SC Supreme Court orders retrial in Murdaugh murder case over jury influence

South Carolina’s Supreme Court vacated Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 murder conviction, ordering a new trial after ruling a county clerk’s prejudicial remarks and outside influence compromised the defendant’s fair-trial rights; the court also criticized the judge for admitting unrelated financial-crimes evidence. Prosecutors plan to retry Murdaugh, who remains imprisoned for a separate 40-year federal sentence and is not slated for release.