Phil Barber testifies in Murdaugh request to move trial to Charleston
In court testimony, witness Phil Barber pushed back on assertions that affordable accommodations are scarce near the Charleston County Courthouse. Barber said nine budget-friendly hotels in Mount Pleasant sit about a 15-minute drive from the courthouse. He also discussed parking access and noted that higher weekend hotel rates would not affect court proceedings held during the workweek.
A South Carolina judge on Tuesday approved Alex Murdaugh’s request to move his double-murder retrial to a different venue.
Judge Debra McCaslin ordered that the case be tried in Sumter County. Murdaugh’s defense team had argued that extensive publicity surrounding the original trial compromised the jury pool in Colleton County.
In her ruling, McCaslin said Murdaugh can receive a fair trial in Sumter County, citing the county’s ability to provide appropriate security, sufficient courtroom space and the technology needed to manage the proceedings.
Alex Murdaugh attends a judicial hearing on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center in Lexington, South Carolina. Murdaugh is set to be retried in the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of his wife and son after his original conviction was overturned because of jury tampering. (Tracy Glantz/The State via Pool)
“The judge considered several factors including the financial impact on Colleton County, the convenience of witnesses, courthouse security, transportation and security of Murdaugh, courtroom facilities, and technological capabilities,” the order states.
Before McCaslin issued her decision, Murdaugh’s lawyers had proposed moving the retrial to either Charleston County or Richland County.
News Outlet has contacted Murdaugh’s attorneys and prosecutors for comment.
Murdaugh was granted a new trial after the South Carolina Supreme Court determined his right to a fair proceeding was violated when it found that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill improperly influenced jurors during his 2023 murder trial.
Alex Murdaugh arrives for a judicial hearing on June 29, 2026, at the Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center in Lexington, South Carolina. A judge o Tuesday ordered his retrial be moved to Sumter County. Murdaugh will be retried for the June 2021 shooting deaths of his wife and son, after his original conviction was overturned due to jury tampering. (Tracy Glantz/The State via Pool)
As a result, the court unanimously overturned his 2023 convictions and two life sentences.
Murdaugh is charged with murder and weapons offenses for the June 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, at their family estate.
At his 2023 trial, Murdaugh admitted to misleading investigators about his location shortly before his wife and son were shot, but he has consistently denied killing either of them.
