Alex Murdaugh listens to testimony about cellphones during his trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Feb. 10, 2023, in Walterboro, South Carolina. (Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- The lead prosecutor in the Alex Murdaugh trial, Creighton Waters, said that he is "disappointed in the court's decision" to vacate two murder convictions for Murdaugh, and that he hasn't ruled out an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America" Thursday morning, Waters said "we disagree" with the decision, but that "we respect the court and respect the process and we'll continue on as we always do."
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned Murdaugh's 2023 murder convictions in the deaths of his wife and younger son. The court said the court clerk had "improper external influence" on the jury, denying him a fair trial.
Murdaugh's wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds near the dog kennels at the family's hunting estate in 2021.
Murdaugh was convicted of murdering them following a six-week trial, with jurors deliberating for nearly three hours before reaching a guilty verdict.
Waters said that an appeal to the Supreme Court is "still on the table," and that he and his team have 90 days to decide to do that, though he added that "probably our best best is just going to be to tee this thing up again."
"There is some question among the law as to how do you apply these alleged jury tampering issues," Waters said. "I think as we look at what's best long term for this case and what's best for justice, it's to retry this case and do so as soon as we can."
Following Wednesday's decision, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said his office will "aggressively" seek to retry Murdaugh for the murders "as soon as possible" -- possibly by the end of this year.
Murdaugh was also convicted on several financial crimes following the murder trial and is serving a 27-year sentence on state charges and a 40-year sentence on federal charges related to those crimes.
"Let me be clear -- this decision does not mean Murdaugh will be released," Wilson said in a statement. "He will remain in prison for his financial crimes. No one is above the law and, as always, we will continue to fight for justice."
Murdaugh's lawyers said they "look forward to a new trial conducted consistent with the Constitution."
Murdaugh has continued to maintain his innocence about the deaths of his wife and son. His defense alleged that jury tampering and evidentiary errors -- including the inclusion of his financial crimes -- denied him a fair trial.
Murdaugh's attorneys allege that Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill tampered with the jury by "advising it not to believe Murdaugh's testimony and other defense evidence, pressuring it to reach a quick guilty verdict, misrepresenting information to the trial court in an attempt to have the court remove a juror she believed to favor the defense."
Hill denied these claims but would later resign from her position and pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct while in office and one count each of obstruction of justice and perjury.
Waters, however, said he planned on being aggressive and was confident he could win in another trial.
"Assuming that we don't decide to appeal any further, [we] are going to get this thing before a jury as soon as we can," Waters said.
- ABC News' Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
Police did not name the suspect, but said the 31-year-old man surrendered to the Bellevue Police Department on Wednesday and has been booked into the King County Jail for investigation of murder.
The 19-year-old female victim was found stabbed to death in a laundry room in a housing building on campus Sunday night, police said.
UW President Robert J. Jones offered his condolences in a statement on Monday, saying, "There are no words that can express the profound loss of a student."
Although police did not release a motive, Jones said, "I want to recognize that when violence affects a trans person it can be especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members."
"Our Division of Student Life is reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources to help them through this very difficult ordeal," Jones said.
A Beechcraft C90 King Air (Marko Hannula/Getty Images)
(RUIDOSO, N.M.) -- A small medical plane with four people on board crashed near Ruidoso, New Mexico, early Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Beechcraft King Air 90 had departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport when it crashed around 4 a.m. local time, the FAA said. The crash was in a remote, wooded area, according to FlightRadar24.
Jason Burns, the manager of Lincoln County, where the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport is located, said a fire was reported in the nearby Capitan Mountain area. Burns said emergency personnel, fire officials, law enforcement and other agencies were responding.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate, the FAA said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in front of the American flag to the press as he departs the White House on May 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- A District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals panel is set to hear arguments Thursday over the Trump administration's bid to reinstate executive orders that sought punishing sanctions against four elite law firms over their past representation or employment of perceived political foes of President Donald Trump.
Four separate district court judges had previously granted permanent restraining orders sought by the four law firms -- Perkins Coie, Susman Godfrey, Wilmer Hale and Jenner & Block -- after determining the EOs were unconstitutional.
Some of the judges derided the White House's efforts to punish the firms in particularly blistering terms, likening the pressure campaign mounted last year by the Trump administration against 'Big Law' as akin to McCarthyism and the 'Red Scare' era in American history.
Staring down similar prospects of facing executive orders that sought to virtually eliminate their interactions with the government, at least nine other elite firms entered into controversial settlements with the Trump administration in exchange for providing pro bono legal services for causes supported by the White House.
Those settlements, which in sum totaled nearly $1 billion by the White House's calculation, led to an exodus of high-profile attorneys at several of the firms who said the agreements amounted to capitulation in response to an unlawful intimidation campaign by the Trump administration.
In March, the Justice Department appeared inclined to drop their appeal of the injunctions and even notified attorneys and the circuit court that it was withdrawing the case.
Less than 24 hours later, however, the department abruptly reversed course and said it would continue arguing the appeal after multiple news articles described the move as a major victory for the firms that mounted the legal battle.
