Former Murdaugh trial clerk arrested in Colleton County

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Becky Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court who became a controversial figure in Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial, has been arrested in Colleton County.

According to jail records, Hill was arrested Wednesday on three felony warrants.

A reporter with NBC WCBD told our sister station, WIS News 10 that Hill faces two counts of misconduct in office and one count of obstruction of justice in Colleton County. She will be granted a $10,000 bond for each count.

WCBD also said Hill has been charged with one count of perjury in Richland County.

Hill rose to prominence during Alex Murdaugh’s widely publicized six-week trial for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul.

Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill is sworn in before giving testimony on alleged... — Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill is sworn in before giving testimony on alleged Murdaugh jury tampering.

Since the trial, the former clerk has been the center of various ethical concerns.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has investigated Hill since 2024, looking into whether or not she tampered with the jury in Murdaugh’s trial and whether she used her elected position for personal gain.

In addition to SLED’s investigation, Murdaugh’s attorneys have alleged Hill tried to sway jurors towards a guilty verdict to help sell copies of her book, “Behind The Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,” which had its publishing halted after a separate plagiarism scandal.

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Retired South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal ultimately said Hill was lured by the “siren call of celebrity” and noted her interactions with jurors were inappropriate but did not lead to Murdaugh’s conviction.

Hill has denied these allegations and eventually resigned from her office in May 2024.

Her attorney said her resignation was not related to any state investigations.