A newly appointed judge has scheduled April 5 as the starting point for jury selection in the retrial of disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh, who faces two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of his wife and son. The South Carolina Supreme Court threw out his murder convictions in May, finding that a court clerk had “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” by indicating to jurors that his testimony should not be believed.
Murdaugh was once a well-known figure in rural South Carolina, recognized both for his family name and for winning million-dollar verdicts in court. He was employed at his family’s law firm, which had been in operation for more than a century, and his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all served as elected county prosecutors. Despite the overturned murder convictions, Murdaugh will remain behind bars due to separate federal convictions for stealing millions of dollars from clients. His case has been the focus of multiple documentaries and true crime podcasts.
Below is a chronological look at the major events leading up to the upcoming retrial:
June 7, 2021: Murdaugh contacts police to report that his wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, have been shot and killed near dog kennels on the family’s property.
Sept. 4, 2021: According to officials, Murdaugh attempts to orchestrate his own death in a scheme designed to secure a $10 million life insurance payout for his surviving son. The plan fails when a gunshot fired by an associate of Murdaugh only grazes his head.
Oct. 14, 2021: Law enforcement arrests Murdaugh at a drug rehabilitation center in Florida, charging him with stealing insurance settlement funds totaling more than $4 million that were meant for the sons of his deceased housekeeper.
Nov. 17, 2021: Prosecutors announce 27 additional charges against Murdaugh, alleging he misappropriated nearly $5 million in settlement funds. Authorities say he was concealing money from attorneys who had sued him in connection with the death of a teenager killed when, according to officials, an intoxicated Paul Murdaugh crashed a boat he was operating.
Jan. 18, 2022: Further indictments push the total number of charges against Murdaugh to 71, with prosecutors alleging he stole nearly $8.5 million in wrongful death and accident settlements from more than a dozen individuals.
May 4, 2022: Russell Laffitte, who had served as CEO of Palmetto State Bank before being fired earlier that year, is indicted on charges that he worked with Murdaugh to defraud victims out of $1.8 million.
June 28, 2022: New indictments describe an eight-year scheme involving money laundering and a painkiller operation.
July 14, 2022: Murdaugh is formally charged with murder in the killings of his wife and son. Grand jury indictments allege he shot his wife with a rifle and his son with a shotgun.
Jan. 23, 2023: Murdaugh’s double-murder trial gets underway.
Feb. 23, 2023: Taking the witness stand, Murdaugh denies being responsible for the deaths of his wife and son, though he acknowledges he lied to investigators about the last time he saw them alive.
March 2, 2023: After roughly six weeks of testimony, a jury finds Murdaugh guilty on both murder counts following less than three hours of deliberation.
March 3, 2023: A judge hands down a life sentence.
Jan. 29, 2024: A South Carolina judge rejects Murdaugh’s request for a new trial after his legal team alleged that a clerk of court had tampered with the jury.
April 2, 2024: Murdaugh receives a 40-year federal prison sentence for stealing from clients and his law firm.
Feb. 11, 2026: Murdaugh petitions the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn his murder convictions.
May 13, 2026: In a unanimous decision, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturns Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence, concluding that the court clerk’s behavior “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” by casting doubt on his testimony in front of jurors.
June 29, 2026: Newly appointed Judge Debra McCaslin sets April 5 as the date for jury selection to begin in Murdaugh’s retrial on the two murder charges, with pretrial motions scheduled for August 14. The defense has asked that Murdaugh be permitted to appear in regular clothing rather than an orange prison jumpsuit and shackles. His legal team is also seeking to move the trial away from Colleton County, where both the killings and the original trial occurred.
