Convicted double murder Alex Murdaugh will not get a re-trial for the 2021 slayings of his wife and son, a South Carolina judge ruled Monday. File Photo courtesy of South Carolina Department of Corrections/UPI | License Photo
A South Carolina judge on Monday denied a bid for a retrial by convicted double murderer Alex Murdaugh, who had claimed a court clerk improperly tainted the jury in his trial last year.
After a daylong evidentiary hearing in a Columbia, S.C., courtroom, retired Judge Jean Toal ruled against the former prominent South Carolina lawyer, whose attorneys argued that his life sentences in the slayings of his wife and son be tossed out due to alleged jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill. Advertisement
Murdaugh’s defense alleged Hill pressured the jury to rule quickly to secure a book deal and media appearances related to the trial that would have been jeopardized if the case ended with a mistrial.
She has since confessed that portions of a book she wrote about the trial were plagiarized, leading to sales being stopped. Advertisement
Murdaugh, formerly a well-known attorney from a politically powerful South Carolina family, was ordered in March to serve two consecutive life sentences in the 2021 gunshot slayings of his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and son, Paul Murdaugh, 22.
Separately in November, he was sentenced to 27 years in state prison for a series of financial crimes in which he admitted to stealing $12 million from clients over 10 years.
During Monday’s hearing, Toal questioned jurors in the murder trial to determine if Murdaugh should receive a new trial due to the alleged jury tampering by Hill. At the end of the day, however, the judge remained unconvinced.
“I simply do not believe that our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-seeking clerk of court,” Toal said.
During the hearing, one juror testified they felt pressured by Hill and other members of the jury to render a guilty verdict against Murdaugh. The person identified as “Juror Z” said Hill told the jury to “watch” Murdaugh closely and made other concerning comments.
“To me, it felt like she made it seem like he was already guilty,” Juror Z said. When the judge asked the juror if Hill’s comments affected their vote, Juror Z said, “Yes.” Advertisement
The juror also complained that the panel’s foreperson said Murdaugh was “crying on cue,” that jurors regularly discussed the trial outside of court before deliberations, and that Hill pressured them to speak to television reporters after the trial.
Others, however, disputed the claim. Most jurors questioned Monday said they did not hear Hill make any comments about Murdaugh or denied that she made any. Of the jurors who said they did hear Hill comment, they said it did not affect their guilty-verdict decision.
Toal previously heard testimony from another juror before the hearing due to a scheduling conflict.
Hill also took the stand Monday afternoon and denied she tampered with the jury.
“I did not have a conversation with any juror about any topic related to this case,” she said.
Murdaugh’s legal team had provided affidavits signed by a juror who voted to convict him and the another who was removed, as well as testimony from a paralegal who took part in the jury interviews.
