Alex Murdaugh spent more than two years behind bars after he was sentenced to back-to-back life sentences for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son Paul Murdaugh — until the South Carolina Supreme Court upended the entire case.
On May 13, 2026, the state’s highest court overturned Alex’s murder convictions in a unanimous 5-0 vote and ordered a new trial, ruling that the original proceedings were tainted by “improper external influences” from former county clerk Becky Hill. Before the bombshell decision, however, the disgraced South Carolina attorney was facing a punishment that would have kept him locked up for the rest of his life — and then some.
Here’s a breakdown of every sentence Alex received before the convictions were thrown out, what he was doing behind bars and where his sprawling legal saga goes from here.
Alex Murdaugh’s Original Murder Sentence
Following a six-week trial that captivated the country, a jury found Alex, 57, guilty on March 2, 2023, of murdering Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, near the dog kennels on the family’s South Carolina property in June 2021.
The judge handed down two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole — one for each victim. That meant Alex, a once-prominent civil litigation lawyer from a powerful South Carolina legal dynasty, was expected to die in prison even before any additional charges were factored in.
Throughout the trial, Alex took the stand and denied killing his wife and son, though he admitted to lying to investigators about his whereabouts on the night of the murders and conceded he had stolen millions of dollars from his clients and his own law firm. He later apologized for the lie in court, telling jurors he hadn’t been “thinking clearly” and didn’t believe he had been “capable of reason” at the time. However, he maintained he “didn’t shoot” Maggie or Paul “anytime, ever.”
Alex Murdaugh’s Financial Crimes Sentences
The two life sentences were only part of Alex’s punishment. The former attorney was also facing a total of 102 grand jury criminal charges and 19 indictments tied to fraud and drug offenses stemming from a scheme involving embezzlement, wire fraud and money laundering.
He pleaded guilty to 22 federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, and was sentenced to an additional 40 years in federal prison for those crimes. On top of that, he received a 27-year state-level sentence for separate financial crimes.
All together, Alex was serving two consecutive life sentences plus 67 additional years for the financial offenses. He had also been disbarred and had his assets seized as part of the fallout from his crimes against clients and his former law firm.
Inside Alex Murdaugh’s Life in Prison
While serving his sentences, Alex traded his career as a high-powered attorney for a very different role inside the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Since August 2023, he had been working as a wardkeeper’s assistant, a job that reportedly involves helping run the day-to-day operations at a correctional facility, according to the New York Post.
When he wasn’t working his prison job, Alex was busy assisting his legal team in crafting an appeal. His attorney, Dick Harpootlian, told the Daily Mail in January 2026 that working with the former lawyer was easier than dealing with most clients.
“You can talk to him, unlike normal clients who have no concept of the appellate process or how all this works,” Harpootlian said. “He is interested because he is a lawyer, so we talk about where we’re at and what we think the grave issues are with the case and what our weaknesses are.”
Harpootlian added that Alex remained adamant about his innocence in the murders, even as he accepted responsibility for the financial crimes.
“I think Alex understands he did a bad thing in stealing all that money,” the lawyer explained. “He is adamant he didn’t kill Paul and Maggie. He always has been … and when we get a fair trial, I think the jury will determine he didn’t do it.”
Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Convictions Overturned
Alex’s attorneys first appealed the murder convictions shortly after the March 2023 verdict, arguing that the trial had been tainted by Hill’s improper comments to jurors, prejudicial evidence and other failures at trial.
The appeal centered largely on allegations that Hill had improperly influenced the jury by implying Alex’s guilt and telling jurors to “watch his body language.” A handful of jurors confirmed Hill’s comments in affidavits and testimony, though most jurors said they did not hear the remarks.
In January 2024, retired South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal initially denied Alex’s request for a new trial, concluding that Hill’s comments had not influenced the verdict. Toal did, however, find the comments improper and said she believed Hill had been “attracted by the siren call of celebrity” because of the high-profile nature of the case.
The South Carolina Supreme Court ultimately disagreed with Toal’s conclusion. In their May 13, 2026, ruling, the justices acknowledged the enormous toll a new trial would take but said the law left them no other option.
“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 in their 5-0 decision, according to CNN.
Prosecutors previously urged the court to uphold the convictions, arguing that the evidence against Alex was overwhelming and that he was “obviously guilty,” per CNN. While they acknowledged that Hill’s behavior had been inappropriate, they argued her comments did not meaningfully affect the outcome of the trial.
Hill herself faced legal consequences for her conduct. She was charged with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in May 2025, according to WLOS. After pleading guilty to the charges in December 2025, she was sentenced to three years of probation.
What Happens Next for Alex Murdaugh
Even with the murder convictions tossed out, Alex is not walking free. He remains incarcerated while serving the 27-year state sentence and 40-year federal sentence for his financial crimes — punishment that adds up to 67 years and is entirely separate from the murder case.
A new murder trial will be scheduled, giving prosecutors another chance to make their case to a jury and giving Alex another opportunity to argue that he did not kill Maggie or Paul.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
