LEXINGTON, S.C. — The retrial for Alex Murdaugh on charges related to the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, has been scheduled to begin April 5, 2027, according to a hearing Monday presided over by a newly assigned judge. This marked Murdaugh’s first public court appearance in over two years following his 2023 conviction and life sentence in the double-homicide case.
Murdaugh, a disbarred lawyer with a prominent South Carolina background, appeared in court wearing a bright orange prison jumpsuit, shackled at his hands, waist, and feet. His hair, formerly red, has turned a light blondish-white, and he maintained a solemn expression throughout the hour-long proceeding.
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s previous conviction earlier this year, citing jury tampering by Becky Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court. Murdaugh faces the possibility of a new conviction, but the retrial will proceed under a different judge, Circuit Court Judge Debra McCaslin, who was assigned the case three weeks ago.
At Monday’s hearing in Lexington County, McCaslin indicated openness to a change of venue from Colleton County, where the alleged homicides took place. The defense has requested the trial be moved as far away as possible due to the widespread notoriety of the Murdaugh name in the region. The judge asked the lead prosecutor, Creighton Waters, and defense attorney Dick Harpootlian to discuss potential alternative locations before the next hearing, scheduled for August 14. McCaslin also expressed the intent to resolve various evidentiary issues at that time, including whether new DNA technology can be used to test genetic material found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails.
The courtroom atmosphere contrasted with the previous trial held in Walterboro, where Murdaugh appeared in civilian attire without restraints. At Monday’s hearing, Harpootlian requested that Murdaugh be allowed to appear in street clothes in future proceedings and argued against his current shackled state. He pointed out that Murdaugh is no longer a convicted murderer and emphasized that his only prior convictions relate to multi-million-dollar financial crimes rather than violent offenses. The defense also sought access to a laptop containing extensive trial materials—roughly half a terabyte of documents—for preparation, including transcripts and witness interviews.
Prosecutor Waters opposed these requests, referencing Murdaugh’s prior loss of a prison-issued tablet for misuse and his history of fraud convictions spanning more than a decade. Judge McCaslin expressed a desire to find a workable arrangement with prison officials, affirming, “I want him to have his discovery. He’s entitled to it.”
Notably absent from the courtroom were Murdaugh’s family members, who had previously been a frequent presence during the original trial. Department of Corrections officials noted that no family visits have occurred in recent months. Meanwhile, separate from the murder case, Murdaugh remains in custody on multiple plea deals related to the theft of over $10 million from clients in his personal injury practice, carrying a combined state and federal sentence of 67 years.