Alex Murdaugh murder convictions overturned, South Carolina Supreme Court orders new trial
The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled jury interference by the Colleton County clerk of court denied Alex Murdaugh a fair trial.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder convictions and life sentence of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh in the shooting deaths of his wife and younger son.
In a unanimous ruling, the justices said the conduct by the court clerk “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” by suggesting to jurors his testimony could not be trusted. They also said the trial judge went too far in allowing evidence of Murdaugh’s financial crimes into his murder trial
But Murdaugh won’t be getting out of prison. The 57-year-old pleaded guilty to stealing around $12 million from his clients and currently is serving a 40-year federal sentence.
Still, the state Supreme Court ruling is a win for Murdaugh, who admits to being a thief, liar, insurance cheat and bad lawyer, but has adamantly denied killing his wife Maggie and younger son Paul since he found their bodies outside their home in 2021.
The justices ruled Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill, assigned to oversee the evidence and the jury during the trial, influenced jurors to find Murdaugh guilty. She hoped to improve sales of a book she was writing about the case. She has since pleaded guilty to lying about what she said and did to a different judge.
Murdaugh’s lawyers also argued before the high court that the judge at his 2023 trial made rulings that prevented a fair trial, such as allowing in evidence of Murdaugh stealing from clients that had nothing to do with the killings but biased jurors against him.
They detailed the lack of physical evidence — no DNA or blood was found splattered on Murdaugh or any of his clothes, even though the killings were at close range with powerful weapons that were never found.
Prosecutors argued that the clerk’s comments were fleeting and the evidence against Murdaugh was overwhelming. His lawyer said that didn’t matter because the comments a juror said she made — urging jurors to watch Murdaugh’s body language and listen to his testimony carefully — removed his presumption of innocence before the jury ever deliberated.
Murdaugh’s legal drama continues to captivate. There have been streaming miniseries, best selling books and dozens of true crime podcasts about how the multimillionaire Southern lawyer whose family dominated and controlled the legal system in tiny Hampton County ended up in a maximum security South Carolina prison.
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(41NBC/WMGT)- The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh and ordered a new trial, ruling the former Colleton County clerk of court improperly influenced jurors during the nationally watched case.
In a 27-page opinion filed May 13, the court ruled Murdaugh was denied his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury because of comments and actions by former clerk of court Rebecca Hill.
“For six weeks in early 2023, the eyes of the nation focused on Colleton County,” the opinion states. “However, their efforts were in vain because Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice.”
The court ruled it had “no choice” but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial.
Court says clerk made improper comments to jurors
According to the opinion, multiple jurors testified Hill made comments before Murdaugh testified in his own defense during the 2023 trial.
One juror testified Hill told jurors to “watch him closely,” “look at his actions,” and “look at his movements.”
Another juror said Hill warned jurors “not to be fooled” by Murdaugh’s attorneys and the defense evidence.
The court said Hill’s comments “attacked the defendant’s character and credibility,” and compared them to improper conduct by a court bailiff in a previous U.S. Supreme Court case.
The opinion also stated Hill’s conduct was tied to her interest in writing a book about the case.
The court noted testimony that Hill believed “a guilty verdict would be the best way to sell books.”
Court rejects argument that evidence outweighed misconduct
State prosecutors argued the jury convicted Murdaugh because the evidence against him was strong, not because of Hill’s comments.
But the Supreme Court ruled the State failed to overcome what’s known as the “Remmer presumption,” which applies when outside influences improperly affect jurors.
The court ruled Hill’s comments directly targeted Murdaugh’s credibility, which was central to his defense.
“The breathtaking and disgraceful effort of Hill to undermine the jury process is unprecedented in South Carolina,” the opinion states.
Murder convictions reversed
Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 in the killings of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son, Paul Murdaugh.
The court’s ruling reverses the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial and sends the case back for retrial proceedings.
The Supreme Court also addressed evidence tied to Murdaugh’s financial crimes, ruling trial courts should carefully limit how much detail prosecutors present if that evidence is introduced again at retrial
