The former Colleton clerk of court behind Alex Murdaugh’s mistrial is being closely scrutinized by both the defense and a juror who was dismissed just hours before deliberations.
“We have a lot of questions that we would like answered,” said defense attorney Jim Griffin during a press conference in Columbia Monday.
“Was she a lone wolf? Was she doing it just for, you know, the siren of celebrity,” he said.
Defense lawsuit
Last week, the state Supreme Court ruled that Murdaugh, now 57, was denied a fair trial because of jury tampering by then clerk of court Becky Hill.
The justices unanimously agreed that Hill tried to influence jurors to reach a guilty verdict in 2023 because she wanted to push sales of a book she was writing about the high-profile double murder trial.
Murdaugh’s defense attorneys filed a federal civil lawsuit Sunday seeking $600,000 in damages, the amount they say Murdaugh spent to defend himself. The attorneys say Hill should be held accountable.
In the suit, the defense cites Hill saying things like “watch Murdaugh’s body language” before he testifies and “don’t be fooled” by what he says. Hill has long denied the allegations. Attempts to reach her have been unsuccessful.
Motion to unseal
But a juror who was dismissed the day of deliberations also wants to know more about Hill’s actions.
Attorney Joe McCulloch filed a motion Monday on that juror’s behalf asking the state to unseal its criminal investigation into Hill. The woman was let go from the jury and replaced, after it was alleged that she had spoken publicly about the case.
The defense’s civil suit claims Hill made up the allegations that led to the juror’s dismissal.
Hill, meantime, was never charged with jury tampering. But she did plead guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the case.
The motion to unseal the state’s case against her reads in part:
“The state’s declaration at the time of Hill’s sentencing that the evidence was insufficient to support a jury-tampering indictment against the Clerk of Court, stands in dramatic contrast and appears incongruent with the Supreme Court’s detailed opinion reaching and opposite conclusion.”
New evidence?
As for the retrial, the defense hinted Monday at potential new evidence.
“People are out there working on behalf of Alex for free, kind of like we are,” said attorney Griffin. “They’ve unearthed some really interesting stuff.”
Griffin and defense attorney Dick Harpootlian wouldn’t say what that information is. But they did point out one possible clue they say was overlooked during the trial — DNA of an unknown man found beneath the fingernails of Murdaugh’s murdered wife.
As for the new trial, the defense says it will likely be held a year from now, not within the year as the state attorney general has said. And they’ll seek a change of venue.
The prosecution says this time, it is considering the death penalty.
“This case is being treated exactly as it should be, as a brand-new trial,” said Attorney General Alan Wilson in a statement Monday.
As for Hill’s involvement in the case, Wilson says the “matter was previously referred to and reviewed by an independent prosecutor.”
Murdaugh, meantime, will remain in prison. He’s been sentenced to decades for both state and federal financial crimes that involved stealing millions from his former clients as well as his own law firm.
While he pleaded guilty to those crimes, Murdaugh has adamantly denied murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, in June of 2021.
