Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced lawyer convicted of murdering his wife and son, may get a new murder trial after South Carolina’s highest court agreed to hear his appeal over a claim of jury tampering.
A jury found Murdaugh guilty of both murders after a six-week long trial in March 2023, and was sentenced to life in prison.
His lawyers have since argued that a court clerk tampered with the jury, telling them not to trust Murdaugh’s testimony and to speed up the verdict.
They also accused the clerk, Becky Hill, of using the case and the guilty verdict to promote herself and a book she wrote about the trial. She has denied any wrongdoing.
Ms Hill, who read the guilty verdict out loud at Murdaugh’s trial, separately faces 76 counts of misconduct accusing her of improperly seeking financial gain and will appear before the State Ethics Commission in December.
In their filing to the South Carolina Supreme Court, Murdaugh’s lawyers argued that “there is an irrebuttable presumption of prejudice when a state official secretly advocates a guilty verdict”.
They also asked the state’s highest court to certify the case ahead of an appeal, arguing that it was an issue of significant legal and public interest.
Wednesday’s decision by the South Carolina Supreme Court to consider a retrial is the latest chapter in Murdaugh’s legal saga.
Once a powerful South Carolina lawyer, the 56-year-old and his legal troubles have since captivated a global audience and inspired documentaries, podcasts and book deals. The trial itself was also televised.
His wife, Maggie, and son Paul were shot at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate on 7 June 2021.
During his trial, the jury heard that for years, Murdaugh had been stealing from his law partners and clients to feed an addiction to painkillers and an extravagant lifestyle.
They argued that he killed his wife and son in an attempt to conceal years of financial corruption. Murdaugh had pleaded not guilty in the case.
In April, Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in prison at a separate trial for federal financial crimes.
He is also serving 27 years for nearly two dozen state financial charges relating to fraud and money laundering.
By BBC News
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