Court overturns Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions and orders new trial

The court has ordered a new trial over the June 2021 killings of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Court overturns Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Court overturns Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions and orders new trial A South Carolina court has overturned the 2023 murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced lawyer who was convicted of killing his wife and son. The state's supreme court on Wednesday ordered a new trial for Murdaugh over the June 2021 killings. Murdaugh has been in prison serving two life sentences for the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh and an additional 40 years for federal financial crimes. Once a powerful lawyer, the 56-year-old and his legal troubles have captivated a global audience and inspired documentaries, podcasts and book deals. The trial itself was also televised. In a 5-0 ruling, the South Carolina Supreme Court said Murdaugh deserved a new trial because the local county clerk had unfairly biased a jury against him. "Both the State and Murdaugh's defense skillfully presented their cases to the jury as the trial court deftly presided over this complicated and high-profile matter," the justices wrote. "However, their efforts were in vain because Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury." The ruling cites a number of comments that Hill allegedly made to jurors during the trial. One juror wrote in an affidavit that Hill made comments telling jurors to "watch [Murdaugh] closely", which she said influenced her to find Murdaugh guilty because she thought the clerk was implying he was. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the The voluntary recall follows an incident on 20 April where an empty Waymo car entered a flooded road in San Antonio, Texas. The BBC's Sarah Smith explains the power dynamic between President Trump and China's Xi Jinping. The leaders of the global superpowers are expected to discuss the war in Iran, tariffs, AI and Taiwan during the two-day visit. Health experts fear a future where measles outbreaks keep taking over towns with low vaccination rates. Four people were killed and at least 20 injured, several critically, after a shooting at a crowded bar in South Carolina on Sunday. Heather Hall, an instructor at South Carolina's College of Charleston, was in Lisbon for a conference when she died in Wednesday's funicular crash. The explosion cut power in the area and caused the motorway to close for several hours. Democrats are wondering what to do with aging candidates after revelations about Joe Biden's health.