Experts are divided on whether the charges against former court clerk Becky Hill will lead to a retrial for Alex Murdaugh, following the denial of his appeal in South Carolina’s Supreme Court last year. Hill faces perjury and misconduct charges, which could influence the retrial’s outcome, but legal experts like Charlie Condon argue that the absence of jury tampering charges may harm Murdaugh’s case.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced on Wednesday that Hill, 57, has been charged with obstructing justice and misconduct in Colleton County and perjury in Richland County. The perjury charge stems from a lie she allegedly told South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Toal in January 2024, when the justice ruled that a new trial was not necessary for Murdaugh upon his appeal. The charging documents state that when Toal asked Hill, “Did you allow anyone from the press to view sealed exhibits?” Hill responded, “No, ma’am,” which is apparently inconsistent with evidence obtained by authorities. They also accuse her of showing sealed photos to a reporter and using her official position as Colleton County clerk for financial gain by promoting her book about the Murdaugh case on social media.
A Colleton County jury in 2023 convicted Murdaugh in the June 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on his family hunting estate. Murda, whose family had a stronghold on the justice system in neighboring Hampton County for about a century, had requested the new hearing based on allegations of jury tampering surrounding Hill, which his defense team had argued warranted a new trial. However, SLED’s charging documents filed Wednesday do not accuse Hill of jury tampering. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hill’s attorney, Will Lewis, for comment.
Condon expressed surprise at the charges against Hill and the absence of jury tampering charges. “That had been the focus at the hearing for the retrial. Nothing in [Hill’s charges] about jury tampering,” he said. “To my mind, it’s a really big win for the state and a big loss for the defense because a main ground of their appeal would be this jury tampering, and the fact that there are no charges against former clerk Hill for jury tampering tells me that the authorities looked at that and did not believe there was sufficient evidence to show that she tampered with the jury.” Meanwhile, attorney Eric Bland of Bland Richter LLP, who represented multiple jurors in Murdaugh’s murder trial and several victims of his financial crimes, suggested that the charges bode well for Murdaugh. “Three of those charges that are pending in Colleton County really have nothing to do with the trial. [Those are] actions that she took outside of that trial in the course and scope of her duties, taking advantage of her office — obstruction activity. That has nothing to do with it,” Bland explained. “One charge in Richland County is a perjury charge. And it’s perjury that does stem from the [January 2024] hearing where Justice Toal rendered a decision not giving a new trial to Alex Murdaugh.”
Murdaugh’s conviction remains in place, but legal experts are still assessing whether Hill’s charges could lead to a retrial. Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, Murdaugh’s defense attorneys, told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday statement that while the charges against Hill “are serious, they are not surprising.” They emphasized the need to protect the integrity of the judicial process and look forward to Murdaugh finally getting a fair treatment. Harpootlian believes the charges against Hill will result in a new trial for Murdaugh.
Hill was also previously accused of sending herself nearly $10,000 in federal bonuses in the form of child support payments, according to a notice of hearing. She used federal funds to give food and gifts to court employees, including “Easter Goodies,” Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts, and Valentine’s Day gifts; paint supplies; flowers and decor; various meals for herself; office furniture; and dog food, dog bones and a dog bed, among other items. SLED charging documents make note of the bonus payments. Hill, who held her position for about four years, resigned in March following allegations of jury tampering in the Murdaugh trial but maintained that her decision to leave office was not the result of her conduct during the double murder trial.
“Another significant impact in our clerk’s office was in 2023, when we had to manage one of the biggest trials in South Carolina history. Our small town came together and made everyone proud,” Hill said during a news conference at the time to announce her resignation. “Managing a trial with such importance to the people of South Carolina, as well as to the national and international media interest and public scrutiny, has caused me to reflect upon decisions involving my stay in the office of the clerk of court.” She added that her decision not to seek re-election in 2024 would allow her to “focus on being a wife, a mother and a grandmother,” and that she wanted to provide “ample time to other Republican candidates” interested in the position of Colleton County court clerk.
Her former attorney, Justin Bamberg, who has represented victims of Murdaugh’s financial crimes, said at a March news conference that Hill’s decision to resign had nothing to do with any pending investigations involving the clerk. The ongoing legal battle over Hill’s charges and its potential impact on Murdaugh’s case continues to unfold, with both sides closely monitoring the situation for any developments.