Alex Murdaugh’s new double murder trial in the shooting deaths of his wife and son will be held a little more than an hour from where he was originally convicted, this time in Sumter County.
Judge Debra McCaslin issued an order late Tuesday changing the venue from Colleton County where she says the 58-year-old cannot get a fair trial.
The judge cites several reasons for moving the trial, including community prejudice, pervasive publicity, and a high rate of juror disqualification. For example, she says out of the roughly 900 prospective jurors summoned in Colleton County, fewer than one in seven was qualified to serve.
The judge says she chose Sumter for the new trial because, among other things, it has plenty of room and security and is convenient for witnesses.
Murdaugh’s defense team had asked the judge to consider Charleston and Richland Counties.
Murdaugh was granted a new trial earlier this year after the South Carolina Supreme Court found that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill improperly influenced jurors during his first trial in 2023.
Judge McCaslin has set the new trial date for April 5, 2027. Murdaugh’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 13.