It's unclear whether that back-and-forth will surface in oral arguments Thursday as the law firms seek to convince a three-judge panel to uphold the injunctions -- which barred the Trump administration from implementing sanctions that included barring firm attorneys from accessing some federal properties and restricting their security clearances. Several of the firms described in detailed filings how the orders, if implemented, would effectively bankrupt them.
The administration, however, argued the orders were well within President Trump's power to issue, and described the district courts' orders as an impermissible intrusion on the executive branch.
"This appeal of those sweeping decisions is not about the sanctity of the American law firm; it is about lower courts encroaching on the constitutional power of the President to discuss and address invidious racial discrimination, national security risks, and other problems with certain law firms," DOJ attorneys said in a court filing in March.
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks at an event with US Vice President JD Vance and Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) at Ex-Guard Industries, a manufacturing facility on May 5, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa. Vance is attending the event to support Nunn ahead of the state's June 2 primary election. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt-Pool/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- A new federal lawsuit accuses Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins of proselytizing federal employees by frequently invoking Jesus Christ in work emails.
The National Federation of Federal Employees and a group of seven USDA employees filed the lawsuit in California, accusing Rollins of violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
"Secretary Rollins's practice and policy of subjecting agency employees to proselytizing messages conveys the expectation that USDA employees share in the Secretary's religious beliefs, even when doing so would betray an employee's own beliefs," the lawsuit said. "It is exactly the sort of government-sponsored religious coercion, religious sermonizing, and denominational preference that the Establishment Clause prohibits."
The complaint listed a series of emails sent by Rollins to commemorate recent holidays, including crediting "gratitude towards a loving God" in her Thanksgiving email, writing that "God gave us the greatest gift possible" in her Christmas email, and describing the story of Jesus' resurrection as the "greatest story ever told" in her Easter email. Rollins only acknowledged Christian holidays, according to the complaint.
"Our nation's Founders -- having learned from the harmful effects of past religious conflicts -- adopted the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to safeguard against government promoting any favored religion or imposing its preferred religious practice on its citizens to protect religious freedom for all," the lawsuit said.
While religious expression is protected under law and federal employees are permitted to engage in private religious speech, the Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing an official state religion, favoring one religion over another, or favoring religion over non-religion.
The federal employees who brought the lawsuit alleged that Rollin's speech "indoctrinates USDA employees and has caused them to feel coerced, unwelcome, excluded, and like outsiders to the agency."
One employee claimed in the suit that she was told it would "create trouble" for her if she asked to be removed from the email distribution list, and others said they feared retaliation if they complained about the messages.
Another employee said he "feels that the Secretary is conveying to him that he is unwelcome and 'going to hell' because he does not share the Secretary's beliefs."
In response to the lawsuit, a USDA spokesperson said in a statement, "While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process."
Actor Matthew Perry of the television show 'The Kennedys - After Camelot' speaks onstage during the REELZChannel portion of the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Langham Hotel on January 13, 2017, in Pasadena, California (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
(LOS ANGELES, Calif. ) -- A man who helped supply Matthew Perry with the doses of ketamine that killed the "Friends" actor was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison.
Erik Fleming, a licensed drug addiction counselor, admitted in a plea agreement to working with another dealer to provide Perry with dozens of vials of ketamine, including the dose that led to the actor's fatal overdose in October 2023 at the age of 54.
Fleming is one of five people charged and convicted in what prosecutors called a conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine to Perry. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
He faced up to 25 years in prison, prosecutors said.
The sentence also includes three years of supervised release.
"I am regretfully sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused the family. It’s what hurts me the most," Fleming told reporters upon leaving the courthouse.
He said he deserved a consequence, "and I got a consequence."
"My chest and heart hurt every day for the pain that I've caused not only his family, but the millions of people who adored him," Fleming said.
Federal prosecutors argued in a memorandum filed ahead of sentencing that Fleming should receive 30 months in prison due to his "profit-seeking behavior and reckless distribution of dubiously manufactured drugs."
They said that after learning through a friend that Perry was seeking illicit ketamine, Fleming brokered multiple transactions between the other dealer, Jasveen Sangha, and the actor's live-in personal assistant, "despite knowing the risk and dangers of selling the drugs."
They said Fleming knew about Perry's history of addiction and still chose to sell him drugs, which, unlike medical-grade ketamine, were contained in clear, unmarked vials of unknown concentrations. They said he also marked up the price of the vials Sangha was selling from $160 to $220.
They said Fleming struggled with addiction himself and was "well aware of the warning signs of drug seeking behavior," but that he "nonetheless elected to insert himself into Mr. Perry's addiction story to profit from it."
"Although defendant's drug trafficking appear[s] to be limited to the drug sales in October 2023, his criminal conduct nonetheless caused significant harm, including the loss of Mr. Perry's life," prosecutors stated.
Defense attorneys, meanwhile, requested that Fleming be sentenced to three months in prison and nine months in a residential drug treatment facility "where he can continue the hard work he has put into maintaining his sobriety."
