Alex Murdaugh appeared in Lexington County court Monday as a judge began scheduling his second murder trial, with his defense team arguing the case needs more time to adequately prepare following a jury tampering scandal that overturned his original conviction.
Judge Debra R. McCaslin tentatively set April 5 as the new trial date but cautioned that pending DNA testing could affect the timeline. She told both sides: "Please do not think that this case is going to be tried a year later, because it's not. We're going forward."
Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina attorney, was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, 52, and younger son, Paul, 22, who were found shot near the kennels at the family's Moselle hunting estate in June 2021. The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned that conviction in 2024 after discovering a clerk of court had improperly influenced jury selection.
During Monday's hearing, prosecutor Creighton Waters dismissed the defense's request for additional DNA testing, calling it a "red herring." He argued that DNA evidence is unreliable because people shed genetic material constantly through contact with doorknobs and handshakes.
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian countered that his team has assembled eight experts for the retrial and that conducting a thorough defense cannot be completed by year's end. He pushed for an April trial date to allow time for discovery, expert consultation and adequate preparation.
Another dispute emerged over Murdaugh's prison access. Waters argued Murdaugh should not be allowed a laptop or computer in custody, citing a previous incident in which a prison tablet was confiscated after allegedly receiving contraband from a family member. He also pointed to Murdaugh's fraud convictions as evidence of a propensity for illicit behavior.
Harpootlian argued that denying Murdaugh computer access would slow trial preparation and require repeatedly bringing the incarcerated defendant to the courthouse for consultations that could happen through secure digital communication.
The clerk scandal that led to the conviction's overturn raised questions about systemic vulnerabilities in jury selection safeguards. The tampering went undetected until after Murdaugh's conviction, suggesting inadequate oversight and insufficient documentation in the judicial system.
