Murdaugh clerk Becky Hill lied to SC judge, warrants say. Here’s what she said
Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill lied under oath in a January 2024 hearing when asked by Judge Jean Toal if she had unlawfully disclosed sealed court records to a reporter, according to an affidavit and arrest warrant made public Wednesday.
“Did you allow anyone from the press to view the sealed exhibits?” Toal asked Hill on Jan. 29, 2024, in a packed courtroom at the Richland County courthouse during a hearing about whether Hill tampered with the jury during the 2023 double-murder trial of Alex Murdaugh.
“No, ma’am,” Hill replied, the warrant said.
The warrant then said that Hill’s statement was false because Hill had, on Feb. 28, 2023, made available ‘’sealed evidence” photographs to a third party, who was not identified.
The incident described in the warrant occurred during Murdaugh’s six-week 2023 trial in the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. He was convicted of two counts of murder, but his attorneys say Murdaugh should get a new trial because Hill tampered with the jury. After the January 2024 hearing, Judge Toal denied Murdaugh a new trial.
The perjury warrant against Hill was one of four arrest warrants and affidavits made public Wednesday against Hill. The warrants were released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the investigating agency, and also the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s office, which is prosecuting the case.
The other warrants against Hill allege:
- Misconduct in office. On June 7, 2023, several months after the Murdaugh trial finished, Hill used her office in the Colleton County courthouse to promote on social media an insider book about the trial she was working on. Using a public office to promote a book for private gain was a violation of the law, the warrant charges.
- Misconduct in office. From September 2021 to March 2024, Hill misused public money under her control to give herself $9,880 in unauthorized bonuses. In March 2024, she also gave herself an unlawful $2,000 bonus, the warrant said.
- Obstruction of justice. On Feb. 28, 2023, while putting evidence away after a day of testimony in the Murdaugh double murder trial, Hill made available “sealed evidence” photographs to a non-court party in violation of a court order previously issued to seal the photographs from public view, according a warrant.
Common law crimes, like the ones above, typically carry zero to 10 years in prison, Magistrate Jennifer Fishburne said at Hill’s arraignment hearing Wednesday morning.
Murdaugh, who is serving two life sentences in state prison for killing his wife and son, contends he is innocent. He is appealing his convictions to the S.C. Supreme Court.
Since the 2023 trial, Hill’s reputation has gone downhill at an accelerating pace. Although she was lauded at first for being the first to publish a book about the trial, which was watched on Court TV by millions, she was accused of jury tampering by Murdaugh’s lawyers several months after the trial. Later she was accused of 76 ethics violations by the S.C. Ethics Commission. In March 2024, she resigned her $101,000-a-year post.
Does Hill’s arrest help Murdaugh?
It is unclear whether the new criminal charges against Hill will bolster Murdaugh’s efforts to overturn his conviction. In any event, Hill’s credibility as the former Colleton County clerk of court — who oversaw his trial and came into continuous contact with jurors — now faces increased scrutiny.
But Murdaugh’s attorneys released a statement later Wednesday indicating that criminal charges that portray Hill as a liar and a thief will help their appeal, in which they contend that Hill unlawfully pressured jurors to return a speedy guilty verdict to promote an insider book she was writing.
“We are aware of the charges filed against Becky Hill and while these developments are serious, they are not surprising,” said the statement by Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin.
“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 statement said.
Joe McCulloch, a Columbia attorney who represents two Murdaugh jurors, released this statement: “Today’s arrest is yet another disturbing turn in a case defined by misconduct. The perjury charge against (Hill) stems from her false denial—during a jury tampering hearing—that she allowed improper access to trial exhibits. SLED’s investigation now shows that denial was untrue.
“Hill also denied having improper contact with jurors, despite sworn affidavits and testimony from two jurors—including my client, Myra Crosby—confirming that she did. Ms. Crosby, removed on the first day of deliberations, believes she was deliberately targeted to deny Mr. Murdaugh a fair trial. This case demands accountability. The public deserves answers.”
Bond set for Hill
Hill was arraigned on the misconduct and obstruction charges on Wednesday morning in Colleton County, where the alleged crimes were committed. At that hearing, Hill, Fishburne and Hill’s attorney, Will Lewis, sat in separate rooms at the Colleton County Detention Center, appearing on a video call. Hill sat alone in her room, appearing solemn. She was released on personal recognizance, with a bond totaling $30,000 — $10,000 for each charge.
Before the hearing ended, Lewis asked Fishburne if Colleton County could take on Hill’s perjury warrant, which originated in Richland County, where the hearing before Toal was held.
“I got word that you were possibly going to ask that, and I’m not inclined to do that,” Fishburne said. “I’ve talked to our Chief Justice here. We prefer — we want to keep this simple, we want to keep it within our jurisdiction, and so I’m not going to do that today. We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but we’re not here for convenience,” she said.
Following the hearing, Hill was transported to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, where she was arraigned at around 2 p.m. Wednesday before Magistrate Judge P. Van Ellis on the perjury charge. Ellis granted her a $50,000 personal recognizance bond with a special condition allowing her to travel out of state for work.
Hill is scheduled to appear in court again at 9 a.m. on July 18 at the Colleton County courthouse.
Note: This story originally gave the wrong dates for Becky Hill’s allegedly unauthorized bonuses. The dates have been corrected.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM.
