Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Could Get New Trial After SC Supreme Court Ruling

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh could be getting a new trial thanks to a South Carolina Supreme Court ruling this week.

The state Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling that said the former Colleton County Clerk who worked the trial didn’t tamper with the jury, as Murdaugh’s attorneys alleged. The new ruling could pave the way for Murdaugh to get a new trial, the New York Post reported.

Before a new trial is granted, however, the state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for and against the decision.

Murdaugh’s attorneys had requested a new trial last year after he was convicted of the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul. Their argument for a new trial stemmed from comments then-Colleton County Clerk Rebecca “Becky” Hill made that Murdaugh’s attorneys said amounted to jury tampering.

Hill had a book deal to write about the Murdaugh case and trial. She discussed Murdaugh’s demeanor when he testified and made other comments about him to at least one juror. She also allegedly allowed a photo of Murdaugh sitting in a holding cell to be taken so that she could use it to promote her book. Even though she resigned in March, she still faces 76 counts of ethics violations for her behavior, and many of those violations relate to her actions during Murdaugh’s trial.

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But in January, South Carolina Judge Jean Toal denied that Hill’s actions amounted to jury tampering, though she did admonish Hill for her behavior.

“She made comments about Murdaugh’s demeanor as he testified and she made some of those comments before he testified to at least one and maybe more jurors,” Toal said, according to CNN. “Did clerk of court Hill’s comments have any impact on the verdict of the jury? I find that the answer to this question is no.”

At least one juror testified that Hill made comments indicating she thought Murdaugh was guilty, which the juror said influenced her decision to convict. But that juror also told Judge Tol that she stood by an earlier sworn affidavit that said the other jurors influenced her to vote guilty more than Hill’s comments.

Even if Murdaugh gets a new trial and his conviction is overturned, he’s still likely to remain in prison for the rest of his life. While he’s always denied killing his wife and son, he has pleaded guilty to financial crimes and received a 27-year sentence from the state of South Carolina and an additional 40 years from the federal government to run concurrently. He is appealing the 40-year sentence.