The recent guilty plea by Becky Hill, a former Colleton County Clerk, might stir questions about Alex Murdaugh’s push for a retrial. However, experts, including former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon, suggest it is unlikely to significantly influence the state’s Supreme Court as it deliberates on granting a new trial.
Hill, who managed jury logistics during Murdaugh’s 2023 murder trial, confessed on Monday to perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office. She also admitted to sharing sealed exhibits with journalists, misusing public funds, and promoting her book about the trial while still holding office. Her sentence includes three years of probation.
This plea arrived just shy of two months before the South Carolina Supreme Court’s February session to discuss Murdaugh’s retrial request. His legal team cites Hill’s wrongdoings as compromising the jury’s integrity.
“While it may have public appeal, legally, I don’t see it as the strongest argument for a retrial,” Condon shared with Fox News Digital. “In fact, it might be their weakest point.”
Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the former Clerk of Court for Colleton County, admitted guilt on Monday to charges including sharing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh’s trial. (Fox Nation/ Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool)
Hill’s actions became a focal point in Murdaugh’s retrial efforts after jurors accused her of making improper comments and allowing media members into the courthouse after hours to view exhibits. This led to a January 2024 evidentiary hearing with former Chief Justice Jean Toal, who questioned all 12 jurors involved in the case.
“Eleven of the twelve clearly stated under oath that none of this affected their verdict whatsoever. There was one juror called juror Z, and she was very ambivalent. She first said that it did affect her verdict, then later on in her testimony, she said she stuck by her affidavit where she said that the other jurors pressured her into her verdict, which of course happens all the time in a jury situation, which wouldn’t be a grounds for an appeal,” Condon said.
“I think when our Supreme Court hears this, it will not be an effective ground to get a new trial,” he said.
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill smiles after pleading guilty on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in St. Matthews, S.C. Hill pleaded guilty Monday to showing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
While Hill’s behavior was “disappointing,” Condon said, the Palmetto State’s law requires that a defendant show either actual prejudice or probable impact on the jury’s decision. Condon argued that Murdaugh’s defense team, led by Dick Harpootlian, couldn’t meet the state’s threshold to guarantee a new trial.
“The judge was right to focus on the fact that there’s no evidence it affected the actual process,” Condon said. “Given her lack of a prior record, what she’s done for the community, and that no jury tampering had any effect on the outcome, I think the probation sentence is appropriate.”
Disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh arrives in court in Beaufort, S.C. Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/James Pollard)
Condon said that he thinks the defense may find more traction in arguing about the trial judge’s decision to allow extensive evidence related to Murdaugh’s financial crimes.
In the six-week 2023 trial, prosecutors spent nearly two weeks presenting testimony on Murdaugh’s financial wrongdoing that was not directly tied to the murder charges but was offered to establish motive.
“One could argue that that was just way too much,” Condon said. “But even on that ground, the record will show that if it rises to a level of concern, the court may end up saying it’s a harmless error or that the defense opened the door.”
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill is sworn in during a court hearing on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in St. Matthews, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Condon, who sat through Murdaugh’s murder trial, said that even if a second trial were granted, he still believes the disgraced attorney would be convicted.
“I do think that, from an appellate standpoint, given the Himalayan mountain of evidence against Alex Murdaugh, he is unlikely to receive a new murder trial. At the end of the day, I don’t think Murdaugh gets that new trial. And even if he did, which I doubt, he is going to remain in prison for the rest of his life—either in state or federal custody.”
Even if Murdaugh were granted a retrial, he would remain incarcerated due to his lengthy state and federal sentences related to his financial crimes. But Condon believes Murdaugh is “highly motivated” to clear the murder conviction, in part because of the stain on his family’s legacy.
“My expectation is that this court is going to affirm these murder verdicts,” he said. “Alex Murdaugh will not only remain in prison, but he’ll remain in prison for being a murderer.”
Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, in June 2021, sits during a hearing on a motion for a retrial, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, S.C. (Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool)
Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife and son and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In a statement to Fox News, Murdaugh’s defense attorney said: “The guilty plea is not surprising. More importantly, the agency expected to impartially investigate these charges has a vested interest in avoiding any outcome that would question the verdict of the initial Alex Murdaugh murder trial. If Becky admittedly perjured herself in the jury tampering hearing held by Judge Toal, what else could she have lied about?”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Hill’s attorney, Will Lewis, for comment.
