Former county clerk in Murdaugh murder trial charged with obstruction of justice and misconduct
The former clerk of court who read the guilty verdicts against notorious convicted double murderer Alex Murdaugh is now facing multiple felony charges.
Rebecca 'Becky' Hill was arrested early Wednesday morning in Colleton County, South Carolina, and charged with obstructing justice and two counts of misconduct, according to court records. She was also charged with one count of perjury in Richland County, South Carolina. Two of the charges are related to Murdaugh's 2023 murder trial.
Hill was released on a personal recognizance bond, according to Colleton County jail records.
She is accused of making available photographs that were sealed evidence, 'which prevented, obstructed, impeded, hindered, or potentially impeded or hindered the administration of justice' during Murdaugh's trial for the murders of his wife and son, according to an arrest warrant for the obstruction of justice charge.
Hill is also accused of allegedly using her position as the clerk of court to promote her book, 'Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,' resulting in one of the misconduct charges, according to the arrest warrant.
The second misconduct charge appears unrelated to the Murdaugh trial.
In Richland County, Hill is also facing a perjury charge for 'false, misleading, or incomplete' testimony she gave during an evidentiary hearing to establish if Murdaugh should get a new trial.
Hill allegedly lied under oath when during testimony she was asked, 'Did you allow anyone from the press to view the sealed exhibits' by former state Chief Justice Jean Toal. Hill responded 'No Ma'am.'
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which released the arrest warrants, has been investigating Hill since early 2024 over allegations of jury tampering in Murdaugh's murder trial and whether she used her elected position for personal gain.
Murdaugh's attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, told CNN in a statement in a statement the charges were not surprising for them.
'We are aware of the charges filed against Becky Hill and while these developments are serious, they are not surprising. We have long raised our concerns about her conduct during and after the trial and this arrest further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the judicial process. Every defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial trial and we look forward to Alex Murdaugh finally getting that fair treatment,' the attorneys said.
In late 2023, Murdaugh's legal team requested a new trial based on allegations that Hill tampered with the jury by making comments implying Murdaugh's guilt to jurors.
Last year, Toal, a retired Supreme Court of South Carolina chief justice, said that Hill was 'attracted by the siren call of celebrity' and made improper comments to the jury, but ruled the comments did not influence the verdict it reached.
'I simply do not believe that the authority of our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial such as this on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-influenced clerk of courts,' Toal said.
Murdaugh's team has since appealed that ruling.
Hill has repeatedly denied the allegations against her but resigned her position as clerk of court in March 2024. She maintained her resignation was unrelated to the state investigations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
22 minutes ago
- CNN
A look at the ‘less lethal' weapons authorities used to crack down on Los Angeles protests
Late Sunday, as protesters against federal immigration raids clashed with law enforcement, the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Division sent out a warning: 'Less Lethal munitions have been authorized,' officials wrote on X, ordering crowds in Downtown Los Angeles to disperse. 'Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort.' Over the weekend, police used a standard variety of tools to disperse crowds and quell protests that had devolved into violence: Protesters lit self-driving cars on fire. Two motorcyclists drove into a skirmish line of officers, injuring two. And LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, condemning the 'disgusting' violence, alleged on Sunday evening a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at officers. Authorities responded with force. So far, CNN has documented the deployment of flash-bangs, tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds, as well as more traditional gear such as batons. These weapons – often described as 'less lethal,' 'less-than-lethal' or 'non-lethal' – are those 'explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate … while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property, facilities, materiel, and the environment,' according to a Department of Defense directive. Prev Next That does not mean they are harmless: After the 2020 protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd, researchers found many people suffered injuries from less lethal weapons – particularly rubber bullets. Here's a look at the equipment authorities have used: Authorities have used several tools that a 2025 report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service noted for their ability to incapacitate using blunt force. Foremost among these is the baton, which the CRS report described as the oldest kinetic less lethal weapon. Also called a nightstick, the baton is essentially a club with a handle, often used for crowd control. A CNN field crew witnessed officers pushing and striking protesters with batons Sunday afternoon. Also included are blunt-force projectiles, such as rubber bullets and bean bag rounds – both of which were seen in use this weekend. These weapons are used for long-range crowd control, according to the CRS report, and are meant to cause 'temporary blunt-force trauma to the skin.' Rubber bullets are larger than their lethal counterparts, and some include cores made of metal or wood. Though they are considered 'less-than-lethal,' there are cases where they have been found to disable, disfigure and even kill. Lauren Tomasi, the US correspondent for CNN affiliate Nine News in Australia, was reporting on the scene Sunday when she was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet. The bullet left her sore but she was otherwise unharmed, Tomasi's network said. Bean bag rounds are small, lead pellet-filled pouches, usually fired from a shotgun or a specialized launcher. Each pouch is typically filled with 1.4 oz of lead pellets. Law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles have also turned to chemical irritant devices, which rely on chemical compounds to irritate the sinuses, lungs and skin, causing enough pain to render an individual temporarily unable to function. Tear gas is one such tool, and commonly known. Also referred to as a 'riot control agent,' tear gas can cause excessive tearing, burning or blurred vision and a runny nose or a burning sensation inside the nose, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also cause difficulty swallowing, chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and a feeling of choking. Law enforcement agents usually disperse tear gas – which actually comes in a powder form – from grenades or a canister, per the CRS report. Pepper spray is similar but deployed using a hand-held canister for 'close-proximity encounters.' The compressed gas, the CRS report says, propels the chemical irritant at the target, who typically does not need medical attention afterwards. Pepper balls marry the effects of a chemical irritant with the delivery of a blunt-force projectile: Pepper spray balls, according to the CRS report, rupture on impact, releasing a chemical irritant similar to those used for tear gas. CNN footage captured law enforcement using pepper balls, spray and tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters Sunday outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. CNN has also seen the repeated use of flash-bangs, which rely on a bright flash of light to obscure a target's vision and hearing. Flash-bangs – thrown either by hand or with a launcher – use an 'explosive propellant to emit a bright flash of light … and ear-piercing sound,' the CRS report says. While their principal purpose is to help police make a 'tactical entry' – disorienting barricaded suspects, for example – they are sometimes used for crowd control. CNN's Harmeet Kaur, AJ Willingham and Sarah-Grace Mankarious contributed to this report.
CNN
23 minutes ago
- CNN
The rare earths problem: Why it could soon be more difficult to get a car, electronics or even an MRI
Call it a 'chip shortage on steroids.' That's how one expert told CNN the auto industry is describing a possible shortage of rare earth elements — minerals that are now center stage in the global trade war. Running low on those minerals could recall the pandemic-era chip shortage that jacked up car prices, used and new, across America. China has a virtual monopoly on those 17 metallic elements, which are critical components to everyday products from cars to jet engines to electronics like smartphones and flat-screen TVs. They're even crucial for the contrast dye used in MRI machines and some cancer drugs. And, recently, China made it even harder to get them: The country introduced a new licensing requirement on the export of the elements in April, effectively slowing the flow of outbound shipments to most of the world, including the United States. Delegations from the US and China are meeting in London this week to talk about a new trade deal, and rare earths are almost certainly a major part of those discussions. Right now, US companies have only about two or three months' worth of supply, according to Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. After that, 'industry simply could not manufacture' unless an agreement is reached between the US and China, she told CNN. President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to allow exports of rare earth minerals products to begin. But even that promise might not be enough for US manufacturers if a new deal only lifts the restrictions temporarily, said Baskaran. 'It makes it extremely difficult for industry to get a reliable read on what the next three months, six months or a year are going to look like,' she said. Nor might exports flow fast enough compared to past levels. 'Keep in mind that prior to the (Trump-Xi) call, they were beginning to flow out, but not at the pace that allows supply chains to continue without interruptions,' she added. US companies might soon burn through stockpiled inventory, according to Baskaran. One auto industry expert, who asked not to be identified because they aren't authorized to speak publicly, told CNN it is becoming apparent that the auto industry is prepping for widespread shutdowns in the coming months due to rare earth shortages. It's something the expert has heard described by people in the industry as 'the chip shortage on steroids.' Four years ago, a shortage of computer chips caused halts in auto production, which fueled record car prices. The limited supply drove most people to pay above sticker price for new cars. 