South Carolina Judge Jean Toal denied Alex Murdaugh's request for a new murder trial. Murdaugh was convicted of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on their family hunting property.
The man made the request alleging that the jury that found him guilty was influenced by Colleton County Court Clerk Becky Hill. However, the judge explained that she found no indication that this happened.
"She made comments about Murdaugh’s demeanor as he testified and she made some of those comments before he testified to at least one and maybe more jurors. Did clerk of court Hill’s comments have any impact on the verdict of the jury? I find that the answer to this question is no," the judge said in statements reported by CNN.
In that sense, the judge assured that she interviewed the members of the jury and studied other similar cases to make the decision. "“I do not find that I abused my discretion when I find the defendant’s motion for a new trial on the factual record before me must be denied," Toal said.
Alex Murdaugh convicted of murder
Jurors found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son in March 2023 following a six-week trial in South Carolina.
The jury decided his guilt in just three hours. The wife of the prestigious former South Carolina lawyer, Margaret, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were found dead in June 2021 near their family property. Authorities determined that both Margaret and Paul were struck by multiple gunshots.
Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, in which Murdaugh, 54, strongly denied his guilt. Despite there being hardly any direct evidence of the crime, such as direct witnesses or bodily signs of the shooting; Prosecutors based their accusation on a video showing the former lawyer at the crime scene that night, despite his statements to the contrary.
The Prosecutor's Office defined the crime as an attempt by Murdaugh to gain sympathy and divert public attention from his alleged financial crimes, for which he was also sentenced to 27 years in prison.
