Attorney breaks down stunning move overturning Alex Murdaugh conviction

Añadido: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]Right. Now back to stunning developments in the Alec Murdoch case. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruling today to overturn his murder convictions in the deaths of his wife and son. The court ordering a new trial. Six News anchor Lori Tucker is talking with our legal analyst Greg Isaacs to break down what led to this ruling.

[00:00:18]Greg, thank you for being with us.

[00:00:19]>> Lori, it's good to be here.

[00:00:20]>> This is such a bizarre case. Alec Murdoch, a once prominent attorney from a South Carolina low country legal dynasty, convicted by a jury for the murders of his wife Maggie, their 22-year-old son Paul. Everybody's followed this case.

[00:00:33]Now the legal twist here, allegations that a court clerk tampered with the jury in the original trial. His defense team tried to appeal the first time around. It was denied. Now the state Supreme Court steps in and said, "Wait a minute. You get a new trial." What changed? In a 29-page bombshell opinion, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the double homicide conviction of Alex Murdoch. And they said in 29 pages, "We don't need to analyze the facts. We don't need to analyze the evidence."

[00:01:07]They talk about how for 6 weeks the nation watched this trial in Colleton County, and that the court clerk Becky Hill put her fingers on the scales of justice and Murdoch was denied a fair trial, and they have sent it back to be tried again.

[00:01:25]>> And she's accused of meddling with the jury big time. And let's talk about what she did. Basically, two jurors come to the forefront, juror or Z and the egg juror. For some reason, a juror was allowed to bring a dozen eggs back to the jury room. We don't know if she was going to use that as as a I think she was trying to make a point.

[00:01:42]>> was going to make dinner or make breakfast, but but anyhow, when she was was asked to be removed from the jury at the 11th hour, she wanted to take her eggs with her, made Court TV, etc. But but you know, even though the majority of the jurors said they weren't influenced. What the court of the Supreme Court focused on was comments like by the clerk, I need a guilty verdict. Don't trust the defense.

[00:02:06]Watch him. Even showing pictures.

[00:02:09]Showing pictures. So, you know, what what the court said was, you know, even one juror being tampered with is too much that you're not entitled to a fair trial of 11 jurors. It has to be 12 and they sent the trial back. The other thing they did, which was remarkable, you know, if you recall that case and and I watched it unfold for Court TV and was there when the verdict came down.

[00:02:34]Basically, 80% of the trial was his financial crimes. This time the court Supreme Court said, not so fast. That's inappropriate 404B or bad act evidence. You're going to focus on the double homicide if this case is retried.

[00:02:50]>> And he's already been found guilty and admitted to guilt in the financial part of this. That's why he's not going to go free while awaiting a new trial. He's serving what, 40 years for the financial crimes? No, but but think about this and it goes to show you the importance of the sanctity of a jury, how they can't be influenced, tampered with, etc. Once they leave that that courtroom and they go to deliberate, off limits from everybody but one person, one clerk changed this case in a 29-page Supreme Court threw out the double verdict. We will be watching to see what happens next.

[00:03:25]>> will be watching.

[00:03:26]>> Yes. That's