SC Supreme Court Overturns Alex Murdaugh Murder Convictions, Grants New Trial

COLUMBIA, S.C. (THECOUNT) — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh in the 2021 killings of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son, Paul Murdaugh, ruling that improper influence by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill denied him a fair trial.

In a unanimous 5-0 decision, the state’s highest court ruled Hill improperly influenced jurors during Murdaugh’s six-week 2023 murder trial.

The justices wrote that Hill “placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury.”

“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,” the court wrote.

The ruling vacates the two life sentences Murdaugh received after being convicted in March 2023 for the June 2021 murders of his wife and 22-year-old son at the family’s Moselle hunting estate in Colleton County, located in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region.

Despite the reversal, Murdaugh will remain incarcerated.

Authorities confirmed he is still serving separate state and federal prison sentences after pleading guilty to dozens of financial crimes involving the theft of millions of dollars from clients and others.

Murdaugh previously received concurrent prison sentences of 27 years and 40 years in those financial crime cases.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said prosecutors intend to retry Murdaugh on the murder charges.

“While we respectfully disagree with the Court’s decision, my Office will aggressively seek to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders of Maggie and Paul as soon as possible,” Wilson said in a statement.

“No one is above the law and, as always, we will continue to fight for justice.”

Murdaugh, once a prominent South Carolina personal injury attorney, came from a powerful legal family whose members served as elected prosecutors in the region for generations between 1920 and 2006.

During the original murder trial, prosecutors argued Murdaugh killed his wife and son in an effort to distract from mounting financial scandals and allegations that he had stolen money from clients, his law firm, and associates.

The trial included extensive testimony regarding Murdaugh’s financial crimes.

Murdaugh testified in his own defense during the proceedings and denied killing his wife and son.

He admitted during testimony that he lied to investigators regarding his whereabouts near the time of the killings.

Murdaugh’s appeal focused heavily on allegations involving Hill, who served as Colleton County clerk during the trial and later published a book about the case.

Defense attorneys argued Hill improperly communicated with jurors and suggested Murdaugh’s guilt through comments including telling jurors to watch his body language while testifying.

Some jurors later stated they heard such comments, while others said they did not.

In January 2024, retired South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal denied Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial after an evidentiary hearing.

However, Toal also found Hill made improper comments during the proceedings, was not credible, and had been “attracted by the siren call of celebrity.”

Hill later faced criminal charges including perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct related to allegations she improperly shared sealed evidence and used her position to promote her book.

She pleaded guilty in December 2025 and received three years of probation.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the South Carolina Supreme Court determined the state failed to overcome the presumption that Hill’s conduct prejudiced the jury.

“We agree with Murdaugh,” the court wrote. “Prejudice is presumed from Hill’s comments, and while this presumption is rebuttable, the State failed to overcome this presumption.”

The court also addressed concerns regarding the prosecution’s extensive use of financial-crime evidence during the murder trial.

Although the justices did not formally rule on evidentiary issues because they already ordered a new trial, they stated the original trial court allowed prosecutors to go “far too long and far too deep” into details of Murdaugh’s financial misconduct.

The justices specifically cited testimony from Michael “Tony” Satterfield, one of Murdaugh’s financial-crime victims, writing portions of that testimony had “zero probative value” and substantial potential for unfair prejudice.

The Murdaugh case drew national attention and generated extensive media coverage, documentaries, books, and podcasts focused on the killings, the financial crimes investigation, and the downfall of the once-prominent South Carolina attorney.

A timetable for Murdaugh’s retrial has not yet been announced.

Google Maps: South Carolina Supreme Court, Columbia, South Carolina

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