South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said Friday that his office may pursue the death penalty when it retries Alex Murdaugh in the 2021 murder of his son and wife.
“In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, we’re back to square one on this case, and that means all our legal options are on the table, including the death penalty,” Wilson said.
The state’s high court reversed Murdaugh’s double murder conviction in an opinion published Wednesday that accused a former court clerk of “egregious” jury interference.
The unanimous decision cited comments that former Colleton County Clerk of Courts Becky Hill allegedly made to jurors during Murdaugh’s 2023 trial, including a suggestion that the panel shouldn’t be “fooled” by evidence presented by the defendant’s attorneys.
NBC News has been unable to reach Hill for comment. She previously pleaded guilty to perjury, misconduct and obstruction charges connected to the Murdaugh case but denied trying to influence jurors, according to the opinion.
The decision said Hill acknowledged giving the panel “a little talk” about Murdaugh’s decision to testify.
Wilson has said he disagrees with the court’s decision and described Hill’s alleged conduct as inappropriate but “ultimately harmless.” He told reporters that prosecutors plan to quickly retry the case.
Murdaugh’s attorneys have said they respect the high court’s decision and “look forward to a new trial conducted consistent with the Constitution and the guidance this Court has provided.”
In an interview with NBC News, the lawyers said Murdaugh will not accept a plea agreement under any circumstances.
He will “never plead guilty of killing his wife and son,” attorney Jim Griffin said. “I promise.”
Murdaugh, 57, has always maintained his innocence in the killing of his wife, Margaret, and his son, Paul. During Murdaugh’s trial, prosecutors accused him of killing his family members to distract from financial crimes that threatened his reputation as a well-known attorney in South Carolina. He was sentenced to life in prison.
He pleaded guilty to dozens of state and federal financial crimes and is serving concurrent prison sentences of 27 and 40 years.
