Alex Murdaugh murder convictions for wife and son’s death overturned in shock Supreme Court ruling
Alex Murdaugh is set to get a new trial. The justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the lawyer's 2023 trial for the murder of two of his family members was improperly influenced by the actions of Colleton County Clerk Rebecca Hill.
Murdaugh has been serving two life sentences for the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. He appeared in the South Carolina Supreme Court in February to appeal his conviction.
"Both the State and Murdaugh's defense skillfully presented their cases to the jury as the trial court deftly presided over this complicated and high-profile matter," the justices wrote in a ruling issued on May 13. "However, their efforts were in vain because Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury."
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During the six-week trial, a jury found the disgraced attorney guilty of the two murders. It was said Maggie and Paul were shot at close range.
However, his defence team later claimed jurors were influenced by Hill. According to the BBC, one juror claimed that Hill told jurors to "watch [Murdaugh] closely". The juror wrote in an affadavit that this influenced their decision to find him guilty of the murders. Justices also cited testimony from jurors who claimed Hill told them 'not to be fooled'. Hill later wrote a book about the trial entitled, Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.
Murdaugh pled guilty to 22 federal financial crime charges, in which he admitted to stealing millions of dollars. He received a 40-year federal sentence and an additional 27-year sentence for state crimes for stealing $12 million from his client and company.
The former attorney has always adamantly denied killing his wife and son.
The case gained traction worldwide, and was recently documented on streaming giant, Netflix.
In 2023, the streamer released a two-season documentary series, titled Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.
The second season interviewed jurors, prosecutors and witnesses involved int the case, including former friends of the Murdaugh family.
Topics: South Carolina, True crime
Kiesha Dosanjh