Prosecutors may pursue the death penalty in the retrial of Alex Murdaugh, according to the South Carolina attorney general.
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder convictions of Murdaugh, who had been found guilty of killing his wife and younger son, finding that the court clerk’s “improper external influence” on the jury denied him a fair trial.
Prosecutors said they will retry the case. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement, “In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, we’re back to square one on this case, and that means all our legal options are on the table, including the death penalty.”
Alex Murdaugh is led to the Colleton County Courthouse by sheriff’s deputies for sentencing Friday, March 3, 2023 in Walterboro, S.C., after being convicted of two counts of murder in the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of Murdaugh’s wife and son.
Chris Carlson/AP
Murdaugh maintains his innocence.
“Alex has said from day one that he did not kill his wife and son,” his lawyers said in a statement, adding that they “look forward to a new trial conducted consistent with the Constitution.”
In this Nov. 17, 2023, file photo, convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh speaks with his defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, in Beaufort, S.C.
James Pollard/AP, FILE
Murdaugh’s wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, and his younger son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, were shot and killed near the dog kennels on the family’s estate in 2021.
At the murder trial, prosecutors argued Alex Murdaugh, who comes from a legacy of prominent attorneys in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina, killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his financial wrongdoings.
He was convicted of the murders in 2023.
Despite the now-overturned murder convictions, Alex Murdaugh will remain in prison to serve time for his convictions on financial crimes. He’s serving a 27-year sentence on state charges and a 40-year sentence on federal charges.
