SC judge sets trial date for Murdaugh murder retrial at hearing - as it happened
Three years after he was led out of court in chains, convicted of brutally murdering his wife and son, disgraced Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh returns to a South Carolina courtroom Monday for the first hearing since his murder conviction was overturned.
On May 13, the S.C. Supreme Court set aside Murdaugh’s 2023 conviction in the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, shot to death at the Murdaugh family home in Colleton County five years ago.
Murdaugh is appearing in a Lexington County courtroom Monday morning ahead of a potential second trial on those murder charges.
Monday’s pretrial hearing will deal with motions filed by attorneys as they prepare to retry a case that attracted global attention to a county courthouse in Walterboro where Murdaugh was first tried in 2023.
The hearing before Judge Debra McCaslin at the Lexington courthouse is bringing together many familiar faces from that widely televised trial: defense attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters, as well as Murdaugh himself.
A line of people hoping to get into the courtroom had started forming outside the courthouse early Monday morning, with some hopefuls arriving as early as 4 a.m. to maximize their chances of getting a seat inside.
Proceedings are being livestreamed by CourtTV, and The State is posting updates here as the hearing unfolds.
11:03 a.m.
The hearing has now concluded and Murdaugh has been led out of the courtroom.
11:02 a.m.
The judge is looking at scheduling a trial for the week of April 5, depending on how long DNA analysis may take, if witnesses are available and what the new attorney general elected in November may do. “Don’t think this is going to be tried a year later, because it’s not,” she said.
Harpootlian says the main concern is how long DNA analysis may take. Griffin raises that the defense will likely have motions to evidence of Murdaugh’s financial crimes, which they contested being allowed into Murdaugh’s 2023 trial.
10:58 a.m.
McCaslin says future pretrial hearings will likely be held at the Lexington County Courthouse. The next hearing will be Aug. 14. She wants motions by Aug. 7. “Please don’t file something at 10 o’clock at night and expect me to rule on it in the morning,” she says.
10:55 a.m.
Defense attorney Jim Griffin says the defense would like to analyze the DNA from Maggie Murdaugh for potential evidence. McCaslin says she would need to know how long an analysis will take and whether there is still usable DNA to be analyzed.
McCaslin says she will let the state respond to the defense’s request for a change of venue from Colleton County. “If you can’t agree I will decide for you,” the judge says.
10:49 a.m.
Harpootlian renews his request that Murdaugh not appear at hearings in his prison garb and unshackled, arguing it could be prejudicial to future jurors. “Potential jurors are watching this right now,” he said. “Wherever this goes it will be difficult to get a jury ... He’s not Ted Bundy.”
Waters says the shackles are standard security protocol for an inmate with S.C. Department of Corrections. Murdaugh is currently serving a 27-year sentence for financial crimes.
10:38 a.m.
Judge McCaslin says she has spoken with the warden and he does not want Murdaugh to have access to a laptop. “No other inmate has a laptop in his cell,” she said. She will ask if materials could be downloaded to a prison-issued tablet.
10:35 a.m.
Attorneys are discussing whether Murdaugh will be able to review secret grand jury material from his S.C. prison.
Harpootlian says Murdaugh could review digital copies of materials on a tablet without internet connectivity. Waters objects that attorneys could show their client material during meetings but must keep the materials themselves. Harpootlian would like to leave it with the prison warden for Murdaugh to review.
10:22 a.m.
Judge McCaslin says she would like to set a trial date. “I hope you brought your calendars,” she said. “I will move an old case.”
Harpootlian said if they receive DNA evidence, it could take their examiners up to six months to review it. He says they can’t be adequately prepared by the end of the year.
10:15 a.m.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters says the state has turned over “extensive” discovery to the defense. “If anything, defense has more than the state does.” Harpootlian says “we don’t know what we don’t know.”
On DNA evidence that was recovered from Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails from an unknown individual, Waters says the state doesn’t believe there’s any evidence it was the result of a struggle. “It’s very common to have DNA from others, from shaking hands,” he says. “It’s a bit of a red herring.”
10:12 a.m.
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian says the defense team has heard from several witnesses they forwarded to SLED with what they believe is new information on the Murdaugh case, including “One (who) had extraordinary evidence tying Paul’s murder to Stephen Smith,” another Hampton County teen who died suspiciously. He says they don’t know if that information has been followed up on by SLED.
10 a.m.
Judge McCaslin has arrived in the courtroom. “Looks like we have a full house,” the judge says.
Murdaugh is also now seated at the defense table in his orange prison jumpsuit.
9:45 a.m.
The attorneys for both sides are now in the courtroom awaiting the arrival of Judge McCaslin. Alex Murdaugh has not made an appearance yet. He is expected to be wearing his prison uniform during this hearing.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 8:45 AM with the headline "SC judge sets trial date for Murdaugh murder retrial at hearing - as it happened."
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