His attorneys, Robert Dugdale and Jeffrey Chemerinsky, said Fleming "relapsed into heavy drug use" following the death of his stepmother in September 2023 and was "most vulnerable to engage in uncharacteristically reckless conduct." They argued that he only brokered three transactions "involving very small quantities" of ketamine to a single customer in exchange for less than $2,000 for "logistical fees."
"Tragically, this brief diversion Mr. Fleming took from his otherwise law-abiding life led to a calamity Mr. Fleming never intended and foolishly did not foresee as possible," the attorneys stated in a sentencing memorandum.
"Mr. Fleming is appearing at his sentencing fully acknowledging the role he played in this tragedy and is as remorseful as one could be for the harm he has caused those close to Mr. Perry," they continued.
Fleming's attorneys maintained there are multiple mitigating factors, including his "extraordinary cooperation," which they said helped lead to the "immediate apprehension" of Sangha. Since pleading guilty, he has also "worked tirelessly to maintain his sobriety" and opened a sober living home, they said.
Prosecutors agreed that Fleming warranted leniency for accepting responsibility and cooperating with the government's investigation, "including information that furthered the prosecution of a more culpable defendant," Sangha.
Sangha, the so-called "Ketamine Queen," was sentenced to 15 years in prison last month. She pleaded guilty last year to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Prosecutors said she ran a "high-volume drug trafficking business" out of her residence in North Hollywood and continued to sell "dangerous drugs" even after learning she had sold ketamine that contributed to the overdose deaths of two men: Perry and, years earlier, Los Angeles resident Cody McLaury.
In addition to Fleming and Sangha, three other people were charged and pleaded guilty in connection with Perry's death: Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's live-in personal assistant; and two doctors, Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia.
Prosecutors said Sangha worked with Fleming to distribute ketamine to Perry, and that in October 2023, they sold the actor 51 vials of ketamine that were provided to Iwamasa.
"Leading up to Perry's death, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied to Fleming," the DOJ said in a press release last year. "Specifically, on October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha's ketamine, which caused Perry's death."
Iwamasa pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
Chavez and Plasencia have already been sentenced for their roles in what prosecutors called a conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine to Perry.
Chavez, who once ran a ketamine clinic, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and was sentenced to eight months of home confinement in December 2025.
Plasencia, who briefly treated Perry before the actor's death, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four counts of distribution of ketamine and was sentenced to 30 months in prison in December 2025.
Kouri Richins is seen in a Summit County Sheriff's Office booking photo. (Summit County Sheriff's Office)
(UTAH) -- Kouri Richins, a Utah woman convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, was sentenced to life without parole for murder on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old mother of three, who self-published a children's book on grieving following her husband's death in 2022, was found guilty on all counts in March following a weekslong trial. The Summit County jury reached a verdict after about three hours of deliberations.
She faced either 25 years to life in prison or life without parole.
Eric Richins, 39, was found dead in bed on March 4, 2022. An autopsy determined that he died from fentanyl intoxication, and the level of fentanyl in his blood was approximately five times the lethal dosage, according to the charging document.
Kouri Richins was found guilty of aggravated murder, with prosecutors saying she spiked his drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl that she purchased illicitly after asking two people for the "Michael Jackson drug."
She was also found guilty of attempted aggravated murder, with prosecutors saying she gave her husband a sandwich laced with fentanyl on Valentine's Day two weeks before his death in an initial, failed attempt to kill him.
She was additionally found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband's life with his forged signature and for submitting a claim following his death.
Kouri Richins addresses court
Kouri Richins, who did not testify during her trial, addressed the court prior to her sentencing in what the defense said would be an "unusually long" allocution.
She spoke directly to her three children, referring to them as her "sweet baby boys," saying she has been unable to contact them since early 2024 so "will use any opportunity I can to get a message to you -- even if that means sharing it publicly to the world, fully restrained in my jail clothes, in one of the most horrible situations possible."
"I don't care, and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed by any of it," she continued.
While surrounded by her attorneys at the podium in lime-green jail clothing and handcuffs during her nearly 40-minute remarks, she said her children are her reason for living and "I am so sorry for even one second you thought that I did for even one second you thought that I didn't love you."
"I know that today you don't want to speak to me, have a relationship with me," she said. "You may think you hate me, and that's okay. I will never be angry at you for your feelings. When the day comes that you're ready, I will be here for you, waiting for you, and loving you."
She told them she is "not perfect."
"I have succeeded and I have failed as a person, as a wife, as a parent -- we all do," she said.
Regarding her and her husband, she said, "We failed at some things, we never failed at loving you boys."
She got emotional, telling them that they will always have their brothers.
"You have each other's back," she said.
Kouri Richins repeatedly told them to "be like their dad" and serve their community, be generous, love the outdoors and be a "noble son."
"Be the friend everyone wants to be friends with, the dad that everyone wishes they had," she said.
She said she may never see them again and apologized for them being in the middle of "absolute chaos."
"I'm sorry that eight people from a jury who have never met you or me or our family have the right to determine our future, and they did that in less than three hours," she said on her conviction.
She said she's "broken" without her children and husband, and that the thought that she murdered their dad is an "absolute lie."
"The thought of that is still as absurd today as it was four years ago," she said.
