Murdaugh Murder Conviction Overturned: Court Clerk’s Misconduct Taints Trial

The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned Alex Murdaugh's 2023 murder conviction for the deaths of his wife Maggie and son Paul, citing jury tampering by the Colleton County court clerk, Becky Hill.

“The court found that Becky Hill, the Colleton County court clerk during the trial, tampered with the jury.”

Murdaugh remains incarcerated for unrelated financial crimes. The ruling allows for a retrial on the murder charges.

Background on Becky Hill's Misconduct

During the trial, Hill made statements to jurors urging a guilty verdict and discussing her book about the case. After the trial, she published a memoir titled Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, later withdrawn due to plagiarism.

Hill pleaded guilty to showing sealed court exhibits to a reporter and lying about it under oath. She was sentenced to probation for that offense.

Trial Irregularities Cited

The Supreme Court identified several irregularities that undermined the integrity of the trial:

• The jury was not allowed to take notes during the complex trial.
• Hill engaged in prayer sessions near jurors and discussed the case with them.
• One juror was dismissed on the last day of trial based on unsubstantiated claims by Hill.
• The dismissed juror later stated she would have voted not guilty.
• Several witnesses testified that Hill pressured jurors to convict.

“Several witnesses testified that Hill pressured jurors to convict.”

Statements

Attorney Dick Harpootlian, representing Murdaugh, said the ruling affirms the importance of due process.

James Lasdun, a journalist who covered the case, stated that while he believes Murdaugh is guilty, the conviction was tainted by misconduct.

“The ruling affirms the importance of due process.” — Attorney Dick Harpootlian

Next Steps

The state attorney general's office has not yet announced whether it will seek a retrial.