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A South Carolina judge has decided that the retrial of Alex Murdaugh on charges he killed his wife and son will take place in Sumter County, moving it about 80 miles from the site of the original trial in Colleton County. The new trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 5, 2027.
Judge Debra McCaslin ruled last month that Murdaugh could not receive a fair and impartial trial anywhere in the 14th Judicial Circuit, citing "community prejudice" and intense media coverage.
She issued an order stating that Sumter County is "best suited to accommodate the needs of this case," noting that Sumter County's courthouse offers the necessary security measures, courtroom facilities, and technological capabilities for the proceedings to be conducted safely and efficiently.
The decision to move the trial follows the South Carolina Supreme Court's overturning of Murdaugh's 2023 murder convictions. The court cited "shocking jury interference" by the former Colleton County court clerk as a key reason for the reversal. Judge McCaslin explained that holding the retrial in Colleton County would put it back in the institutional setting where the constitutional violation happened, further risking public confidence and juror impartiality. She also pointed to the "unprecedented" publicity surrounding the case—noting books, podcasts, documentaries, and widespread social media attention—as making it nearly impossible to find an unbiased jury in the original circuit. Her full order details the national media saturation and the Murdaugh family's long-standing influence in the region.
Murdaugh, 58, comes from a family that served as prosecutors in the 14th Circuit for nearly a century, which Judge McCaslin said increases the likelihood of both positive and negative bias among local jurors. Defense attorneys argued that "Colleton County is poison" for a retrial, while state prosecutors left the decision to the judge after raising concerns about cost and logistics for other proposed venues like Charleston or Columbia.
Although his murder convictions were overturned, Murdaugh remains in prison after pleading guilty to separate financial crimes. He is serving a 27-year state sentence and a 40-year federal sentence for stealing millions from clients and his law firm. He continues to deny killing his wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, and son, Paul Murdaugh, who were found dead at the family's estate in 2021.
The next pre-trial hearing is scheduled for November 13, with all motions due by October 30 and responses by November 6.