COLLETON COUNTY — On May 13, 2024, the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and vacated his two life sentences due to jury tampering by Rebecca "Becky" Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court during his trial. The court ruled that Hill’s conduct denied Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury.
The justices described Hill’s actions as a "breathtaking and disgraceful effort to undermine the jury process" and stated she had "placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury." Court documents showed Hill made inappropriate remarks to jurors, including telling them, "Y’all are going to hear things that will throw you all off. Don’t let this distract you or mislead you."
Jurors reported that Hill warned them not to be "fooled" by Murdaugh when he testified and instructed them to "watch his body language," "look at his actions," and "look at his movements." An anonymized juror who voted guilty, identified as Juror Z, wrote in an affidavit, "I had questions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt," and added that Hill "made it seem like he was already guilty." In a supplementary affidavit, Juror Z stated, "I felt influenced to find Mr. Murdaugh guilty by reason of Ms. Hill’s remarks, before I entered the jury room."
Hill resigned in 2024 after the allegations surfaced. Prosecutors charged her with perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct, but not jury tampering. In December 2025, she pleaded guilty to those charges and received a sentence of three years probation. At sentencing, she told the court, "There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them and will carry that shame the rest of my life."
The Supreme Court also found that Hill meddled in events surrounding the dismissal of Juror No. 785, Myra Crosby, known as the "egg juror." Affidavits cited in the ruling indicate preparations for Crosby’s removal began two days before the jury’s visit to the Moselle crime scene.
Murdaugh was originally convicted on March 2, 2023, for the June 7, 2021, killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. He remains incarcerated at McCormick Correctional Institution for unrelated financial crimes involving the theft of approximately $12 million from clients. The state may retry him for murder, and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stated prosecutors could seek the death penalty if he is convicted again.