Developing·Case the developing record
#DC-0010

Alex Murdaugh

Retrial pending on two murder charges after South Carolina’s high court overturned prior convictions.

Charged · allegations
last updated 17 August 2026 · 6 sources
Confirmed facts
15
Open questions
5
Murder charges
2
Next hearing
14 Aug 2026
Jury select
5 Apr 2027
This case is still developing. Get an email when the file updates.
Audio brief · automated narration of the sourced record
Transcript

Case file Alex Murdaugh, reference D C zero zero one zero. The Associated Press reported that on June seventh, twenty twenty-one, Alex Murdaugh called police to report that his wife, Maggie, fifty-two, and son, Paul, twenty-two, had been fatally shot near dog kennels on their property. AP reported that on July fourteenth, twenty twenty-two, a grand jury charged Murdaugh with murder in their deaths. Those charges are unproven allegations after prior convictions were overturned. AP reported that Murdaugh denied killing Maggie and Paul during his trial, and admitted lying to investigators about when he last saw them alive. AP reported a jury convicted him in March twenty twenty-three, and a judge sentenced him to life in prison. Those convictions and that sentence were later overturned. According to AP, the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned the murder convictions and life sentence on May thirteenth, twenty twenty-six. AP reported Judge Debra McCaslin set jury selection for April fifth, twenty twenty-seven, and later agreed to move the retrial out of Colleton County. The new location had not been decided. The file’s open questions include where the retrial will be held, when dismissal arguments will be heard, and whether additional DNA testing will be conducted. This has been an automated reading of case file D C zero zero one zero at developing case dot com. Every fact you heard names a public source.

Timeline of what's confirmed15 entries
7 June 2021
Alex Murdaugh called police to report that his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, had been fatally shot near dog kennels on their property.
AP
14 July 2022
A grand jury charged Alex Murdaugh with murder in the deaths of his wife and son; the charges are unproven allegations after the prior convictions were overturned.
AP
23 February 2023
AP reported that Murdaugh denied killing Maggie and Paul after taking the witness stand at his murder trial and admitted lying to investigators about when he last saw them alive.
AP
2 March 2023
A jury convicted Murdaugh on two counts of murder after a six-week trial, according to AP; those convictions were later overturned.
AP
3 March 2023
A judge sentenced Murdaugh to life in prison after the 2023 verdict, according to AP; that life sentence was later overturned.
AP
2 April 2024
Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for stealing from clients and his law firm, according to AP.
AP
13 May 2026
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence in a unanimous ruling, according to AP.
AP
13 May 2026
AP reported that the South Carolina Supreme Court said the trial court clerk’s conduct egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility by suggesting to jurors that his testimony could not be trusted.
AP
29 June 2026
Judge Debra McCaslin set 5 April 2027 for the start of jury selection in Murdaugh’s retrial on two murder charges and 14 August 2026 for pretrial motions, according to AP.
AP
5 August 2026
A federal judge dismissed Alex Murdaugh’s lawsuit seeking $600,000 in legal fees from former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill, according to AP.
AP · added 17 Aug 2026
14 August 2026
Judge Debra McCaslin agreed to move Murdaugh’s retrial out of Colleton County, according to AP.
AP · added 17 Aug 2026
14 August 2026
AP reported that the new location for the retrial had not been decided.
AP · added 17 Aug 2026
14 August 2026
Judge Debra McCaslin ruled Murdaugh did not have to wear a prison jumpsuit in court because he was not a security risk, according to AP.
AP · added 17 Aug 2026
14 August 2026
Judge Debra McCaslin did not hear arguments on the defense request to dismiss the murder charges, according to AP; the charges remain unproven allegations.
AP · added 17 Aug 2026
14 August 2026
Judge Debra McCaslin asked the defense to determine whether there is enough remaining DNA material found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails for both prosecutors and the defense to run additional tests, according to AP.
AP · added 17 Aug 2026
Open questionsunconfirmed · not conclusions
What pretrial motions will be decided on 14 August 2026?Unconfirmed; AP reported the date for pretrial motions but not final rulings. · unconfirmed
How will the court address jury-selection safeguards for the 2027 retrial?Unconfirmed; AP reported jury selection is set for 5 April 2027 but did not report the final selection plan. · unconfirmed
Where will the retrial be held?Unconfirmed; AP reported on 14 August 2026 that the location had not been decided. · unconfirmed
When will the court hear arguments on the defense request to dismiss the murder charges?Unconfirmed; AP reported the judge did not hear those arguments on 14 August 2026. · unconfirmed
Will additional DNA testing be conducted before the retrial?Unconfirmed; AP reported the judge asked the defense to determine whether enough material remains for both sides to run additional tests. · unconfirmed
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