A former South Carolina clerk appeared calm and collected just days after the state Supreme Court ruled that her conduct at the so-called 'trial of the century' was so egregious that it warranted Alex Murdaugh's double murder conviction to be overturned.
Becky Hill Spotted Relaxing at Home
Rebecca 'Becky' Hill was photographed by Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital at around 11:45 a.m. sitting on a porch swing outside her home, sipping from a coffee mug as a small dog lay nearby. She declined to comment to the outlet about the bombshell ruling, citing a gag order and pending litigation as she faces a civil lawsuit from Murdaugh over the scandal.
The legal scion's attorneys have long argued that Hill engaged in jury tampering at his March 2023 trial for the murders of his wife, Maggie, 52, and his son, Paul, 22, including by telling them to 'watch him closely' so as not to be fooled by his defense, as she wrote a book about the case.
Supreme Court Unanimous Decision
The South Carolina Supreme Court ultimately agreed in its unanimous decision last week, as the justices reprimanded her for her actions, which they said 'egregiously attacked Murdaugh's credibility.'
'Although we are aware of the time, money, and effort expended for this lengthy trial, we have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh's motion for a new trial due to Hill's improper external influences on the jury and remand for a new trial,' the justices wrote. 'Here, Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court, egregiously attacked Murdaugh's credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut.'
They added, 'As noted at the outset, Hill's shocking jury interference was accomplished outside the presence and knowledge of the outstanding trial judge and superbly competent and professional counsel for the State and the defense. We are accordingly constrained to reverse the post-trial court's denial of Murdaugh's motion and remand for a new trial consistent with this opinion.'
Murdaugh Not Walking Free
But Murdaugh was still not allowed to walk free from prison as he is serving separate 40-year and 27-year sentences on a slew of financial crimes. The state Supreme Court found Hill tampered with the jury as she was writing this book about the case.
The legal scion had seen his life of fortune begin to unravel when Maggie and Paul were murdered on the night of June 7, 2021. They were shot dead at the dog kennels on the powerful legal family's sprawling 17,000-acre Moselle estate in Islandton, South Carolina, that night. Investigators have said the killer used two guns, neither of which has ever been located, and left Paul with such catastrophic injuries that his brain was entirely removed from his skull.
Murdaugh's Downward Spiral
Murdaugh called 911, claiming to have returned home to find his loved ones' bodies. Following the slayings, other mysterious deaths tied to the prominent family fell under the spotlight, and his multi-million-dollar fraud schemes came to light. In 2019, Paul was charged with causing a boat crash that resulted in the death of his friend, 19-year-old Mallory Beach, and was awaiting trial at the time of his murder. Prior to this, the family's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield died in a mysterious trip-and-fall accident at the Murdaugh estate. The family's name was also linked, without any evidence, to an unsolved homicide of gay teen Stephen Smith in 2015.
Finally, the double life of the prominent attorney was laid bare as his multi-million-dollar fraud scheme embezzling millions from clients at his law firm was revealed. His downward spiral then culminated in his arrest for his wife's and son's murders in July 2022, after which, prosecutors claimed, Murdaugh allegedly tried to hire a hitman, his distant cousin, Curtis 'Cousin Eddie' Smith, to stage his own botched shooting.
High-Profile Trial
During a high-profile six-week trial, jurors heard how Murdaugh's life was imploding in the lead-up to the murders as his fraud schemes were about to be exposed. His law firm partners at PMPED had confronted him about missing money and his finances were coming under intense scrutiny in a lawsuit brought by the family of Mallory Beach, with a hearing in the case due for three days after the murders.
Damning cell phone evidence captured by his murdered son in the moments before his death also proved that Murdaugh had lied about his alibi. Murdaugh had claimed he never went to the dog kennels with his wife and son that night. During the trial, jurors were shown a cellphone video of a dog captured by Paul minutes before the final activity on the phone. In the background, his father's distinctive voice could be heard, placing Murdaugh at the crime scene.
Murdaugh took the stand and confessed to lying about his alibi on the night of the murders. He also confessed to stealing millions from law firm clients but insisted he did not kill his wife and son. The jury found him guilty of the murders and he was sentenced to life in prison.
Hill's Guilty Plea
Hill, who was in charge of managing the jury and read out the guilty verdict to the court, ultimately pleaded guilty in December to four charges connected to the case: obstruction of justice, perjury, and two counts of misconduct in office. The 58-year-old admitted to showing sealed court exhibits, including graphic crime scene photos, to a reporter during the trial and then lying about it. She also admitted to taking bonuses and promoting a tell-all book about the trial through her public office. Hill, who resigned in disgrace in 2024, was handed three years' probation. 'There is no excuse for the mistakes I made,' she told the court at sentencing last year. 'I'm ashamed of them, and will carry that shame the rest of my life.'
Arguments for a New Trial
In their fight for a new trial, Murdaugh's legal team argued that Hill tried to influence the jury to return a guilty verdict because she was writing a book about the trial. Murdaugh's team also argued the jury should not have been able to hear about his financial crimes. During the murder trial, prosecutors presented a motive that the legal dynasty heir killed his wife and son in a bid to salvage his crumbling finances and reputation.
At the time, Murdaugh was awaiting trial on a string of financial fraud charges. In April 2024, Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to 22 federal financial crimes. He was previously sentenced to 27 years on similar state charges, with the two sentences running concurrently. Prosecutors, however, argued that Hill's actions did not sway the outcome of the case because the evidence against him was overwhelming and so his conviction should still stand. A lower court judge previously denied Murdaugh's bid for a new trial.
Court's Reasoning
In the sensational decision by the court, released Wednesday, the justices found that there was no wrongdoing on the part of the prosecution or the defense but that Hill's actions robbed Murdaugh from receiving a fair trial. 'Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury,' the justices wrote. The court found that Hill made comments to jurors that the day Murdaugh testified was 'epic' or 'important', urged the jurors not to be 'fooled,' 'confused,' 'thrown off,' or 'convinced' by Murdaugh and to watch Murdaugh's body language closely. The justices also weighed in on the admissibility of Murdaugh's financial crimes, ruling that while relevant to establishing motive the prosecution should not be permitted to 'go as far and deep into detail as it did' during a second trial.
