South Carolina court tosses murder conviction in Alex Murdaugh case

The state’s high court ruled that Murdaugh had been denied a fair trial due to comments from a court clerk suggesting guilt.The state Supreme Court in South Carolina has overturned the murder conviction against lawyer Alex Murdaugh, whose case has become a source of public fascination in the United States.On Wednesday, the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously ordered a retrial in Murdaugh’s 2023 murder case.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Prosecutors present closing argument in Murdaugh murder caselist 2 of 3Alex Murdaugh found guilty in high-profile US murder triallist 3 of 3Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison in US murder trialend of listThe lawyer had been accused of murdering his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and his 22-year-old son, Paul, who were found shot to death at the dog kennels outside the family lodge in June 2021. Murdaugh, 57, has denied any involvement in their killings.In its ruling, the South Carolina Supreme Court criticised the Colleton County court clerk, Rebecca Hill, for having “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” in court and thereby swaying the juror pool.The court’s decision highlighted comments in which Hill advised jurors to watch Murdaugh’s “body language” and “not to be fooled” by his lawyer’s evidence.“Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury,” the justices said.“We have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial due to Hill’s improper external influence on the jury.”The justices also pointed to Hill’s book, entitled Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, as evidence that she had not properly carried out the duties of her office.“As her book’s title suggests, it turns out Hill was quite busy behind the doors of justice, thwarting the integrity of the justice system she was sworn to protect and uphold,” the justices wrote in Wednesday’s ruling.