Alex Murdaugh wins new trial after court clerk allegedly told jurors not to be ‘fooled’ by defense

FIRST ON FOX: On Thursday, 30-year-old Buster Murdaugh, Alex’s son, was spotted by Fox News Digital on the porch of his Bluffton, South Carolina home one day after the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that misconduct by a court official tainted the 2023 trial that sent his father away for life.

Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina legal scion convicted of killing his wife and son, is getting a second shot in court after the state’s highest court tossed his murder convictions over allegations of jury tampering by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill.

ALEX MURDAUGH’S DOUBLE MURDER CONVICTION UNANIMOUSLY OVERTURNED BY SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT

Buster Murdaugh appears to be working  at a clothing store in Bluffton, S.C., Thursday, May 14, 2026. His father, Alex Murdaugh saw his 2023 double-murder conviction overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court yesterday. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital) (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

The Murdaugh family’s longtime housekeeper, Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, in her first statement following the stunning reversal, told Fox News Digital that while she believed that the guilty verdict brought justice to Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, she respects the legal process.

“Today’s decision has brought forward many emotions for me. Since the murders of Maggie and Paul, I have tried to approach everything with honesty, dignity, and respect for the people we lost. When writing “Within the House of Murdaugh, Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca & Maggie,” I openly shared my fears surrounding the possibility of a retrial.”

In her book, Turrubiate wrote that she believed that Murdaugh’s guilty verdict “was justice for them,” and she believed it “should stand.”

“At the same time, I respect the legal process and understand the court’s responsibility to ensure fairness under the law. My hope moving forward is that Maggie and Paul are not lost in the headlines, speculation, or noise surrounding this case. They were deeply loved people whose lives mattered far beyond the tragedy that brought national attention to their family,” she said.

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At the center of the stunning reversal is Hill, who oversaw the blockbuster proceedings and was later accused of improperly influencing jurors. According to the court, Hill made comments that could have swayed how jurors viewed the evidence and pushed them toward a guilty verdict.

According to testimony reviewed by the court, jurors said Hill told them to “watch him closely,” “watch his actions,” and not be “fooled” by the defense.

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During the highly publicized proceedings, in which Murdaugh was accused of murdering his wife and son, Becky Hill allegedly engaged in “shocking jury interference,” according to the South Carolina Supreme Court. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)

One juror recalled “that Hill told the jurors not to be fooled by the evidence Murdaugh’s defense presented,” according to the document, saying, “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.” 

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The documents say Hill tried to “insert herself into the jury’s deliberations through these comments was in line with her stated desire for a guilty verdict to sell more copies of the book she planned to write.”

WATCH: Becky Hill walks into Colleton County Courthouse

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The ruling references the post-trial court’s finding that, “Hill was attracted by the siren call of celebrity” and “allowed her desire for the public attention of the moment to overcome her duty to her oath of office.”

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“Accordingly, we hold Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial by an impartial jury was violated, and the post-trial court erred in denying his motion for a new trial,” the ruling says. 

Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill smiles after pleading guilty in St. Matthews, S.C., on Dec. 8, 2025. Hill pleaded guilty to showing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (Jeffrey Collins/AP)

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Because Hill was a top court official, her words carried unusual weight and raised serious concerns that the jury’s decision may not have been based solely on the evidence presented at trial.

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In December 2025, Hill pleaded guilty to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it, plus two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote on the trial through her public office.

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“There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them and will carry that shame the rest of my life,” Hill said in a statement read to the court.

There is no excuse for the mistakes I made.

— Becky Hill

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She was sentenced to three years of probation.

WATCH: Becky Hill reads Alex Murdaugh 2023 guilty verdict

In 2023, Murdaugh was convicted of gunning down his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in 2021. The case exposed a web of lies, including Murdaugh’s opioid addiction and millions in stolen client funds.

Despite the legal win Wednesday, Murdaugh will not be walking free. He remains behind bars serving lengthy sentences for a string of financial crimes that cemented his fall from power.

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Alex Murdaugh is handcuffed after being found guilty on all four charges, including two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent crime, at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on March 2, 2023. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier)

For his financial crimes, Murdaugh was sentenced in state court to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to 22 counts including money laundering and breach of trust. In federal court, he received a 40-year sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which he is serving concurrently with his state time.

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Though his murder convictions and subsequent life sentences were overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, he remains in prison to serve the financial sentences.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.