Murdaugh conviction tossed, forever chemicals hit Myrtle Beach, super El Niño looms
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s double murder conviction this week as researchers documented toxic chemical contamination at one of the state’s busiest beaches. Forecasters also warned of a rare super El Niño building over the Pacific, setting up a summer of major news across the Palmetto State.
Here are key takeaways:
- The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 double murder conviction, ruling 5-0 that former Colleton County Clerk Rebecca “Becky” Hill’s jury tampering denied the disgraced attorney a fair trial.
- Attorney General Alan Wilson vowed to aggressively retry Murdaugh for the 2021 killings of his wife Maggie and son Paul, though Murdaugh will remain imprisoned while serving a 27-year state sentence and 40-year federal sentence for financial crimes.
- Coastal Carolina University researchers found alarmingly high levels of toxic forever chemicals draining onto Myrtle Beach near Springmaid Pier, with PFAS readings in some cases hundreds to thousands of times higher than known standards.
- The contamination is suspected to originate from the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, which closed in 1993 after decades of using PFAS-containing foam to fight fires.
- NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center put the chance of a super El Niño developing from May through July at 61%, with forecasters warning of a mild hurricane season but potentially record-breaking heat for South Carolina and the Southeast.
- Kingsnakes, which grow to about 5 feet and shrug off copperhead and rattlesnake venom, will kill and eat venomous snakes by constricting them — and they are not aggressive or dangerous to humans.
- Lizard’s Thicket temporarily closed its Forest Drive location in Forest Acres on May 11 for a full renovation expected to last about two months, similar to the chain’s revitalized Main Street Lexington restaurant.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.