WALTERBORO, S.C. — A South Carolina court official under investigation over allegations of jury tampering in the Alex Murdaugh trial announced her resignation Monday.
Colleton County Court Justice Becky Hill said her resignation would take effect immediately during a news conference outside the courthouse. It has been an honor to serve as law clerk since 2020, she said, citing the office’s work and management of last year’s high-profile Murdaugh trial.
“Presiding over a process that is so important to the people of South Carolina, as well as to national and international media interest and public scrutiny, has caused me to reflect on decisions relating to my stay in the Office of the Clerk ,” Hill said. said. “And so, after much consideration, I have decided that it is best not to run for re-election again.”
Hill said she wanted to save time for Republican candidates running for office. When asked about the deciding factor in her final decision on Monday, Hill mentioned her grandchildren.
Murdaugh’s fall from his role as lawyer in charge of his small county to life in prison without parole for the murders of his wife and son on their sprawling estate has been widely discussed on true crime shows, podcasts and bloggers.
His lawyers demanded a new trial for the killings, citing allegations that the clerk improperly influenced the jury. Hill denied the allegations. In January, a judge denied Murdaugh’s appeal, saying she wasn’t sure Hill was telling the truth about never speaking to jurors, but jurors said their decision to find Murdaugh guilty was not influenced by any comment.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s investigation into allegations of jury tampering and abuse of office against Hill is active and ongoing, spokesperson Renée Wunderlich said Monday.
Hill’s attorney Justin Bamberg said at the news conference that her decision was not about an investigation, but about the people of the county, noting that there is still a week left to file an application with the clerk of court.
“Today is not a response to a new development of a study or anything like that,” Bamberg said. He said Hill’s resignation letter would be sent to the governor’s office later Monday.
