South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says his office will move quickly to retry Alex Murdaugh after the state Supreme Court vacated his 2023 murder convictions, pointing to conduct by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill. The decision concerns the killings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh at the family hunting property and has left prosecutors weighing appeals, a fast retrial and other legal moves. Wilson believes the state still can secure a conviction and laid out options and timelines while Murdaugh remains incarcerated on separate financial sentences.
Wilson pushed back hard against the court’s reasoning and stressed the office’s intent to act fast. “The Supreme Court, in its order today, basically laid the blame on this reversal on the shoulders of Rebecca [Becky] Hill, and it was her conduct that has led to this decision today, not the conduct of anyone else,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. He said prosecutors were surprised by the court’s conclusion and feel the misconduct cited did not undermine the overall trial.
The Supreme Court’s ruling centered on alleged interference by a court clerk during the jury process, and the state says that conduct came to light only after the trial. “We are disappointed in the court’s decision. We respect this court, we respect the members of the court, but we strongly disagree with their reasoning,” Wilson told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on “The Story.” Prosecutors maintain the case against Murdaugh remains strong despite the reversal.
Court records and reporting say jurors relayed comments indicating the clerk discouraged them from being swayed by defense evidence. The reporting quoted jurors saying “that Hill told the jurors not to be fooled by the evidence Murdaugh’s defense presented. They’re going to say things that will try to confuse you. Don’t let them confuse you or convince you or throw you off.” That language is a central fact in the court’s finding that the jury process might have been tainted.
Wilson made clear that prosecutors did not know about the clerk’s alleged conduct during the trial. “No, we obviously weren’t aware of any of this conduct until after. Obviously, it had occurred,” he told MacCallum. “We never defended her conduct. We just believe that it wasn’t enough to warrant a reversal.”
Facing the reversal, the attorney general said his office will push for a quick retrial and that most of the original prosecution team remains available. “So, we had the benefit of having a road map for our case that we developed three years ago. Obviously, the defense knows what our trial strategy was. We know what their trial strategy is. And, so, it will be a different kind of trial because both sides have seen the hands we have to play,” he told Fox News Digital.
Wilson also spelled out the legal options the state still has, including asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to reconsider or taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. “The state has 15 days on whether or not we want to petition the state Supreme Court for reconsideration of their decision. And we have up to 90 days to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to take this case up on appeal. All options, all legal options, are on the table,” Wilson said. He left no doubt the office will explore those paths while preparing for trial.
Even as appeals are considered, the state’s indicated plan is to retry Murdaugh as swiftly as logistics and fairness allow. “But, regardless, it is my intention right now, assuming that nothing changes, to retry this case as quickly and expeditiously as possible. That is our goal.” Wilson emphasized setting a prompt schedule without promising exact dates.
Goals for timing are ambitious but tentative, Wilson admitted, as scheduling, discovery and other procedural matters take time. “Look, I’m being aspirational when I say this, but we would like to try to get this case up before January 2027. That would be our goal,” he said. That puts the retrial target roughly within a two-year window, though he acknowledged the calendar could shift.
The underlying case that drew national attention involves the 2021 slayings of Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, at the family’s Lowcountry hunting property. The trial exposed a complex web of lies, alleged addiction and large-scale financial misconduct tied to Murdaugh’s legal practice, facts prosecutors say will remain part of their narrative if the case returns to court.
Murdaugh, now 54, will not stroll out of custody because of other convictions and sentences unrelated to the homicide ruling. He is serving a 27-year state sentence after pleading guilty to 22 counts tied to client funds and related schemes, and a concurrent 40-year federal term for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Those sentences keep him behind bars while the state decides next steps on the murder charges.
‘WATCH: South Carolina AG on overturned Murdaugh conviction: ‘We have time to try him again’’
Prosecutors say they have work to do before a retrial, from assessing witness availability to strengthening evidence handling and courtroom procedures. The office also faces the practical reality that discovery has already been shared and both sides now know more about the other’s strategies, which will shape how the second trial plays out.
