Disgraced legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh will be given a new trial for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, following a bombshell ruling.
The South Carolina Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that the five justices had voted unanimously to overturn Murdaugh’s conviction for the June 2021 slayings after the Lowcountry’s so-called ‘trial of the century’ was marred by jury tampering at the hands of the court clerk, Becky Hill.
In the 5-0 ruling, the justices issued a scathing reprimand of Hill, writing that she ‘egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility’ throughout his March 2023 trial as she tried to influence the jury to return a guilty verdict because she was writing a book about the case.
‘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 justices wrote.
‘Here, Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court, egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut.
‘As noted at the outset, Hill’s shocking jury interference was accomplished outside the presence and knowledge of the outstanding trial judge and superbly competent and professional counsel for the State and the defense. We are accordingly constrained to reverse the post-trial court’s denial of Murdaugh’s motion and remand for a new trial consistent with this opinion.’
Despite the ruling, Murdaugh will not walk free from prison as he is serving separate 40-year and 27-year sentences on a slew of financial crimes.
Murdaugh, 57, was convicted in 2023 of the June 7, 2021, slayings of Maggie, 52, and his younger son, Paul, 22, in a high-profile trial watched gavel-to-gavel across the country.
Alex Murdaugh has been granted a new trial after he was found guilty of two murders in 2023
From left, Buster, Maggie, Paul and Murdaugh. On June 7, 2021, Maggie and Paul were shot dead at the family estate
The tale of Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace is one that has captivated the public for years.
This was a man who had it all, born into a powerful, wealthy family that had dominated the justice system in South Carolina’s Lowcountry for more than a century.
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When Maggie and Paul were murdered, his life and reputation began to unravel.
The mother and son were shot dead at the dog kennels on the powerful legal family’s sprawling 17,000-acre Moselle estate in Islandton, South Carolina, on the night of June 7, 2021.
The killer had used two guns, both of which have never been found, with Paul’s wounds so catastrophic that his brain was entirely removed from his skull.
Murdaugh called 911, claiming to have returned home to find his loved ones’ bodies.
Following the slayings, other mysterious deaths tied to the prominent family fell under the spotlight, and his multi-million-dollar fraud schemes came to light.
In 2019, Paul was charged with causing a boat crash that resulted in the death of his friend, 19-year-old Mallory Beach, and was awaiting trial at the time of his murder.
Prior to this, the family’s housekeeper Gloria Satterfield died in a mysterious trip-and-fall accident at the Murdaugh estate.
The family’s name was also linked, without any evidence, to an unsolved homicide of gay teen Stephen Smith in 2015.
Three months after the murders, Murdaugh then allegedly tried to hire a hitman, his distant cousin, Curtis ‘Cousin Eddie’ Smith, to stage his own botched shooting.
Finally, the double life of the prominent attorney was laid bare as his multi-million-dollar fraud scheme embezzling millions from clients at his law firm was revealed.
His downward spiral then culminated in his arrest for his wife’s and son’s murders in July 2022.
Former Colleton County clerk of court Mary Becky Hill was accused of tampering with the jury
From left, Buster, Margaret, Paul and Murdaugh in a photo posted by Margaret for Father’s Day in 2020
During a high-profile six-week trial, jurors heard how Murdaugh’s life was imploding in the lead-up to the murders as his fraud schemes were about to be exposed.
His law firm partners at PMPED had confronted him about missing money and his finances were coming under intense scrutiny in a lawsuit brought by the family of Mallory Beach, with a hearing in the case due for three days after the murders.
Damning cell phone evidence captured by his murdered son in the moments before his death also proved that Murdaugh had lied about his alibi.
Murdaugh had claimed he never went to the dog kennels with his wife and son that night.
During the trial, jurors were shown a cellphone video of a dog captured by Paul minutes before the final activity on the phone. In the background, his father’s distinctive voice could be heard, placing Murdaugh at the crime scene.
Murdaugh took the stand and confessed to lying about his alibi on the night of the murders. He also confessed to stealing millions from law firm clients but insisted he did not kill his wife and son.
The jury found him guilty of the murders and he was sentenced to life in prison.
Since then, Murdaugh has maintained his innocence of the murders and continued to fight his conviction ever since.
His fight for a retrial was chiefly based on allegations that Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court during his high-profile trial, tampered with the jury.
Murdaugh has ‘got a good attitude’ about life in prison, his attorney said, and is actively involved in his appeal from behind bars
From left, Paul, Maggie and Buster. A source close to Buster said he has not spoken to his father much, though Harpootlian tells a different story
Hill, who was in charge of managing the jury and read out the guilty verdict to the court, pleaded guilty in December to four charges connected to the case: obstruction of justice, perjury, and two counts of misconduct in office.
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The 58-year-old admitted to showing sealed court exhibits, including graphic crime scene photos, to a reporter during the trial and then lying about it. She also admitted to taking bonuses and promoting a tell-all book about the trial through her public office.
Prosecutors had investigated allegations of jury tampering against Hill after three jurors or alternates claimed she may have been trying to influence them, but found there was not enough evidence to prove jury tampering charges.
Hill, who resigned in disgrace in 2024, was handed three years’ probation.
In their fight for a new trial, Murdaugh’s legal team argued that Hill tried to influence the jury to return a guilty verdict because she was writing a book about the trial.
Maggie and Paul were gunned down, with two different firearms, at the dog kennels on the Murdaugh family’s Moselle estate on June 7, 2021
Murdaugh’s team also argued the jury should not have been able to hear about Murdaugh’s financial crimes.
During the murder trial, prosecutors presented a motive that the legal dynasty heir killed his wife and son in a bid to salvage his crumbling finances and reputation.
At the time, Murdaugh was awaiting trial on a string of financial fraud charges.
In April 2024, Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to 22 federal financial crimes. He was previously sentenced to 27 years on similar state charges, with the two sentences running concurrently.
Prosecutors, however, argued that Hill’s actions did not sway the outcome of the case because the evidence against him was overwhelming and so his conviction should still stand.
A lower court judge previously denied Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial.
During a hearing before the South Carolina Supreme Court in February, the five justices appeared to be swaying in favor of Murdaugh.
In the sensational decision by the court, released Wednesday, the justices found that there was no wrongdoing on the part of the prosecution or the defense but that Hill’s actions robbed Murdaugh from receiving a fair trial.
‘Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury,’ the justices wrote.
Prosecutors are yet to comment on the ruling.
Murdaugh’s lawyer Dick Harpootlian told the Daily Mail his team would not comment on Murdaugh’s reaction to the news but welcomed the decision in a statement and said that his retrial will look very different to the first trial.
‘The Supreme Court’s decision today affirms that the rule of law remains strong in South Carolina. The Court found that Becky Hill’s conduct during the trial attacked Alex Murdaugh’s credibility and his defense. The Court rightly described her conduct as ‘breathtaking,’ ‘disgraceful,’ and ‘unprecedented in South Carolina.’
‘We respect the decision that made clear that the retrial must look very different from the first. The initial jury heard more than twelve hours of testimony about Alex’s financial crimes. The Court held that this evidence went far beyond what was necessary and gave rise to unfair prejudice.
‘On retrial, that will not be permitted. Alex has said from day one that he did not kill his wife and son. We look forward to a new trial conducted consistent with the Constitution and the guidance this Court has provided.’
