Court Clerk Becky Hill Free on Bond Following Perjury and Misconduct Arrest

The former Colleton County court clerk, who presided over the highly publicized 2023 Alex Murdaugh murder trial, has been released from jail after posting bond following her arrest on charges of alleged misconduct during the proceedings.

Authorities confirmed Wednesday that Rebecca Hill, 57, faces charges of obstructing justice and misconduct in office in Colleton County, as well as a perjury charge in Richland County. She was granted a $30,000 bond in Colleton County and a $50,000 bond in Richland County.

The investigation stems from concerns raised during a January 2024 hearing before the South Carolina Supreme Court. At that time, Justice Jean Toal denied Alex Murdaugh's request for a new trial, despite defense allegations of jury tampering involving Hill. Murdaugh, a former attorney, is serving a life sentence without parole for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting property.

According to charging documents, Justice Toal questioned Hill about whether she had allowed members of the press to access sealed trial exhibits. Hill reportedly responded, "No, ma'am," a claim authorities allege is contradicted by evidence collected in the state’s investigation.

Hill’s attorney, Will Lewis, reported that Hill turned herself in during a scheduled hearing in Colleton County. "We found out about these charges last night," Lewis stated.

Prior to these recent charges, Hill was also under scrutiny by the State Ethics Commission, which accused her of leveraging her official position to promote and profit from a book about the Murdaugh trial. Part of this book, she admitted, included plagiarized material. SLED’s latest charging documents further allege she promoted her book on social media while occupying her official role.

Murdaugh’s defense attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, responded to news of Hill’s arrest by reiterating longstanding concerns about her conduct. "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," they said in a statement. Harpootlian added he believes these developments could lead to a new trial for Murdaugh.

Eric Bland, a South Carolina attorney who represented several victims of Murdaugh’s financial crimes, noted that the perjury charge against Hill relates to her testimony during the February 2024 court hearing. "I think this further complicates the situation and increases the chances that he will get a reversal and a new trial," Bland commented, adding that the ultimate outcome may depend on whether state or federal standards for jury tampering are applied.

Alongside the misconduct and perjury accusations, Hill is alleged to have misused nearly $10,000 in federal bonuses distributed as child support payments and to have spent federal funds on gifts, decorations, meals, office furniture, and pet supplies for herself and court employees. These expenditures are detailed in state law enforcement charging documents.

Despite the serious allegations, the impact on the initial Murdaugh trial verdict remains unclear. Of the twelve jurors who found Murdaugh guilty, eleven stated Hill did not influence their decisions. One juror recalled Hill commenting about Murdaugh's body language, but said it did not affect his verdict.

Hill resigned from her post in March after approximately four years of service, following mounting allegations of jury tampering, though she maintained her departure was unrelated to her conduct during the murder trial. At a news conference, she reflected on the challenges of overseeing "one of the biggest trials in South Carolina history" and cited the demanding nature of the job and personal priorities as reasons for not seeking re-election in 2024.

Her former attorney, Justin Bamberg, who represents some of Murdaugh’s financial crime victims, previously stated Hill’s resignation was unrelated to any ongoing investigations.