The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder conviction of Alex Murdaugh, who was found guilty in March 2023 for the murders of his wife and son. This decision was announced on Wednesday.
The court has ordered a new trial, citing that Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the court clerk from Colleton County, exerted “improper external influences” during Murdaugh’s initial trial.
LISTEN: INSIDE THE STRATEGY FOR ALEX MURDAUGH’S NEW TRIAL
In June 2021, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul. During a hearing on January 16, 2024, at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, S.C., federal prosecutors claimed Murdaugh failed to disclose the whereabouts of $6 million he allegedly stole. They also questioned whether an unnamed attorney aided him, seeking to revoke a plea deal on federal financial crime charges, as per court documents. (Tracy Glantz/The State/AP)
The decision by the state supreme court was unanimous.
“Despite the extensive time, resources, and efforts dedicated to this lengthy trial, we are compelled to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial due to Hill’s improper external influences on the jury. Therefore, we mandate a new trial,” the court’s ruling stated.
A post-trial court found that Hill “made improper comments to the jurors on the day Murdaugh testified, e.g., ‘this is an important day’ or ‘this is an epic day’ and that they should watch Murdaugh’s body language, on the day of he testified in his own defense.
Alex Murdaugh attends his sentencing at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., on March 3, 2023, after being convicted on all four counts in a double murder trial and sentenced to life in prison. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier/Pool)
Hill pleaded guilty to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it, plus two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote on the trial through her public office — in December.
Murdaugh was sentenced in 2023 to two consecutive life sentences for murdering his wife and son. He is also serving an additional 40 years in prison for his financial crimes and remains in custody at a maximum-security prison in South Carolina.
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