Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Conviction Is Overturned—Months After Infamous South Carolina Estate Was Taken Off the Market

Accused killer Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction has been overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court, which has ordered that the former attorney be given a new trial in the deaths of his wife and son, who were found shot on the grounds of the family's estate in June 2021.

Murdaugh, 57, was initially convicted of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in March 2023, following a highly publicized six-week trial.

However, he has vehemently denied all involvement in their deaths—and immediately launched an appeal to overturn his convictions, which the state Supreme Court has now done, declaring that his original trial was unfairly influenced by the "improper" actions of county court clerk Becky Hill.

Hill, who worked during Murdaugh's first trial, was accused of "influencing" the jury in the case by making several comments to its members, including encouraging them to "watch his body language," suggesting that his actions implied he was guilty. She later wrote a tell-all book about her experiences in the courtroom.

Murdaugh's defense team focused their appeal around Hill's actions, insisting that their client had not been given a fair trial as a result of her behavior. In a unanimous—yet stunning—decision on May 13, the five-member court agreed.

"Although we are aware of the time, money, and effort expended for this lengthy trial, we have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial due to Hill’s improper external influences on the jury and remand for a new trial," the justices wrote of their vote.

Their decision means that Murdaugh's case will now be sent back to the circuit court, where South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson will determine whether the former attorney should be retried for the killings, according to The Independent.

However, this does not mean that Murdaugh will be freed from prison. In addition to the two life sentences he was handed for the murders, he was additionally sentenced to 40 years behind bars when he was convicted of 22 federal financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering.

Murdaugh's initial trial for the deaths of his wife and child focused heavily on what the prosecution described as his double life, with the attorney confessing that he had struggled with an opioid addiction for years before Maggie and Paul were killed.

The attorney, who also shared a second son, Buster, with his wife, was arrested for the murders in July 2022, after he was accused of trying to stage his own suicide in order to secure a $10 million life insurance policy for his only surviving child.

Police first turned their attention to Murdaugh as their prime suspect after finding what they believed were clear gaps in his story, including his whereabouts at the time of the murders. While he had denied being on the family property, a Snapchat video found on Paul's phone indicated that he had in fact been on the estate during the time that his wife and son were killed.

The family had lived on the 1,770-acre Islandton, SC, estate, which was known as Moselle, since 2013, having moved there from another nearby property.

However, it was put on the market in March 2023, the same month that Murdaugh was declared guilty, when it was purchased by two local businessmen for $3.9 million.

Just a few months later, those buyers, James Ayer and Jeffrey Godley, chose to carve up the land and put the Murdaugh family home and its surrounding 21 acres back on the market for $1.95 million.

However, it struggled to find a buyer and was ultimately put up on the auction block in February 2024, when it was bought by Alex Blair for just $1 million.

Soon after, Blair began an extensive renovation and expansion of the Murdaugh family residence, which he had initially purchased as a second home for his family—before choosing to try to sell it himself, listing it for the sky-high price of $2.75 million in December 2024.

That listing was then removed in April 2025 and it remained off the market for months, before Blair made another attempt to find a buyer in September, this time listing the property not as a family home but as a farm, with a newly lowered asking price of $2.2 million.

However, Blair once again struggled to find a buyer and the property was delisted for a second time on Feb. 21.

It remains to be seen whether the latest developments in the case will prompt Blair to put the property back on the market—particularly as he has previously voiced his opinion that Murdaugh is innocent of the murders.

In October 2024, he spoke to Realtor.com about his reasons for purchasing the home, insisting at the time that he believes Murdaugh could not have committed the crimes, while revealing that—despite reports to the contrary—his portion of the property did include the kennels where his son Paul was shot.

A crime scene expert determined Murdaugh ambushed Paul in the dog kennels and shot him twice, then shot his wife five times, delivering the final shots after she fell to her knees.

However, Blair claimed that could not have been the case, revealing that he was actually in possession of the kennel door and window that contain the bullet holes, which he said served as clear evidence of Murdaugh's innocence.

"I have the door and the window from the dog kennel," he said. "[Murdaugh] is a big man; he was even bigger back then, and he's too big for the bullets to have gone through in the way that they did."

"Maybe it was karma for other things that he did," he went on. "But I don't think he killed them."

Reports initially suggested that the dog kennels had not been included in the 21-acre portion of the Murdaugh family estate that he purchased. However, Blair says that the kennels, as well as Murdaugh's private airplane hangar, were both part of the sale.

He tore down both structures while renovating the home.

He added that, while he didn't know Murdaugh personally, many of the locals who live on the street where the Moselle Estate House sits agreed with him that the former lawyer is not guilty of the murders.

"Everyone on that road is like, 'No,'" Blair shared.

He revealed his hope that the incredibly detailed overhaul of the property would help to remove any "bad stigma" from it, noting that he wanted to change the home's narrative in a "positive" way.

Those renovations included an extension on one side of the property, which now serves as a master wing, as well as a complete transformation of the home's interior. Blair also replaced the airplane hangar and kennels with new exterior structures, rebuilding a new airplane hangar and adding a barn.

"Moselle is located in Colleton County, South Carolina, and features 48.2 manicured acres. The home and grounds have seen a complete overhaul, are exceptionally maintained, and it is in walk-in-ready condition," a recent listing stated. 

"You're welcomed into the property through a grand 1/4 mile long live oak-lined driveway, complete with a new custom iron gate entrance for added privacy and curb appeal. At the end of the main driveway lies the 2 story, Lowcountry plantation style estate.

"This meticulously overhauled custom home has seen a recent expansion and now offers four spacious bedrooms and five luxurious bathrooms. Designed with an open floor plan, there is a seamless flow from the grand entrance and great room to the gourmet kitchen complete with high-end appliances.

"Vaulted ceilings and new fixtures throughout lend a sense of drama and elegance to every space. The home boasts a fabulous new master wing for ultimate privacy, along with a beautifully appointed spa-like bathroom."

The listing went on to note that the property would be ideal for any "equestrian enthusiasts" thanks to its 10-acre fenced horse pasture and external barns, which can be "accessed by a separate service entry point."

"This estate is an exceptional blend of luxury, privacy, and functionality, ideal for those seeking a country lifestyle with space to entertain, or simply enjoy the stunning Lowcountry landscape," the online description continued. 

Unsurprisingly, the listing made no mention of the property's very murky history—which Blair previously told Realtor.com was not unusual in the local area.

"Every property in Lowcountry has a history," he said. "One bad thing about our state is that slave trading happened here.

"Bad things have happened on every property. But you have a choice to either focus on the negative or to create a positive narrative. And that's what I want to do."

When asked about his decision to extend the home with an addition, Blair joked that it was simply his “obsessive” desire to make the property “symmetrical.”

All of the windows and exterior elements of the extension were custom-made to match the exterior of the original home, he added.