Alex Murdaugh's Fame-Hungry Clerk Rebecca Hill Tainted Jury for Profit, Attorneys Claim in Demand for New Trial
Sandy claims to have witnessed Murdaugh at the scene of the accident eight years ago.
Sept. 5 2023, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Alex Murdaugh's lawyers allege that a South Carolina court clerk tainted the jury that convicted him of murdering his wife and son, so they want a new trial for the convicted double murderer and a federal investigation into Rebecca Hill, who they claim profited off the guilty verdict, RadarOnline.com has learned.
As this outlet reported in March, Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, at their family’s hunting estate in July 2021. It took the jurors three hours to decide his fate.
The former lawyer was given two life sentences for the murders. He also faces 100 pending charges for separate crimes.
Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his son and wife, and was handed two life sentences.
According to his legal team, who filed a 65-page motion on Tuesday, Hill told the jury “not to believe Murdaugh’s testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense.”
Murdaugh's attorneys also claimed the Colleton County clerk "invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty."
“Ms. Hill had frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson, a Court-appointed substitution for the foreperson the jury elected for itself at the request of Ms. Hill. During the trial, Ms. Hill asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence," the motion stated.
It only took the jury three hours to decide his fate.
Murdaugh's team charged she "pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict, telling them from the outset of their deliberations that it ‘shouldn’t take them long'" — all while allegedly working on a book deal.
"Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame," the motion continued.
Hill is also accused of having private conversations with the jury foreperson and allowing jurors to take smoke breaks when they weren't allowed to.
Several jury members spoke to Murdaugh's attorneys about the allegations, claiming she told them, “Y’all are going to hear things that will throw you all off. Don’t let this distract you or mislead you."
They also revealed she allegedly warned them not to "be fooled," to “watch him closely,” and to “look at these actions.”
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His lawyers charge that Hill "pressured" the jury and "betrayed her oath for office for money and fame."
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As for Hill, she denied the allegations. "It's totally not true," she told The Daily Beast. "This is crazy.”
Murdaugh's attorneys want U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs to launch a federal investigation into the matter, alleging Alex's civil rights were violated during the double murder trial.
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