Latest news with #BehindtheDoorsofJustice:TheMurdaughMurders
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former clerk in Alex Murdaugh murder trial arrested
Rebecca Hill, a former court clerk who worked on the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, was arrested Wednesday and faces multiple charges in two South Carolina counties from her time as a county official. Hill, 57, was charged with one count of obstructing justice and two counts of misconduct in office in Colleton County, a sheriff's department spokesperson said. All three allegations are felonies. Hill also faces a misdemeanor charge of perjury in Richland County, according to a press release from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Hill was booked into the Colleton County Detention Center and released after posting a $30,000 bond — $10,000 for each charge in Colleton County. She was then processed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, where she remains in custody, the facility's website shows. CBS News reached out to Hill's attorney, Will Lewis of the South Carolina-based firm Richardson Thomas, LLC. Murdaugh, 56, was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife and youngest son. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which he is serving alongside a separate 27-year sentence for financial crimes. Murdaugh's legal team has long accused Hill of witness tampering during the 2023 murder trial. Hill has denied any jury tampering. "We are aware of the charges filed against Becky Hill and while these developments are serious, they are not surprising," Murdaugh's lawyers, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said in a statement. "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." In 2024, Murdaugh's attorneys appealed the murder and weapons charges because they claimed Hill violated ethics codes and prejudiced jurors to allegedly presume their client's guilt. The attorneys also accused Hill of allowing her personal motives to influence her professional conduct to promote a book she co-authored on the trial. Ultimately, the judge presiding over the case rejected the appeal, and Hill later resigned from her position. Warrants obtained by CBS News show that Hill's charges are related to her time as a Colleton County court clerk. The obstructing justice charge stems from a Feb. 28, 2023, incident when Hill allegedly made "sealed evidence" from the Murdaugh trial available to a third party, according to a warrant. One misconduct in office claim stems from a June 7, 2021, incident when Hill allegedly breached her duty of accountability by using her public office to promote her book "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders," a warrant shows. The second misconduct in office charge is connected to actions that allegedly took place from Sept. 1, 2021, through March 5, 2024, when, according to a warrant, Hill "willfully, dishonestly and unlawfully" requested and received more than $10,000 in financial bonuses from the county government. The perjury misdemeanor charge in Richland County allegedly took place on Jan. 29, 2024, when Hill told a judge, under oath, that she did not allow any members of the press to view sealed exhibits during the trial, according to a warrant. CBS News has reached out to the Colleton County Clerk's Office and the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense. Sneak peek: Fatal First Date Trump teases "good news" on Russia-Ukraine war Pete Buttigieg says Biden's 2024 bid "maybe" hurt Democrats
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-court clerk in Alex Murdaugh double murder trial charged with misconduct, obstruction
A former South Carolina court clerk who served during the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh faces multiple charges stemming from the case, including over the promotion of her book about the high-profile trial, court records show. Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill, 57, was charged with perjury, obstructing justice and misconduct in office charges on Wednesday, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said. She was arrested and booked Wednesday in Colleton and Richland counties on the charges, the agency said. The charges come more than two years after Murdaugh was found guilty of brutally murdering his wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and younger son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, who were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds near the dog kennels at the family's hunting estate in 2021. A judge imposed two sentences of life in prison, to be served consecutively for the murders. MORE: Alex Murdaugh's attorneys allege court clerk tampered with jury in double murder trial The arrest warrants filed against Hill alleged that she obstructed justice during the 2023 trial and abused her office for her own financial gain in its wake, as well as committed perjury during a hearing amid Murdaugh's bid for a new trial last year. Hill is accused of obstructing justice in February 2023 during the trial by releasing or making available "'scaled evidence' photographs to a third party or parties, such act occurring in violation of a written court order issued to protect the 'sealed evidence' photographs, in violation of the law of the State of South Carolina," the arrest warrant stated. She "did willfully, dishonestly, and unlawfully breach her duty of accountability to the public" when she used her office to promote a book she co-authored about the trial on social media, "such act being for her own financial gain and in violation of her duties, in violation of the laws of the State of South Carolina," the arrest warrant alleged. The book, "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders," was ultimately pulled from publication over accusations of plagiarism. Hill is alleged to have given "false and misleading testimony" during a hearing on Jan. 29, 2024, in Richland County, as part of Murdaugh's appeal, when she denied allowing anyone from the press to view the sealed exhibits in February 2023, according to the arrest warrant. She is additionally accused of receiving financial bonuses totaling nearly $12,000 between September 2021 and March 2024 for her own financial gain, "in violation of her duties, and further in violation of the laws of the State of South Carolina," the arrest warrant alleged. She has denied any wrongdoing. MORE: Alex Murdaugh sentenced to 27 years in state prison for financial crimes During her bond hearing in Colleton County earlier Wednesday, her attorney, Will Lewis, argued Hill was not a danger to the community or a flight risk. "She lives here. She turned herself in," Lewis said. "We found out about these charges last night. We're here right now, so we'd be asking that she's released on her own recognizance." The judge agreed, granting Hill $30,000 bond on the obstructing justice and misconduct in office charges. She also posted $50,000 bond on the perjury charge in Richland County and was released on her own recognizance, court records show. Murdaugh's attorneys called the charges against Hill "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," his attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said in a statement. "Every defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial trial and we look forward to Alex Murdaugh finally getting that fair treatment." Hill resigned as the Colleton County clerk of court in March 2024, amid the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's investigation into allegations she may have abused her government position for financial gain. She also faces 76 counts of ethics violations from the South Carolina State Ethics Commission over allegations she improperly sought financial gain through her position. Murdaugh appealed his conviction, alleging jury tampering by Hill, though a judge denied his motion for a new trial in January 2024. Hill denied she tampered with the jury while testifying during hearings on the appeal. In dismissing the motion, the judge said she found Hill's testimony was not credible but stated Hill's actions were not enough to have changed the jury's guilty verdict. All of the jurors testified they stood by their verdict and were not swayed by anything Hill may have done. In August 2024, the South Carolina Supreme Court agreed to hear Murdaugh's jury tampering appeal. Murdaugh has maintained his innocence following his conviction in the murders of his wife and son. During the trial, prosecutors claimed Murdaugh, who comes from a legacy of prominent attorneys in the Hampton County region, killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his financial wrongdoings as a personal injury attorney at his law firm. ABC News' Janice McDonald contributed to this report. Ex-court clerk in Alex Murdaugh double murder trial charged with misconduct, obstruction originally appeared on
CNN
14-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Former county clerk in Murdaugh murder trial charged with obstruction of justice and misconduct
CrimeFacebookTweetLink Follow 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.
CNN
14-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
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.