"I would have never taken him from you, from us," she continued.
She said she will appeal her conviction and fight the charges "no matter how long it takes."
"I will not be blamed for something I did not do," she said. "I need you boys to know the truth, and because of that, I will never quit the truth and coming home to you."
Calls for life without parole
Prosecutors asked Judge Richard Mrazik to hand down a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, saying she "murdered Eric in the presence of their children, using poison, and for money."
"Such a person should never again lurk among the rest of us," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed ahead of Wednesday's hearing. "Her children should never worry that they may one day encounter her."
The memo included statements from the couple's three boys, who were 9, 7 and 5 years old when their father was murdered.
The eldest son, identified by his initials as C.R., wanted the court to know that "my dad was a good person and very thoughtful and kind and helped whoever needed help," the filing stated.
Prosecutors said that the Utah Division of Child and Family Services supported a finding of emotional and physical abuse by Kouri Richins against C.R. following the death.
"I'm afraid if she gets out, she will come after me and my brothers, my whole family. I think she would come and take us and not do good things to us, like hurt us," the filing stated. "I miss my dad, but I do not miss how my life used to be, I don't miss Kouri, I will tell you that."
The middle child, A.R., was a "material witness" to the murder, according to prosecutors, as Kouri Richins told police that she had gone into his room before returning to bed and finding her husband dead. Had he taken the stand during the trial, "A.R. would have testified at trial that the Defendant did not sleep in his room with him the night she murdered his father," prosecutors stated.
A.R. said he doesn't want his mother out of jail "because I will not feel safe," the filing stated. The youngest son, W.R., also said he would feel "so scared" if his mother ever got out, and that she "makes me feel hateful and ashamed."
The statements were read on their behalf by advocates during the sentencing hearing.
Defense attorney Wendy Lewis asked that the court not consider the state's sentencing memo, arguing during the hearing that it contained "unsworn allegations untested by cross-examination" and was a "not-so-subtle attempt" to make public evidence that they held back or were unable to present in court because Kouri Richins did not testify.
Lewis disputed several points in the memo, saying that the Utah Division of Child and Family Services made an initial finding of emotional and physical abuse based on reports, sending the case to juvenile court, which she said found "no fault" -- "in other words, that the children needed intervention, but due to no fault of Kouri Richins."
Lewis also said that upon Kouri Richins' arrest a year after the death, A.R.'s statements to police at the time were consistent with hers, that "Kouri had gone to sleep in his room" that night.
Judge Mrazik ultimately denied the defense's request to strike portions of the state's sentencing memo.
'Permanent trauma'
The three boys are now in the care of one of Eric Richins' sisters, Katie Richins-Benson, and her husband, according to the filing.
Richins-Benson urged the court to hand down a sentence that guarantees Kouri Richins will remain in prison for the rest of her life for the "permanent trauma" she's inflicted on the children.
"The mere thought that someone who has so little regard for human life or decency might one day walk free is horrifying," she said while delivering a victim impact statement in court on Wednesday. "I worry about the safety of Eric's boys, my daughters, my sister and myself. There is nothing Kouri will not do and no one she will not hurt to achieve her own selfish ends."
Several other family members delivered emotional victim impact statements during the hearing, held on what would have been Eric Richins' 44th birthday, while also asking for the maximum sentence possible.
In addition to the maximum sentence, prosecutors asked that Kouri Richins be ordered to pay restitution to two insurance companies totaling more than $1.3 million.
Defense says she's not a 'monster'
Defense attorney Kathryn Nester argued during the sentencing hearing that Kouri Richins is not the "monster" portrayed by the prosecution, while asking the judge to consider conduct displayed over the course of her life.
Nester described Kouri Richins as a "human being, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a person that has made mistakes," but also a person who has "completed acts of kindness and love and care toward others, a person who's contributed to her community, a person who even in the darkest time of her life, reached out to help others who were incarcerated alongside her, a person who unselfishly tried to ease the pain her family and friends experienced as a result of this case."
Defense attorney Wendy Lewis read in court a letter written by Kouri Richins' mother, during which she asked the court to hand down a sentence that reflects accountability but also "allows the possibility of a future."
Her mother also called the conviction a "profound injustice."
"I do not believe Kouri is capable of committing a murder," she wrote.
Other letters by family members and friends in support of Kouri Richins were read on their behalf or delivered in court. She could be seen crying as her brother addressed the court.
"I miss your family, I miss our family," her brother, Ronnie Darden, told the court. "We don't, with 100% certainty, know what happened to Eric, no one does, but we do know, with 100% certainty, that it wasn't caused by you."
Lewis asked for a sentence of 25 years to life, saying, "When you put aside all of the media, all of the interest, and you look at the crime she is convicted of, this is an appropriate sentence."
"A sentence of 25 to life is not a sentence that guarantees the release of Kouri Richins," Lewis continued. "It is not saying that she even should be released. What it is saying is that the decision whether she should be released is a decision for someone else to make on another day -- a day that will be at the minimum 25 to 30 years in the future, a future that could look very different than today."
