Alex Murdaugh double murder retrial set for April 2027
by Danielle Haynes · UPIJune 29 (UPI) -- A South Carolina judge announced Monday that the new murder trial for Alex Murdaugh, the former lawyer accused of killing his wife and son, will begin in April.
Circuit Court Judge Debra McCaslin set the trial date for April 5, 2027, CNN reported. In the hearing Monday, she told the court that once she sets a date for a trial, she sticks to it, ABC News reported.
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh's double murder conviction in May in response to jury interference. He had been convicted in 2023 of killing his wife, Margaret Murdaugh, and one of his sons, Paul Murdaugh, in 2021. He was also convicted of two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime and was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.
The state's highest court ruled unanimously that the trial had been improperly influenced by county clerk Becky Hill.
The justices said she "placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury."
"Although we are aware of the time, money and effort expended for this lengthy trial, we have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh's motion for a new trial due to Hill's improper external influences on the jury and remand for a new trial."
Hill pleaded guilty last year to charges she lied to the court about showing sealed court documents to a photographer. She was sentenced to one year of probation.
Alex Murdaugh's lawyers filed pretrial motions last week seeking a change in venue, additional DNA testing and for their client to have access to a computer while in jail.
This week in Washington
White House Border Czar Tom Homan speaks during the Faith and Freedom Coalition 2026 Road to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on Friday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo