Murdaugh Trial Clerk Becky Hill Freed on Bond Amid Perjury, Misconduct Charges

In a twist that could rival a Southern gothic novel, Becky Hill, the former South Carolina court clerk at the heart of the 2023 Alex Murdaugh murder trial, was released on bond Wednesday after her arrest on charges of perjury, obstructing justice, and misconduct. Hill, 57, posted a $30,000 bond in Colleton County and a $50,000 in Richland County, following allegations that she misled authorities and misused her position during one of South Carolina’s most infamous trials.

The charges trace back to a January 2024 Supreme Court hearing, where Justice Jean Toal denied Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial. Murdaugh, convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021, had accused Hill of jury tampering—a claim his defense argued justified a retrial. Court documents reveal Hill’s alleged lie under oath, denying she allowed press access to sealed exhibits, a statement contradicted by evidence. Her attorney, Will Lewis, confirmed she turned herself in, learning of the charges only the night before.

Hill’s troubles don’t end there. The State Ethics Commission previously accused her of exploiting her role to promote a book about the Murdaugh case, parts of which she admitted to plagiarizing. She also faces scrutiny for allegedly funneling nearly $10,000 in federal bonuses to herself as child support payments and splurging public funds on gifts, decor, and even a dog bed. Social media posts hyping her book further fueled the misconduct allegations.

Murdaugh’s defense team, led by Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, called the charges serious but unsurprising, arguing they underscore the need for a fair trial. Eric Bland, an attorney for Murdaugh’s financial crime victims, suggested the perjury charge could tip the scales toward a retrial, potentially at the federal level. Yet, of the 12 jurors who convicted Murdaugh, only one recalled Hill’s comments about his body language, and even they said it didn’t sway their verdict.

Hill resigned in March 2024, citing the trial’s toll and her desire to focus on family, denying her exit was tied to the allegations. Her tenure, marked by managing a trial that gripped the nation, now leaves a lingering question: will her actions unravel Murdaugh’s conviction, or is this just another chapter in a saga of scandal?