Alex Murdaugh, the former attorney who was sentenced to life in prison for the double murder of his wife and son, had those convictions overturned on May 13 when the South Carolina Supreme Court said a clerk improperly influenced the trial jury.
The news is the latest twist in a sprawling legal saga. In a separate case, Murdaugh confessed to and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison in for a multimillion-dollar financial fraud crime spree. That conviction was not affected by the new decision.
The court found evidence of "shocking jury interference" was grounds for throwing out Murdaugh's initial murder trial. Here's what to know:
The court's decision focuses on a double murder conviction.
Murdaugh's wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were shot to death on the family's South Carolina property in June 2021, sparking an investigation that drew national attention and media coverage. The investigation into their deaths also led police to reopen cases of other deaths and accusations of further crimes that went back years.
