The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence on Wednesday, ruling that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill improperly influenced jurors during his 2023 trial. The decision mandates a new trial while confirming Murdaugh remains incarcerated for federal financial crimes.

Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh, at their rural estate in 2021. The state’s highest court found Hill crossed a line by engaging with jurors in ways that undermined the fairness of the proceedings. Specifically, the ruling stated Hill attacked Murdaugh’s credibility by suggesting jurors should not trust his testimony and described her conduct 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—a federal scheme involving roughly $12 million in client theft—evidence the justices deemed unrelated to the state’s motive theory. This approach, they concluded, created a serious danger of unfair prejudice that must be addressed in any future trial.

Prosecutors plan to retry Murdaugh for the murders while he continues serving a 40-year federal sentence. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stated his office will “aggressively” seek a second conviction but emphasized the decision does not release Murdaugh from prison. The ruling itself confirms no exoneration occurred, as the state maintains its evidence remains strong despite the overturned verdict.

The court’s analysis highlighted that Hill’s remarks—described by jurors as connecting to Murdaugh’s testimony and body language—went beyond routine courtroom duties, directly impacting the trial’s impartiality. With the original conviction invalidated, the case now returns to the trial bench under strict new standards to ensure a fairer process.