'People think that it's only EVs (electric vehicles), but it's not,' the expert told CNN. 'It's in everything in every car. It's in the motors that run windshield wipers. One supplier I'm talking to said there are sensors in seat belts. I think there's going to be production disruptions all over the place. China really has our balls in a vise.' Ford already had to shut down production at the Chicago plant that builds the Explorer for a week, according to Baskaran. Ford would neither confirm nor deny the shutdown was caused by a rare earth shortage. Reuters, citing sources with knowledge of the situation, reported that suppliers of major American carmakers – including General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis – were granted temporary export licenses for rare earths, but only for a period of up to six months. The companies would not comment on their supplies of the minerals. With rare earths so critical to important US industries, there are efforts to find replacements, such as other types of magnets and electric motors that don't use magnets at all, said Roderick Eggert, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines and deputy director of the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, a research consortium established by the Department of Energy. But Eggert said those alternatives all have shortcomings. 'These substitutes come at the cost of performance,' he said. 'Motor designs that don't use magnets at all, those tend to be less efficient.' He said that the only hope to avoid significant disruptions is that the China and US reach an agreement that will restore the normal flow of rare earths. 'It is in the interest of the Chinese to remain a stable and trusted source for rare earths magnets and other rare earths products,' Eggert said. 'Unfortunately, what has happened is that rare earths have gotten caught up in much larger tensions associated with US-China trade negotiations.' The name rare earths is a bit of a misnomer. The materials are found throughout the Earth's crust but are difficult and costly to extract and process. China has the only equipment needed to process some of the various elements and currently controls 92% of the global output in the processing stage. Other countries, including the United States, are rushing to create their own processing capabilities. But that will take months, if not years. Baskaran said more should have been done to prepare for this scenario in advance. 'Of course we should have seen this coming,' she said. 'We should have started this 15 years ago.'
Fox News
26 minutes ago
- Fox News
Newt Gingrich believes Biden's use of autopen could become 'biggest scandal in American history'
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted that the Biden cognitive cover-up could become the "biggest scandal in American history," telling "My View" host Lara Trump that having unknown forces exercising presidential powers behind the scenes would dwarf even the Watergate scandal that doomed Richard Nixon. "The reason is, sometime, I'd think it's probably in 2023… Joe Biden was no longer there, and that means that other people were exercising the power of the presidency without any constitutional limitations, and I really think the key is not to look at Biden, but to look the various Obama people who had infiltrated that system…" Gingrich said. "The one I find the most interesting is that on one day after the election, he commuted 2,400 people. Now you know he didn't have a clue. Somebody was running the autopen. Somebody was giving them instructions and somebody was making deals somewhere. That's just a tiny example of how bad it was." Gingrich said the key is to discover the identities of the various people who may have abused power. At the backdrop of the ordeal, he said, was the decay of the president and the use of his identity as a front for the decisions that may have happened at the hands of some members of his administration behind the scenes, which he proceeded to call "elder abuse." President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the viability of Biden's pardons, insisting that they are void since the former president may not have known what he was signing with the automated device. He called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead an investigation into whether certain individuals working for the former president conspired to deceive the public about his mental state while also exercising his presidential responsibilities by using an autopen. Biden released a statement following the probe's announcement, blasting the investigation as a "distraction." "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false," Biden said. "This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations." Members of the mainstream media have also scrutinized the former administration for failing to be transparent about Biden's decline, though many were reluctant to report on the topic throughout his administration. CNN's Jake Tapper, who once rebuked Lara Trump for raising concerns about Biden's cognitive abilities in 2020, has since admitted to insufficiently reporting on the ordeal and went on to co-author a damning book about the decline called "Original Sin." The CNN anchor went on to apologize to Trump.
