Wilson later said that his office has 15 days to request that the Supreme Court reconsider its decision, though he added that he hopes to have a new trial before the end of the year. His term as attorney general ends in January.
When asked about the potential cost of retrying the case, Wilson said at a press conference in Columbia: “We are not going to let that be a factor in our decision to go forward. Seeking justice is the role of this office.”
A court spokeswoman said the state Supreme Court chief justice would likely appoint a judge for the retrial and that a trial would take place in Colleton County, the site of the killings, unless lawyers successfully petition for a change of venue. It is unclear how quickly this may happen.
Despite the order for a new trial, Murdaugh remains in state prison for his many other crimes, which include stealing from loved ones and vulnerable adults and children, including a disabled man, kids that survived severe car accidents, and a quadriplegic on a ventilator who later perished in the hospital.
Eric Bland, a Columbia attorney who has represented several victims of Murdaugh’s fraudulent actions as well as six of the jurors who convicted Murdaugh of murder, said he was not surprised by the order for a new trial, given the extensive arguments devoted to Hill’s conduct at the first trial during the hearings before Toal and the Supreme Court.
He was surprised, however, that the court went so far as to say Hill “placed her fingers on the scales of justice,” explaining that the six jurors he represented, as well as five others, indicated in assorted testimony and interviews that Hill’s commentary, real or supposed, had “no effect on their verdicts.”
Bland noted that the court also offered some criticism of the trial judge, the now-retired Clifton Newman, and his decision to allow substantial amounts of testimony regarding Murdaugh’s financial crimes during the murder trial.