Prosecutors argued that Kouri Richins was having an affair and wanted a "fresh start" and to leave her husband -- but didn't want to leave his money. They said she was in "financial desperation" due to her house flipping business' debts and needed a significant influx of cash immediately.
According to prosecutors, she believed she would have financially benefited from her husband's death -- without realizing that his assets were in a trust overseen by one of his sisters, Katie Richins-Benson.
The defense, meanwhile, said the case was "sloppy" and "driven by bias" and argued that the state failed to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. The defense called no witnesses.
Kouri Richins also faces more than two dozen charges in a separate case filed last year, including allegations that she committed mortgage fraud in 2021. The charging document alleges she submitted falsified bank statements in support of mortgage loan applications for her realty business, committed money laundering and issued bad checks.
The charges in the case also allege she murdered her husband for financial gain as she "stood on the precipice of total financial collapse."
Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his wife and youngest son, listens as his attorneys Dick Harpootlian, left, and Phil Barber speak during a judicial hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 29, 2024. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh, who was found guilty of killing his wife and younger son, finding that the court clerk's "improper external influence" on the jury denied him a fair trial.
Murdaugh's wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and younger son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds near the dog kennels at the family's hunting estate in 2021.
Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering them following a six-week trial, with jurors deliberating for nearly three hours before reaching a guilty verdict.
The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Murdaugh must have a new trial, citing the actions of former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill, the court clerk who served during the double murder trial.
Hill "egregiously attacked Murdaugh's credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut," the court's opinion stated. "As noted at the outset, Hill's shocking jury interference was accomplished outside the presence and knowledge of the outstanding trial judge and superbly competent and professional counsel for the State and the defense."
In a footnote, the justices said they "commend the post-trial court, which inherited Murdaugh's motion for a new trial and was placed in the unenviable position of evaluating unprecedented jury interference by a clerk of court within the context of a murky area of law."
Following the decision, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said his office will "aggressively" seek to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders "as soon as possible."
"Let me be clear -- this decision does not mean Murdaugh will be released," Wilson said in a statement. "He will remain in prison for his financial crimes. No one is above the law and, as always, we will continue to fight for justice."
Murdaugh was also convicted on several financial crimes following the murder trial and is serving a 27-year sentence on state charges and a 40-year sentence on federal charges related to those crimes.
In the murder trial, prosecutors made the case that Alex Murdaugh, who comes from a legacy of prominent attorneys in the Lowcountry region, killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his financial wrongdoings, while the defense argued that police ignored the possibility that anyone else could have killed them.
Murdaugh has continued to maintain his innocence. His defense alleged that jury tampering and evidentiary errors -- including the inclusion of his financial crimes -- denied him a fair trial.
Murdaugh's attorneys contend that Hill tampered with the jury by "advising it not to believe Murdaugh's testimony and other defense evidence, pressuring it to reach a quick guilty verdict, misrepresenting information to the trial court in an attempt to have the court remove a juror she believed to favor the defense."
During oral arguments before the state Supreme Court justices on the matter in February, the defense alleged that Hill tampered with the jury to ensure a guilty verdict because, they claimed, it would help her sell more copies of a book she would go on to write about the high-profile case.
Murdaugh's defense claimed that Hill influenced the verdict through remarks heard by some jurors during the trial, including in one instance to watch Murdaugh's body language during his testimony, according to court filings.
"The clerk of court allowed public attention of the moment to overcome her duty," Murdaugh's attorney, Dick Harpootlian, said during the February hearing.
Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters countered during the hearing that Hill made a "few fleeting comments" over the course of a six-week trial that included nearly 90 witnesses and almost 600 exhibits, arguing that they weren't enough to influence the verdict.
Chief Justice John Kittredge called Hill a "rogue clerk of court" during the hearing and said he wanted to make note that the "overwhelming majority" of clerks in the state are "dedicated, conscientious public servants" who "do not act like this."
Hill resigned as the Colleton County clerk of court in March 2024, amid the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's investigation into allegations she may have abused her government position for financial gain.
She pleaded guilty in December 2025 to obstruction of justice, perjury and misconduct in office for showing photographs that were sealed court evidence to a reporter during the trial and then later lying about doing so on the stand during a hearing related to Murdaugh's bid for a new trial.
The charges did not allege any jury tampering, and she denied any tampering with the jury during her testimony.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
: Louisiana State trooper police car parked on street (ablokhin/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Officials in Louisiana reached a tentative $4.8 million settlement on Tuesday evening with the family of Ronald Greene, sources told ABC News. Greene was a 49-year-old Black motorist who died on May 10, 2019, after an encounter with Louisiana State Police, where he was beaten and shocked with stun guns following a high-speed vehicle chase.
A spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday morning that a settlement, which was first reported by the Associated Press, has been reached over Greene's death, but said that the terms cannot be discussed since the negotiations are ongoing.
"LSP is unable to discuss the terms of the settlement at this time, as the process has not yet been finalized," LSP Public Affairs spokesperson Lt. Kate Stegall said.
Greene was pursued by police after failing to stop for an unspecified traffic violation, leading to a car chase near Monroe, Louisiana. Greene's mother, Mona Hardin, said that authorities initially told the family that Greene died when his car crashed into a tree, but body camera footage released amid public pressure nearly two years after his death showed his violent encounter with police.
