South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced his office’s intention to swiftly pursue a retrial for Alex Murdaugh following the state Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the disgraced lawyer’s murder convictions. Wilson emphasized that prosecutors remain confident in their ability to secure a guilty verdict.
“The Supreme Court’s order today attributes the reversal to the actions of former Colleton County Clerk of Court, Rebecca [Becky] Hill, whose conduct was pivotal in this outcome,” Wilson explained to Fox News Digital.
With plans to retry Murdaugh, the state is seeking an expedited trial as prosecutors assess the next steps in the legal process. “We are disappointed with the court’s decision. While we respect the court and its members, we fundamentally disagree with their rationale,” Wilson expressed during an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on The Story.
Alex Murdaugh, who had been sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, was present in court when Judge Clifton Newman handed down the sentences at the Colleton County Courthouse on March 3, 2023. (Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool)
The South Carolina Supreme Court’s decision to vacate Murdaugh’s 2023 convictions stems from the finding that misconduct by Becky Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk, compromised the integrity of the jury process.
The South Carolina Supreme Court vacated Murdaugh’s 2023 convictions in the killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, ruling that misconduct by former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill tainted the jury process.
At issue were allegations that Hill made improper comments to jurors during the trial, conduct the court said created a risk of influencing the verdict.
The comments included that jurors said “that Hill told the jurors not to be fooled by the evidence Murdaugh’s defense presented,” 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.”
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. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Wilson said prosecutors were not aware of the clerk’s conduct during the trial.
“No, we obviously weren’t aware of any of this conduct until after. Obviously, it had occurred,” he told MacCallum. “We never defended her conduct. We just believe that it wasn’t enough to warrant a reversal.”
WATCH: South Carolina AG on overturned Murdaugh conviction: ‘We have time to try him again’
Retrying the high-profile case will come with challenges, but Wilson said his office still has most of the original team in place and a clear road map from the first trial.
“So we had the benefit of having a road map for our case that we developed three years ago. Obviously, the defense knows what our trial strategy was. We know what their trial strategy is. And so it will be a different kind of trial because both sides have seen the hands we have to play,” he told Fox News Digital.
We know what their trial strategy is. And so it will be a different kind of trial because both sides have seen the hands we have to play.
The attorney general said multiple legal options remain under consideration, including potential appeals.
“The state has 15 days on whether or not we want to petition the state Supreme Court for reconsideration of their decision. And we have up to 90 days to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to take this case up on appeal. All options, all legal options, are on the table,” Wilson said.
“But regardless, it is my intention right now, assuming that nothing changes, to retry this case as quickly and expeditiously as possible. That is our goal,” he said.
Wilson said his office is aiming to bring the case back to court within the next year, though he admitted that timeline is not guaranteed.
“Look, I’m being aspirational when I say this, but we would like to try to get this case up before January 2027. That would be our goal,” he said.
Alex Murdaugh was convicted of two counts each of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent felony in Colleton County, S.C., on March 2, 2023. He was sentenced to two consecutive double life sentences for the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. (South Carolina Department of Corrections)
Murdaugh, 54, 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, 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.
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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