The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence, ruling unanimously that former Colleton County clerk of court Becky Hill improperly influenced jurors during his 2023 trial.

Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 for killing his wife Maggie Murdaugh and their son Paul Murdaugh at their rural estate in 2021. The case captivated the nation for months, but the state’s highest court has now ordered a new trial.

The ruling does not free Murdaugh. Prosecutors plan to retry him on the murder charges, yet he remains incarcerated serving multiple sentences, including a 40-year federal prison term after pleading guilty to defrauding clients of approximately $12 million in financial crimes.

The court’s decision centered on Becky Hill’s conduct, finding her interactions with jurors crossed from routine courtroom management into direct interference with the trial. The ruling stated Hill undermined Murdaugh’s credibility by suggesting jurors should not trust his testimony and described her actions as placing “her fingers on the scales of justice.”

The court also faulted the original trial judge for allowing prosecutors to extensively focus on Murdaugh’s financial crimes — evidence the justices deemed irrelevant to the state’s motive theory and which created a significant risk of unfair prejudice. This issue will be critical in any future retrial.

Murdaugh’s defense team secured a determination that the initial trial was fundamentally unfair due to the clerk’s misconduct. Prosecutors maintain their case remains strong, but Murdaugh will not walk free while the state seeks to retry him.