Alex Murdaugh was back in court for a hearing before his retrial.

June 29 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET

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Murdaugh's attorneys have asked for a change of venue and adjustments to his dress code in court.

Murdaugh returned to the Lexington County Courthouse on Monday, June 29, for the first hearing in his new retrial. New judge Debra McCaslin met with prosecutors and Murdaugh’s defense team to consider new motions before setting a trial date of April 5, 2027.

Among the requests was one from the defense for a change of venue. Murdaugh's attorneys have indicated they would like to move it from Colleton County, where the murders occurred and the first trial was held, to a fresh venue for an untainted jury pool.

Defense lawyer Dick Harpootlian also renewed a motion to allow Murdaugh to wear civilian clothing during court appearances, instead of a prison jumpsuit and restraints.

"Chains around the waist, chains on the hands, chains on the feet. I mean, this guy is not a serial killer; he's not Ted Bundy," said Harpootlian.

He specifically pointed out the Court TV camera in the courtroom, saying, "Potential jurors are watching this right now. Wherever this goes, it's going to be difficult to get a jury. To the extent of parading him around in a jumpsuit and shackled like an animal… He's not dangerous. The only thing he has been convicted of is stealing money."

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Murdaugh's guilty conviction was overturned after the county clerk tampered with jurors.

Murdaugh remains imprisoned after he pleaded guilty to stealing millions from clients and loved ones in another case.

He had been handed two consecutive life sentences for fatally shooting his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, at their home on June 7, 2021, but in a bombshell decision, Hill was found to have tampered with the jurors during the original 2023 trial in an effort to promote a book she had written about the case.

During the trial, Hill reportedly told jurors "not to be fooled" by Murdaugh's own emotional testimony in hopes that he would be convicted to help her make money from her self-published book, Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders. The book was later pulled from publication after she reportedly admitted to plagiarizing part of it.

The corrupt clerk resigned in March 2024 after she was charged with taking more than $11,000 in bonuses and using her public office to promote the book.

Murdaugh's attorneys claimed the would-be crime author tried to influence jurors, and was heard by another employee rationalizing, "The best way to sell books was a guilty verdict. A guilty verdict would be better for the sale of books."

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Murdaugh was arrested in 2021 for the murders of his wife and son.

Murdaugh has fired back as well, filing a lawsuit of his own against Hill, accusing her of interfering with the jury. According to the court filing, Hill planned to use the publicity surrounding the case to bring her fame and enough money to purchase a lake house.

He also claimed Hill repeatedly made comments to jurors throughout the highly publicized 2023 trial, allegedly warning them not to be "fooled," "confused," or "convinced" by the defense team, and alleged she encouraged jurors to carefully study Murdaugh's body language during his testimony.

She also allegedly pushed them to move quickly during deliberations, reportedly telling them the case "shouldn't take us long."

He was convicted of the killing of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.

Murdaugh was once a prestigious attorney at his family-run law firm. But that changed on June 7, 2021, when he was accused of fatally shooting his wife and son with an AR-style rifle on the sprawling grounds of their hunting estate. He claimed he stumbled upon their bodies upon returning home from a visit to his mother.

Dialing 9-1-1 at 10:07 p.m., Murdaugh's frantic plea was chilling: "I need the police and an ambulance immediately. My wife and child were just shot badly."

However, a cellphone video taken by his son on the night of the murders confirmed Alex was at the crime scene. According to prosecutors, the disgraced former attorney killed his wife and son at around 8:49 p.m. and then attempted to create an alibi by calling Maggie's phone and sending a text message.

Despite maintaining his innocence, prosecutors painted a portrait of a desperate man who allegedly murdered his family to cover up a decade of financial deceit and drug addiction.