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The five-member court ruled in a unanimous decision that Murdaugh must have a new trial, citing the "breathtaking and disgraceful effort" of former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill, the court clerk who served during the double murder trial, to "undermine the jury process." Hill "egregiously attacked Murdaugh's credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut," the court's opinion stated. "As noted at the outset, Hill's shocking jury interference was accomplished outside the presence and knowledge of the outstanding trial judge and superbly competent and professional counsel for the State and the defense." In a footnote, the justices said they "commend the post-trial court, which inherited Murdaugh's motion for a new trial and was placed in the unenviable position of evaluating unprecedented jury interference by a clerk of court within the context of a murky area of law." Following the decision, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said his office will "aggressively" seek to retry Murdaugh for the murders "as soon as possible" -- possibly by the end of this year. "Let me be clear -- this decision does not mean Murdaugh will be released," Wilson said in a statement. "He will remain in prison for his financial crimes.
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