Murdaugh team gears up for hearings as request for new murder trial looms

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — Court proceedings are moving forward this month for Alex Murdaugh as he seeks a new trial for the murders of his wife and son.

A new filing this week from Murdaugh’s defense attorneys is giving insight into their arguments supporting this request, which will be further detailed during an evidentiary hearing that’s planned to take place over several days starting Jan. 29 in front of former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal. A status conference is also planned before that date on Jan. 16.

Murdaugh is serving life imprisonment without parole after a jury found him guilty in March 2023 of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, in June 2021. He was also sentenced in November for stealing about $12 million to an additional 27 years behind bars under a plea deal that resolved scores of state crimes related to money laundering, breach of trust, and financial fraud.

On Sept. 5, 2023, Murdaugh’s defense team held a news conference announcing that they filed a motion for a new trial after alleging that the Clerk of Court in Colleton County, Becky Hill, tampered with the jury that found Murdaugh guilty of the murders of his wife and son.

“What we have filed today supported by sworn testimony of jurors is that the Clerk of Court had improper private communications with the jurors,” Murdaugh’s attorney, Jim Griffin, said during the news conference. “And the subject matter of those communications was the credibility of the defense that the Murdaugh legal defense team put up — and it was the believability of the defendant’s own testimony.”

On Jan. 29, Justice Jean Toal will decide if there is enough evidence to support their argument. During that hearing, jurors, the clerk, and the trial judge, Clifton Newman, might have to testify under oath.

This week, the Defense and the State filed their pre-hearing briefs outlining their arguments for why Murdaugh should or should not be granted a new trial. Murdaugh’s team said at least one juror will testify that they were asked about their opinions of Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence during the trial by Hill. They also attached emails to their motion that Hill sent to prosecutors during the trial about defense witnesses’ merits.

The State argues that to move forward with a new trial, the Defense would need to prove that Hill improperly contacted members of the jury and in turn their verdict was impacted.

Justice Toal also ordered that Becky Hill be removed as the clerk and that all documents be filed with the South Carolina Supreme Court clerk.