South Carolina authorities announced on Thursday that they are investigating allegations by Alex Murdaugh’s defense attorneys that a court clerk committed jury tampering during the disbarred lawyer’s murder trial.
In a joint statement to Greenville News, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said Attorney General Alan Wilson requested SLED investigate claims made against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill by Murdaugh’s attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin.
On Tuesday, Griffin and Harpootlian filed court documents seeking a new trial as they alleged that Hill violated Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial by rushing jurors to reach a verdict so that she could secure a book deal and media appearances, as CrimeOnline reported.
“During the trial, Ms. Hill asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence. Ms. Hill invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty,” Murdaugh’s lawyers also wrote in a 65-page motion.
Murdaugh was convicted in March of killing his wife and son and was sentenced to life in prison after an an investigation by SLED and prosecution by the attorney general’s office. Murdaugh’s legal team had asked the law enforcement agency to “stand down” in this matter.
“We request that SLED stand down on initiating any investigation of these allegations since they are heavily invested in maintaining Alex’s conviction,” his legal team said, per the news outlet.
Murdaugh’s legal team wants United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair Ford Boroughs and the FBI to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, the attorney general has 10 days to respond to the latest motion.
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[Featured image: Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool]