The settlement would resolve a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed in May 2020 by Greene's family against the Louisiana State Police.
According to Louisiana state law, the settlement would need final approval from the state legislature before it is finalized.
Five Louisiana law enforcement officers initially faced state charges for their roles in Greene's deadly arrest, but several charges were dropped or reduced in this case.
Federal prosecutors informed Greene's family in January 2025 that the Department of Justice had declined to seek federal charges in this incident.
The NASA logo is displayed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on October 15, 2025 in La Canada Flintridge, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- A newly discovered asteroid will pass within about 56,000 miles of Earth on Monday, significantly closer than the distance between Earth and the moon.
There is no need to worry or cancel any plans, however. Current calculations show no evidence that the object will hit Earth.
The asteroid was identified several days ago by astronomers at five observatories, including Farpoint Observatory in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, and Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains.
The asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, is likely between 50 and 100 feet across, according to estimates from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That estimate is based on how bright the object appears and how much light scientists think its surface reflects.
Astronomers are still working to better understand the asteroid’s orbit and physical characteristics. So far, the object has been tracked only 24 times over several days. While its trajectory is still being refined, current calculations show no impact risk.
The asteroid is considered an Apollo-class near-Earth object.
"These asteroids have an orbit that is larger than Earth's orbit around the Sun and their path crosses Earth's orbit," according to NASA.
The Virtual Telescope Project plans to stream the encounter live beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET on Monday.
A Frontier Airlines Airbus taxis to a gate at Denver International Airport (DEN) it times in history" due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
(DENVER) -- The fatal collision in which a Frontier Airlines jet struck a person on the runway at Denver International Airport was a suicide, according to the medical examiner.
The man, who died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries, has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott.
Mott was scientifically identified and police said they are talking to friends and family to better understand what had been going on in his life, the medical examiner said at a press conference Tuesday.
Mott was not an airport employee and no vehicle or bicycle was found nearby. Investigators are still trying to understand what he was doing in the area, according to the medical examiner.
The runway where the incident occurred is about 2 miles away from the terminal and is very remote. Police have searched nearby farmland for any notes or items from him, but have not found anything, according to the medical examiner.
Denver International Airport officials said they have had fence jumpers before, but they are typically caught rather quickly. The airport got an intrusion alarm alert on Friday, but when they looked, they saw a pack of deer, which is common in the area. They could not see Mott, officials said.
It took 15 seconds for Mott to jump over the 8-foot fence with barbed wire. It took two minutes from that first moment for him to reach the runway and be hit, according to officials.
If you or someone you care about needs to talk, contact the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-273-8255.
President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House, May 12, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday temporarily paused a lower court order that declared President Donald Trump's global 10% tariffs are unlawful.
In an unsigned decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an administrative stay of last week's decision from the Court of International Trade.
The move, effectively a brief legal time-out, will allow an appeals court panel time to consider equities on both sides of the dispute before considering whether or not to invalidate the tariffs while litigation continues.
The court did not take any position on the merits of Trump's appeal and is still considering issuing a long-term stay pending appeal.
The same court granted the Trump administration's request to stay last year's decision blocking Trump's first round of tariffs.
Last week, a New York-based trade court concluded that the 10% -- imposed by Trump after the Supreme Court blocked his initial tariffs -- were similarly unlawful.
Flowers stand on the National September 11 Memorial ahead of the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Sept. 7, 2023, in New York City. (Gary Hershorn/ABC News)
(NEW YORK) -- The 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced Tuesday it will add a seventh moment of silence at this year's 25th commemoration ceremony to honor those who have died of illnesses related to their time at or near the World Trade Center site.
For the past 24 years, there have been six moments of silence: two to mark the times when the planes struck the World Trade Center towers; one to mark when a plane struck the Pentagon; one to mark when a plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania; and the two times the World Trade Center towers collapsed. The moments of silence are each followed by a bell toll.
This new, seventh moment of silence will be observed at the conclusion of the reading of the names and will be a permanent part of the annual ceremony.
The recognition comes as more than 9,000 people have now died from 9/11-related illnesses, approximately three times the number killed on Sept. 11, 2001, according to the World Trade Center Health Program. Cancer cases tied to exposure have skyrocketed from 3,200 in 2015 to nearly 53,000 in 2026.
"We’ve lost far too many to cancer, respiratory issues, and other 9/11-related illnesses," Dr. Kerry Kelly, former FDNY Chief Medical Officer and 9/11 Memorial & Museum Trustee, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"This new moment of silence is a fitting tribute to these heroes whose sacrifice, dedication, and commitment to public service will never be forgotten," Kelly said.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies runs up court against the Detroit Pistons in the second half of an NBA game at Little Caesars Arena on January 24, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke has died, the team confirmed on Tuesday. He was 29.
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke," the team said in a statement on social media. "Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the great Memphis community will not be forgotten."
Clarke was found dead on Monday from a possible drug overdose in a home in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Police Department sources told ABC News. Narcotics were found at the scene and there is no evidence of foul play, sources told ABC News.
