Murdaugh s legal team requested a new trial, accusing Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of tampering with the jury.
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Alex Murdaugh Denied New Murder New Twist
His legal representatives further claimed that Hill repeatedly presented references to Murdaugh to the jury in a manner that portrayed him as a criminal.
Ms. Hill engaged in these actions with the intention of securing a book deal and media exposure that would be forfeited in the event of a trial,” the attorneys asserted. His actions are a betrayal of his oath of office for personal financial gain and celebrity status.
Alex Murdaugh Denied New Murder Twist
In March of last year, Murdaugh was convicted of the 2021 murders of his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and his youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, 22. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for less than three hours.
During Monday’s hearing, one juror, identified as Juror Z, testified that Hill’s comments during a live stream of the hearing “made it seem like he’s already guilty.” However, the other 11 jurors denied that Hill had any influence on their guilty verdicts.
In her ruling Monday, Judge Jean Toole stressed that Murdaugh’s defense must show that Hill improperly influenced the jury through his comments. Although Tull acknowledged that Hill was “not entirely credible as a witness” and was motivated by a desire for celebrity, he concluded that the jurors were not swayed by her remarks.
“Requiring a new trial in a protracted proceeding based on publicity and foolish comments by a court clerk is not something I believe our South Carolina Supreme Court mandates,” Tull said.
