A former court clerk from South Carolina admitted guilt on Monday for revealing confidential court documents related to the high-profile murder trial of fallen attorney Alex Murdaugh. The documents were illicitly shown to a photographer, and she later lied about the incident in court.
Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, who held the position of court clerk in Colleton County, confessed to four charges. These included obstruction of justice and perjury for displaying sealed court photographs to a reporter and subsequently providing false testimony. Additionally, she faced two counts of misconduct in office for accepting bonuses and leveraging her public position to promote a book she authored about the trial.
“I have no justification for my errors. I am deeply ashamed and will bear this burden for the rest of my life,” Hill expressed in a statement presented to the court.
She received a sentence of three years probation.
Colleton County’s Clerk of Court, Rebecca Hill, was called to testify during the Alex Murdaugh jury-tampering hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center on January 29, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP)
Judge Heath Taylor informed Hill that her punishment could have been significantly more severe if any evidence had been found indicating she tampered with the murder trial itself.
During Murdaugjh’s murder trial, Hill was responsible for taking care of the jury, overseeing exhibits and assisting the judge. Murdaugh was eventually convicted of murdering his wife and son after a six-week trial, which drew nationwide attention.
Murdaugh’s lawyers said Hill tried to influence jurors to vote guilty and that she was biased against Murdaugh because of her book.
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)
Solicitor Rick Hubbard told the judge that a journalist informed investigators that Hill showed graphic crime scene photos to several media members.
He did not name the journalist.
The photos were posted online, and the metadata from the images matched a time when Hill’s courthouse key card indicated she was inside the locked room where the photos were kept, Hubbard said.
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill is sworn in during a court hearing on Monday in St. Matthews, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Hill resigned in March 2024. One of the charges against her stemmed from money prosecutors said she took for herself. She brought a check to court on Monday to repay nearly $10,000.
Meanwhile, Murdaugh is also serving a prison sentence for stealing money from his family’s law firm and client settlements.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Murdaugh’s attorney.
