defense and denied killing his wife and son. He continues to maintain his innocence.
Murdaugh will remain in jail regardless of the outcome of his appeal, having been sentenced to 27 years in prison on state charges and 40 years in prison on federal charges relating to various financial crimes he committed before and after the deaths of Maggie and Paul.
Among those defrauded by Murdaugh was the son of his longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.
Murdaugh stole millions in settlement money from the Satterfield family after their mother died in a fall at their home.