Alex Murdaugh is serving life in prison for the June 7, 2021 shooting murders of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, outside their home in Islandton, South Carolina. He continues to deny killing them. His defense team won an appeal for a retrial from the South Carolina Supreme Court in May 2026 due to improper interference by the former Colleton County Clerk of Court, Becky Hill. Justices found that she unduly influenced the jury and denied Murdaugh his right to a fair trial. Hill made improper comments during his trial and encouraged jurors to reach a guilty verdict potentially to promote her book. In January 2024, a judge ruled that while she couldn't believe Hill's testimony that she didn't talk to jurors about the case during the trial, she also couldn't overturn the verdict based 'on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-seeking clerk of court' because they didn't actively change the jurors' minds. Hill was not charged with jury tampering. In December 2025 Hill pleaded guilty to perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office, with the perjury relating to the Murdaugh trial and was was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours community service, and ordered to pay $11,880 in restitution. In his trial Murdaugh testified in his own defense and repeatedly admitted he lied and stole millions from his clients and law firm - though he felt that allowing the admission of testimony about his financial crimes unfairly prejudiced jurors. In a separate federal trial judgement Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in prison for 22 federal financial crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering.