Alex Murdaugh To Face Retrial As Conviction Is Overturned
on May 13, 2026 • Updated Jun 29, 2026
On May 13, the verdict in a high-profile court case that was thought to be settled was overturned.
It was March 2, 2023, when former attorney Alex Murdaugh, now 57, was found guilty by a South Carolina jury, which convicted him of killing his wife, Maggie, 52; and younger son, Paul, 22.
Alex and Maggie Murdaugh had been married for 27 years leading up to Maggie’s death in June of 2021.
Murdaugh was also convicted on two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The trial, which was presided over by Judge Clifton Newman, was a media spectacle, with twists and turns, including the dramatic decision for Murdaugh to testify in his own defense.
Shortly after his conviction on March 2, 2023, Murdaugh was already filing for a retrial.
Now, in 2026, that is becoming a reality, with a date for retrial set for the coming year.
When Will Murdaugh Be Retried?
At a status hearing on Monday, June 29, in the Circuit Court of Lexington, South Carolina, Alex Murdaugh was arraigned with his defense team.
There, Judge Debra McCaslin set the start of the retrial for April 5, 2027.
When asked to confirm that April 5 of next year would be suitable for the start of the retrial, Murdaugh’s defense noted that its DNA reanalysis results may need additional time, with Dick Harpootlian, one of Murdaugh’s attorneys, adding, “The science in all of these areas is much better than five years ago.”
Judge McCaslin stated, “If I need to extend it out a couple weeks, I will, if that’s the case.”
She then added, “Please, do not think that this case is gonna be tried a year later, ’cause it’s not. We’re going forward.”
Watch the status hearing, here:
Why Murdaugh Will Be Retried
In an opinion submitted by the Supreme Court of South Carolina, the court writes, “Our justice system provides — indeed demands — that every person is entitled to a fair trial, which includes an impartial jury untainted by external forces bent on influencing the jury toward a biased verdict.”
According to the court, the Colleton County Clerk of Court during the 2023 trial of Murdaugh, a woman named Becky Hall, “placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury.”
The court goes on to cite jury testimony in the 2024 post-trial, in which one of the jurors, Juror Z, admitted to voting guilty after feeling “pressured by the other jurors,” with Hill’s remarks, presumably, weighing on their decision.
During the post-trial, Hill admitted to speaking to the jury, calling it a “little talk,” in which she instructed “them to pay attention” and said “that the day was a ‘big day'” because Murdaugh would be testifying.
Hill, who went on to write a book about the trial, titled Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, “denied attempting to influence the jury,” the court notes.
In December of 2025, she was convicted of obstruction of justice, two counts of misconduct in office, as well as one count of perjury for showing a reporter sealed court documents, NBC reports.
Per its decision to pursue a retrial, the Supreme Court of South Carolina went on to say:
“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.”
In a statement to NPR, Murdaugh’s defense attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said, “Alex has said from day one that he did not kill his wife and son. We look forward to a new trial conducted consistent with the Constitution and the guidance this Court has provided.”
Murdaugh will not be released from prison, as he is serving a 40-year sentence for Federal financial crimes, as well as a concurrent 27-year sentence for state financial crimes, NBC notes.
It was argued by the prosecution in 2023 that the death of his wife and son was accomplished to gain sympathy for his financial crimes.
Read the full 27-page overturning of the murder convictions against Alex Murdaugh, here.
A retrial date was set tentatively for April 5, 2027, with South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson saying in a previous statement that he disagreed with the decision and will “aggressively seek to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders of Maggie and Paul as soon as possible.”
While we respectfully disagree with the Court's decision, my Office will aggressively seek to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders of Maggie and Paul as soon as possible. Let me be clear-this decision does not mean Murdaugh will be released. He will remain in prison for his… https://t.co/N5hxRX8FEK
— Alan Wilson (@AGAlanWilson) May 13, 2026
This is a developing story. Country Rebel will provide further detail as information becomes availavble.
