South Carolina authorities charged Becky Hill, the former Colleton County court clerk involved in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, with several felonies on Wednesday morning.
The State Ethics Commission accused Hill, 57, last year of exploiting her position as Colleton County clerk for personal financial benefit, particularly in promoting her book on the Murdaugh case, a portion of which she admitted to and apologized for plagiarizing.
While her charges are not specified, the Colleton County website states that Hill is also under a “hold for South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.”
“We are aware of the charges against Becky Hill, and while serious, they aren’t unexpected,” said Dick Harpootlian, Murdaugh’s defense attorney, to Fox News Digital. “We have consistently voiced our concerns about her actions during and after the trial. This arrest further highlights the importance of preserving the integrity of the judicial process. Every defendant deserves a fair and unbiased trial, and we anticipate Alex Murdaugh finally receiving that fair treatment.”
Colleton County Court Clerk, Rebecca Hill walks past her daughter who is singing at a party in Walterboro, South Carolina March 1, 2023. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)
“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 wants 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 had nothing to do with any pending investigations involving the clerk.
