On Monday, a South Carolina judge denied Alex Murdaugh’s request for a new trial in the deaths of his wife and son.
While Judge Jean Toal determined Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill was not “completely credible as a witness,” she found that her actions did not influence the jury to reach their guilty verdict. Hill denied speaking with the jury about the case and doing so in a manner that was driven by financial gain, per NBC News.
Murdaugh’s legal team accused Hill of rushing jurors to reach a guilty verdict for a book she was writing and self-publishing on the trial.
During Monday’s testimony, Hill said she made $100,000 on her book, Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, which she later admitted to plagiarizing. She later denied allegations that she told jurors not to be “fooled” by Murdaugh’s testimony or let the defense confuse them.
All but one juror said that Hill’s comments influenced their guilty verdict. One juror, identified as Juror Z, stated that Hill’s comments led them to believe “Mr. Murdaugh would lie when he testified.”
The juror also said, “I had questions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt but voted guilty because I felt pressured by other jurors,” according to NBC.
While Judge Jean Toal ruled Hill would testify at Monday’s hearing, she denied requests requiring testimony from dismissed jurors, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw the high-profile trial.
Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife and son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, and was sentenced to life in prison.
Alex Murdaugh sought a new trial. His attorneys claim Hill’s actions denied Murdaugh’s Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial. Jurors handed down a guilty verdict in less than three hours.
In addition to two life sentences, Murdaugh was sentenced to 27 years for stealing more than $8 million from clients and his former law firm.
Lead prosecutor Waters said a SLED investigation uncovered no outside tampering of the jury — though one juror said they felt pressured by other jurors to vote guilty. Murdaugh has maintained his innocence.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool]
