Alex Murdaugh Granted New Trial Amid Allegations of Jury Tampering by Court Clerk

Alex Murdaugh, a once-prominent figure in South Carolina’s legal circles, is set to face a retrial after the state’s Supreme Court overturned his murder convictions. Murdaugh had been found guilty of the murders of his wife and son but will now return to court due to allegations of jury tampering.

The South Carolina Supreme Court determined that the integrity of the 2023 trial was compromised by misconduct from a court official, leading to Murdaugh’s life sentence. This decision marks a significant twist in a high-profile case that captured national attention.

The reversal revolves around accusations against Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court. Hill, who played a key role during the trial, was accused of improperly influencing the jury. The court found that her comments may have impacted jurors’ perceptions of the evidence, potentially steering them toward a guilty verdict.

Testimonies reviewed by the court revealed that Hill allegedly advised jurors to “watch him closely” and to be wary of being “fooled” by the defense. One juror testified that Hill cautioned them against being misled by the defense’s evidence, reportedly saying, “They’re going to say things that will try to confuse you. Don’t let them confuse you or convince you or throw you off.”

One juror recalled “that Hill told the jurors not to be fooled by the evidence Murdaugh’s defense presented,” according to the document, saying, “They’re going to say things that will try to confuse you. Don’t let them confuse you or convince you or throw you off.” 

The documents say Hill tried to “insert herself into the jury’s deliberations through these comments was in line with her stated desire for a guilty verdict to sell more copies of the book she planned to write.”

WATCH: Becky Hill walks into Colleton County Courthouse

The ruling references the post-trial court’s finding that, “Hill was attracted by the siren call of celebrity” and “allowed her desire for the public attention of the moment to overcome her duty to her oath of office.”

“Accordingly, we hold Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial by an impartial jury was violated, and the post-trial court erred in denying his motion for a new trial,” the ruling says. 

Because Hill was a top court official, her words carried unusual weight and raised serious concerns that the jury’s decision may not have been based solely on the evidence presented at trial.

In December 2025, Hill pleaded guilty to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it, plus two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote on the trial through her public office.

“There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them and will carry that shame the rest of my life,” Hill said in a statement read to the court.

There is no excuse for the mistakes I made.

— Becky Hill

She was sentenced to three years of probation.

WATCH: Becky Hill reads Alex Murdaugh 2023 guilty verdict

In 2023, Murdaugh was convicted of gunning down his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in 2021. The case exposed a web of lies, including Murdaugh’s opioid addiction and millions in stolen client funds.

Despite the legal win Wednesday, Murdaugh will not be walking free. He remains behind bars serving lengthy sentences for a string of financial crimes that cemented his fall from power.

Alex Murdaugh is handcuffed after being found guilty on all four charges, including two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent crime, at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on March 2, 2023. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier)

For his financial crimes, Murdaugh was sentenced in state court to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to 22 counts including money laundering and breach of trust. In federal court, he received a 40-year sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which he is serving concurrently with his state time.

Though his murder convictions and subsequent life sentences were overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, he remains in prison to serve the financial sentences.