The athlete had been recently arrested in Arkansas for felony drug trafficking, possession of drugs and a pursuit, sources said.
The Canadian-American forward began playing in the NBA in 2019. He was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and immediately traded to Memphis, where he had played ever since. He was named to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team in his rookie season.
"As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon's family, friends and the Grizzlies organization."
Priority Sports, the agency that represented Clarke, said they are "beyond devastated" by his death.
"He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched. He was the greatest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family," the agency said in a statement. "Everyone loved BC, because he was always there as the most supportive friend you could ever imagine. He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It's just impossible to put into words how much he'll be missed."
In college, Clarke played two seasons for the San Jose State Spartans before transferring to Gonzaga. During his junior season, he was named the West Coast Conference's Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first to win both honors in the same year in the conference's history.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(SAN ANTONIO) -- Six people, including a teenager, were found dead inside a shipping container at a Texas rail yard near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said.
A seventh person who was found dead along train tracks in an area outside San Antonio is also believed to have been part of the same group in what is a suspected smuggling incident, authorities said.
The six bodies were discovered Sunday at the Union Pacific rail yard in Laredo, police said. An employee at the rail yard called police after discovering the bodies during a routine rail car inspection, police said.
The victims include a 14-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man from Honduras, as well as a 29-year-old woman and two men -- aged 45 and 56 -- from Mexico, according to the Webb County Medical Examiner's Office.
So far, the woman has been confirmed to have died from hyperthermia, according to the Webb County Medical Examiner's Office, which said it is "highly probable that hyperthermia was the cause of death for the entire group."
The body of the seventh person was found Monday afternoon near tracks in Bexar County, some 150 miles north of Laredo, according to authorities. The man, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, was carrying a Mexican voter registration card, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
"At this point, the prevailing theory is that he's a resident of Mexico that was among that group that was being smuggled into the country in one of these shipping containers," Salazar said during a press briefing on Monday.
It is unclear if the man had died while in the shipping container and his body was dumped, or if he died in a fall from the train, he said, noting that the medical examiner will be determining the cause and manner of death.
Salazar said the shipping containers can only be opened from the outside, and that sensors go off when they are opened.
He said the train is believed to have originated in Del Rio, Texas, where the sensor did go off, presumably to load people on. The sensor went off again near where the body of the seventh person was found in Bexar County, he said.
"The fact that a sensor hit from here indicates someone opened that from outside," Salazar said. "Our belief at this point is that it was most likely smugglers, coyotes that opened it from the outside."
It is unclear if there were more people on the train who were successfully let out at that point, he said.
Salazar said the train continued on and was split up at a station, with half of it going to Houston and the other half to Laredo, where the six other people were found dead.
One of the people found dead in Laredo is believed to have contacted a relative on Saturday from inside the shipping container, saying in a message that "it was getting very, very hot, and that they were having some physical trouble as a result of it," Salazar said.
The relative, who lives in a different state, contacted police, and San Antonio officers were dispatched to a location several miles from where the body was found in Macdona and did not find anything, he said.
The Webb County Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement Tuesday it is "working in close coordination with the Mexican Consulate to facilitate communication with the families of the deceased, ensure positive identification, and assist in the repatriation process as efficiently as possible."
Homeland Security Investigations and Texas Rangers are also investigating the incident, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Union Pacific said it is "saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate."
ABC News' Laura Romero contributed to this report.
Massachusetts State Police said at least one person was left wounded after a gunman began shooting into traffic in Cambridge on Monday afternoon. (ABC News)
(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) -- Two people were shot and left with life-threatening injuries after a gunman began shooting into traffic in Cambridge on Monday afternoon near Harvard University, according to officials.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a press briefing after the incident that a gunman with an assault-style rifle was "actively firing in an erratic fashion at various vehicles."
The shooting occurred in the vicinity of Memorial Drive and River Street before 1:30 p.m.
A trooper and a civilian, a former Marine, fired their weapons and struck the gunman, who was later identified as Tyler Brown, multiple times, according to the DA. Brown is under arrest and is hospitalized, Ryan said.
Brown is now facing six new felony charges, including two for assault with intent to murder.
He was under probation supervision for a previous crime, according to the DA.
Brown was sentenced to five to six years in state prison and three years of probation in August 2021 after he fired at Boston Police. Brown pleaded guilty to eight charges, including armed assault with intent to murder and attempted assault and battery by means of discharging a firearm, according to a 2021 statement from the Suffolk District Attorney's Office.
Brown was also previously required to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment, according to the DA's office.
Brown was also on probation at the time of the 2021 incident for a 2014 assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife) and witness intimidation conviction, according to the DA's office. He was sentenced to four to five years in state prison for violating his probation to be served concurrently.
The DA's office had recommended Brown be sentenced 10 to 12 years, criticizing the lower sentence.
"My office recommended a significant sentence for Mr. Brown given the nature of his offenses and the trauma andharm he inflicted. I am disappointed in the sentence that was imposed," then-District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a 2021 statement.
The two people who were struck by gunfire were in their vehicles at the time.
