The South Carolina Court of Appeals granted disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh’s petition for a new murder trial for wife and son’s 2021 shooting deaths. Earlier this year, on March 2, a jury found him guilty of murder, among other charges. The following day, a judge handed him two life sentences. However, the maximum sentence fails to put an end to the once-prominent family’s saga.
According to CNN, Murdaugh and his attorneys filed an official motion for a new trial in the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on October 27. His team requested an evidentiary hearing on the jury tampering allegations filed last month. They made the filing last month, accusing South Carolina court clerk Rebecca “Becky” Hill of tampering with the jury. “When those facts are proven, the Court must grant a new trial,” read the motion.
Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh sees the possibility of a new trial
WJCL reported that last month, Alex Murdaugh’s defense team boldly claimed that a court clerk tampered with the jury in his double murder trial. Last Friday, they officially filed a motion in Colleton County, requesting a new trial in the murders of his wife and son.
The outlet reported that prior to that, the South Carolina Court of Appeals issued a ruling on Tuesday, October 24. This ruling allows Murdaugh’s attorneys to put the appeal of his double murder conviction on hold. After this, a lower court can hear the defense’s concerns regarding jury tampering and also determine the credibility of these allegations.
CNN’s report details the allegations Murdaugh’s lawyers brought against Becky Hill. Their motion alleged that Hill “tampered with the jury by advising them not to believe Murdaugh’s testimony.” It further states “other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict.” The motion further raises concerns about “misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense.”
According to the outlet, Alex Murdaugh – a disbarred lawyer and notorious South Carolina fraudster – is serving two consecutive life sentences at the moment.
