The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh, citing improper influence by a court clerk on the jury during his trial. In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the justices ruled that the Colleton County clerk of court, Becky Hill, engaged in 'shocking jury interference' that denied Murdaugh a fair trial. The case has been remanded for a new trial.
Murdaugh, 57, was convicted in 2023 for the murders of his wife Maggie and his 22-year-old son Paul in 2021, receiving two life sentences. He has maintained his innocence in the killings. The court's opinion stated that Hill 'egregiously attacked Murdaugh's credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the state was unable to rebut.'
Despite the overturned convictions, Murdaugh remains in prison. He is serving a 40-year federal sentence for financial crimes, including stealing millions from clients and his law firm, and a 27-year state sentence for related offences. The decision does not affect those sentences.
Hill resigned from her position and pleaded guilty in December to criminal charges for showing sealed court exhibits to a photographer and lying about it, as well as misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote about the trial. She received three years of probation.
Legal experts noted that the double jeopardy clause does not prevent a retrial in this case, as the reversal was due to trial errors. The court emphasised that 'our justice system provides – indeed demands – that every person is entitled to a fair trial, which includes an impartial jury untainted by external forces.'
