Alex Murdaugh due back in court ahead of April 2027 retrial
The South Carolina Supreme Court threw out Murdaugh’s murder convictions in May.
Alex Murdaugh will return to a South Carolina courtroom on Friday for a hearing to work out some key issues ahead of his April 2027 retrial, including the location where it will take place, what evidence will be permitted and how much of Murdaugh’s testimony from the first trial will be available to prosecutors.
After the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s conviction for murdering his wife and son earlier this year -- citing jury tampering by the court clerk in the case -- Judge Debra McCaslin scheduled his retrial for April 5, 2027.
Murdaugh is pushing to dismiss the case -- accusing the lead investigator in the case of misconduct -- and argues he cannot have a fair trial in some of the South Carolina counties where his family name has been "synonymous with the local legal system for nearly a century."
The South Carolina Supreme Court in May threw out Murdaugh’s double murder conduction due to misconduct by a court clerk who communicated with some of the jurors during the trial and influenced their deliberations.
"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. 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," the ruling said.
Murdaugh’s $600,000 civil lawsuit against Hill over the matter was dismissed this month.
Murdaugh remains in prison because he pleaded guilty to separate financial crimes, sentenced to 27 years on state charges and 40 years on federal charges. While he had admitted to lying to and stealing from his clients, Murdaugh has maintained his innocence related to the deaths of his wife and son.
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