On Monday, a juror from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial said that remarks from the Colleton County, South Carolina, Clerk of Court had an impact on her decision.
CNN reports that the juror was questioned Monday during a court hearing to determine if Murdaugh should be granted a new trial. His legal team argued that the clerk of court, Rebecca “Becky” Hill, interfered with the jury by having inappropriate discussions about the case and urging them to hasten their deliberations.
Hill refuted the allegations but “Juror Z” testified that she heard Hill’s remarks before Murdaugh’s conviction, which “made it seem like he was already guilty.”
Juror Z testified with a “Yes, ma’am” when asked if Hill’s comments swayed her decision regarding Murdaugh’s guilt.
A second juror who testified at the hearing indicated that Hill’s comments did not sway his decision either way, since he “wasn’t privy” to the comments Hill made before the verdict. Another juror questioned during Friday’s hearing said he, too, was not swayed by the comments.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Murdaugh’s legal team accused Hill of rushing jurors to reach a guilty verdict for a book she was writing and self-publishing on the trial.
While Judge Jean Toal ruled she would testify at a January 29 hearing, The State reported that she denied requests requiring testimony from dismissed jurors, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw the high-profile trial.
Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife and son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, and was sentenced to life in prison.
Alex Murdaugh is now seeking a new trial. His attorneys claim Hill’s actions denied Murdaugh’s Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial. Jurors handed down a guilty verdict in less than three hours.
In addition to two life sentences, Murdaugh was sentenced to 27 years for stealing more than $8 million from clients and his former law firm.
Lead prosecutor Waters said a SLED investigation uncovered no outside tampering of the jury — though one juror said they felt pressured by other jurors to vote guilty. Murdaugh has maintained his innocence.
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[Feature Photo: Alex Murdaugh reacts as he addresses the court during his sentencing for stealing from 18 clients, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, at the Beaufort County Courthouse in Beaufort, S.C. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)]
