The five-justice court issued Opinion No. 28329 (Appellate Case Nos. 2023-000392 and 2024-000576). Becky Hill, who served as Colleton County Clerk of Court during the 2023 trial, communicated with jurors during deliberations in a manner the court found directed them to scrutinise Murdaugh's behaviour as he testified. The court held that Hill "placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury." [1]
The justices identified a second independent ground supporting reversal: the admission of more than 12 hours of testimony about Murdaugh's financial crimes created a "significant risk of unfair prejudice," portraying him as a habitual wrongdoer in a way the court found could have distorted the jury's assessment of the murder charges specifically. [1]