S3E1: PREVIEW: Jury Tampering & Retrial Hearing

01/06/24 • 49 min

The Murdaugh Murders, Money & Mystery | Unsolved South Carolina

Did Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill have improper communications with jurors during Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial? If so, did she create bias or prejudice among jurors potentially influencing their verdict and warranting a retrial?

Those are the two primary questions needing answers when state prosecutors and Murdaugh’s defense lawyers meet in court January 29 in a pivotal hearing to decide if Murdaugh’s dual convictions for the murders of his wife and son were fair and will stand.

Murdaugh’s defense lawyers in a brief filed ahead of the hearing adamantly argue the answer to both questions is “Yes,” while the team of prosecutors for the S.C. Attorney General's Office argue they still feel Murdaugh shouldn't even be getting a hearing.

Join Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp as they break down the legal battles taking shape.

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Join Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp as they break down the legal battles taking shape.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Previous Episode

S2E46: Ethics Probe, Wiretapping Scandal Connected

State investigators have found evidence linking a Colleton County government wiretapping scandal involving Jeffrey Hill to a public ethics complaint against his mother, the county’s elected clerk of court, Becky Hill.

In this episode, former S.C. Attorney General Charlie Condon tells hosts Anne Emerson and Drew Tripp how the ethics complaint and attacks on Hill's character might impact a potential retrial for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh.

BACKGROUND:

The date of the wiretapping incident involving Jeffrey Hill came in late July 2023, about a month after someone filed an ethics complaint against his mother with the State Ethics Commission.

Becky Hill's county-issued cell phone was confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation. A public corruption investigation tied to the wiretapping incident has now been escalated to the S.C. Attorney General's Office.

The original ethics complaint against Becky Hill, dated June 2023, alleges that during the Murdaugh murder trial and afterward, she "utilized her authority, the Colleton County Courthouse and taxpayer's money outside the scope of routine court business."

In documents dated August 2023 reported by FITSNews, Hill categorically denies many of the allegations made in the original June 26 ethics complaint, and alleges other accusations have been crafted to exclude important context and other details to intentionally make her actions appear nefarious.

MORE: Source says Colleton wiretapping & corruption probe linked to court clerk ethics complaint

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Next Episode

S3E2: Bad Day for Murdaugh in Retrial Bid

Alex Murdaugh's defense team entered the ring throwing haymakers in a pre-hearing status conference on January 16th, hoping to bludgeon open a clear path to a retrial in Murdaugh's murder case. But retired South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, the newly appointed judge on the case, parried and rebuffed Murdaugh's ambitious volleys in stunning and decisive fashion. Now Murdaugh's opening to land the decisive blow against his dual murder convictions and life sentence appears vanishingly small.

Join Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp as they recap the important day in court and preview Murdaugh's upcoming evidentiary hearing on the controversial jury tampering allegations.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.