Aerial footage from ABC News' Boston affiliate WCVB showed the gunman being apprehended by police at the scene.
WCVB footage also showed a black Dodge sedan off the side of the road after an apparent crash.
A rifle was seen on the grass in the area, according to WCVB.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said in a statement that there is no ongoing threat to the public, but asked that residents "avoid the area to allow public safety personnel to do their work."
Lisa Schill, a witness to the shooting, told WCVB she was in a school van on the way to pick up kids at school. She said she left the van and began running from the incident on foot.
"I was running for my life," Schill told the publication.
: In this aerial view, salvage crews continue to remove wreckage from the Dali six weeks after the cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge May 08, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(BALTIMORE) -- The federal government indicted two foreign companies Tuesday in connection with the cargo ship crash that caused the deadly collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024.
Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, a shoreside technical superintendent of the M/V Dali, the vessel involved in the crash, was also charged by federal prosecutors.
The Singapore-registered Dali was bound for Sri Lanka when it crashed into the Baltimore bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024, after the ship lost power twice. The boat knocked down a section of the bridge, and six construction workers who were on the span were killed.
The Justice Department alleges that the companies that operated the boat, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, and Nair engaged in "criminal conduct that not only destroyed the Key Bridge but brought the regional economy to its knees and claimed the lives of six Maryland residents,” according to the indictment.
The indictment says that the economic loss was at least $5 billion.
If the ship had been using the proper equipment, the crash could have been avoided, the DOJ said.
The companies along with Nair, an Indian national, allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali's four generators, according to the indictment.
However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout, the indictment said.
The indictment alleges that if the Dali used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge.
The DOJ alleged the defendants also lied to investigators when asked about what happened.
"This indictment is the first step in our efforts to hold those accountable who caused the tragic deaths of six people and catastrophic damage to our region," U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland said in a DOJ statement. "The safety of our residents, ports, and infrastructure is of utmost importance to the prosperity of the District of Maryland. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland will continue to pursue those who commit crimes that jeopardize those interests."
Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. issued a statement Tuesday saying it was "deeply disappointed" in the prosecutors' actions and defended itself citing the NTSB investigation.
"The NTSB’s findings, together with the substantial evidence Synergy Marine has produced to the government in the investigation, clearly refutes any allegations of wrongdoing by the DALI crew," Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy, said in a statement.
Wilson also questioned the indictment's timing as it came a month before a civil trial against the company was slated to commence.
The company said that it "will defend against these allegations with vigor and remains committed to pursuing all legal avenues."
A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320neo plane, owned by the Bank of Utah Trustee, taxis to a gate at Denver International Airport (DEN) on March 23, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
(DENVER) -- The fatal collision in which a Frontier Airlines jet struck a person on the runway at Denver International Airport was a suicide, according to the medical examiner.
The man, who died of multiple injuries, has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
No one was injured in Woods' rollover car crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, in March, Martin County officials said. Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Woods did not appear at Tuesday's hearing, but his lawyers argued for a protective order, saying the golf legend's medication records should not be open to the public and should only be given to limited people involved in the case, like the prosecution and law enforcement, according to ABC West Palm Beach affiliate WPBF.
The prosecution conceded that Woods has a right to privacy from the general public, WPBF reported.
The judge approved the state's request for the subpoenas and also approved the defense's request for the protective order, permitting the medication records to be released, but restricting who gets access to them, WPBF reported.
The March 27 accident unfolded when Woods tried to pass a truck in front of him, authorities said. Woods clipped the back of the truck's trailer, causing the golfer's SUV to tip on its side, authorities said.
Two hydrocodone pills were found in Woods' pants pocket, the probable cause affidavit said. A breathalyzer showed no alcohol in his system, but Woods refused to take a urine test, which is used to detect drugs or medication, authorities said.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks to the Border Security Expo at the Phoenix Convention Center on May 6, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Gage Skidmore/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that members of the media "should not be surprised" if they receive subpoenas for information related to their sources on stories pertaining to national security-sensitive matters, following a Wall Street Journal report that the outlet received subpoenas stemming from its coverage of the war in Iran.
"Prosecuting leakers who share our nation's secrets with reporters, in turn risking our national security and the lives of our soldiers, is a priority for this administration," Blanche said. "Any witness, whether a reporter or otherwise, who has information about these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material."
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the outlet received subpoenas back in March related to a Feb. 23 article that reported on military officials' warnings to President Donald Trump of the risks of carrying out military action against Iran.
Trump, according to the Journal, later personally urged Blanche to more aggressively pursue leaks related to the war -- at one point sliding him a list of articles with a sticky note on it reading, "Treason."
A Justice Department spokesperson, in a statement to ABC News, said, "In all circumstances, the Department of Justice follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States."
Blanche previously had said in a news conference that the DOJ would be moving forward with directly targeting reporters with subpoenas, alarming media outlets and First Amendment advocates who have noted the move is a break with recent precedent.
The Justice Department under the Biden administration had previously implemented strict guidelines for when prosecutors could use compulsory legal action to target reporters, framing such moves as the last resort when U.S. national security is imperiled.
