A South Carolina judge on Monday tentatively set the retrial date in Alex Murdaugh’s double-murder case for April 5, 2027.
Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin said the trial start date could be adjusted by a few weeks if the defense needs more time to analyze the DNA in the murder of Murdaugh’s wife and son five years ago. Nonetheless, she concluded the case is moving forward.
“When I set a trial date, I don’t do continuances,” McCaslin said, meaning she doesn’t like to delay or postpone a scheduled trial date. “I don’t do it.”
Murdaugh remains in prison for his federal and state convictions on financial crimes stemming from his time spent as a personal injury attorney, although his murder conviction was overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court last month.
In a unanimous ruling, the state’s high court determined the criminal defendant needed a new trial due to jury tampering concerns involving former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill.
Murdaugh’s lawyers argued Hill made improper comments about their client during the trial that could have swayed the jury. They also pointed to her charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct related to releasing sealed evidence to the media and lying about it under oath. At the time, she used her role as county clerk to promote her book about the trial.
In March 2023, Murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for shooting his wife and son on their hunting estate in June 2021. He previously pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence.
At Monday’s hearing, the defense lawyers said they’re working on testing unknown male DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails that doesn’t belong to the suspect. South Carolina law enforcement did not pursue further analysis of the sample at the time. The defense said the DNA analysis could take up to six months.
SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS ALEX MURDAUGH’S MURDER CONVICTION AND ORDERS NEW TRIAL
Regardless of the outcome of his retrial for murder, Murdaugh, 58, will serve the rest of his 40-year federal and 27-year state sentences.
The next pretrial conference is scheduled for Aug. 14, with both parties required to file their motions a week before the hearing.