The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously overturned the murder convictions and life sentences of Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced personal-injury lawyer who was found guilty in 2023 of killing his wife and younger son.
The court ruled that Murdaugh’s high-profile murder trial had been marred by the “improper” influence of county clerk Becky Hill, who “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” and sought to prejudice jurors against him.
In a 5-0 decision, the justices ordered a new trial.
“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 in an unsigned 27-page ruling.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, the state’s top prosecutor, said that his office “will aggressively seek to retry” Murdaugh for the murders.
“No one is above the law,” Wilson said.
“Alex has said from day one that he did not kill his wife and son,” Murdaugh’s lawyers Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin said in a joint statement. “We look forward to a new trial.”
Despite Wednesday’s ruling, Murdaugh won’t be released from prison. In separate cases, he pleaded guilty to stealing about $12 million from his clients and is currently serving concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years, respectively.
How we got here
Murdaugh, now 57, was charged with fatally shooting his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son Paul, who were found dead in June 2021 at the family’s sprawling hunting estate in Colleton County.
During the trial, Murdaugh took the stand in his own defense, testifying that he did not murder his wife and son but admitting he lied to police about the last time he saw them. Murdaugh blamed an opioid addiction.
He also broke down in tears while describing seeing their bodies.
In March 2023, Murdaugh was convicted on two counts of murder and two weapons charges in the case.
Murdaugh testifies during his murder trial in February 2023.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
His attorneys immediately appealed the murder convictions, saying prejudicial evidence and Hill’s improper comments to jurors had tainted the six-week trial. Murdaugh’s attorneys argued Hill swayed jurors by making comments that implied guilt, such as “watch his body language.” Hill later wrote a tell-all book about the trial.
“As her book’s title suggests, it turns out Hill was quite busy behind the doors of justice, thwarting the integrity of the justice system she was sworn to protect and uphold,” the justices wrote.
She was charged in May 2025 with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct, and she pleaded guilty in December.
In January 2024, a judge denied Murdaugh’s request for a new trial. But the state Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed that decision, arguing that the original trial judge also let prosecutors focus too heavily on Murdaugh’s financial crimes.
Before the murder trial, the Murdaugh family name had been synonymous with the legal profession in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. From 1920 to 2006, members of the family served as solicitors, or local prosecutors, in charge of prosecuting all criminal cases in a five-county district that locals refer to as “Murdaugh Country.” The family also founded a prominent law firm specializing in personal injury litigation.
‘Murdaugh Murders’
The gates near Murdaugh’s home in Islandton, S.C., in 2021.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The case was featured in the Netflix docuseries Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, which chronicled other suspicious deaths involving the family.
In 2015, the body of 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found in the middle of a rural highway in Hampton County, S.C. His death was initially ruled a hit-and-run, but following the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, police reopened that investigation.
In 2018, their housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, died after a reported fall while at work. The Murdaugh family said she tripped over their dogs and hit her head.
And in 2019, a boat allegedly driven by then-19-year-old Paul Murdaugh crashed near Parris Island, S.C., killing Mallory Beach, 19, and injuring four others. Paul Murdaugh’s blood alcohol level was found to be three times the legal limit, according to hospital records. He was later charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence and pleaded not guilty, but was killed before he could stand trial.
