Judge picks new location for Alex Murdaugh's double-murder retrial
Key Points:
- A South Carolina judge has ordered Alex Murdaugh's retrial on murder charges to be held in Sumter County, about 80 miles from the original trial location in Colleton County.
- Judge Debra McCaslin ruled the retrial cannot take place in the 14th Circuit due to concerns Murdaugh would not receive a fair trial in Colleton County.
- The retrial is scheduled for April 5, 2027, with Sumter County chosen for its suitable facilities, security, and infrastructure to handle the case.
- The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions earlier this year, citing jury interference by the Colleton County court clerk.
- Murdaugh remains imprisoned after pleading guilty to financial crimes, though he denies involvement in the murders of his wife and son, who were found shot dead in 2021.