How a Small-Town Clerk’s Misdeeds Upturned the Murdaugh Verdict
The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction due to jury tampering by court clerk Becky Hill. Hill allegedly pressured jurors to convict Murdaugh, who was previously sentenced to life for the murders of his wife and son. The court's ruling highlights significant issues within the state's legal system and calls for a new trial.
- ▪Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and son in March 2023.
- ▪The South Carolina Supreme Court vacated Murdaugh's life sentences, citing jury tampering by court clerk Becky Hill.
- ▪Hill made inappropriate remarks to jurors that influenced their perception of Murdaugh's guilt.
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| Original publisher | The New Yorker |
| Canonical URL | https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-a-small-town-clerks-misdeeds-upturned-the-murdaugh-verdict |
| Publication time | Tue, 26 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The LedeHow a Small-Town Clerk’s Misdeeds Upturned the Murdaugh VerdictBecky Hill, a court employee possibly trying to maximize sales of her book, pressured jurors to convict the South Carolina lawyer for the murders of his wife and son. Was she acting alone?By James LasdunMay 26, 2026Photograph by Tracy Glantz / Zuma / ReutersSave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyOn March 2, 2023, the prominent personal-injury lawyer Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, at Moselle, their seventeen-hundred-and-seventy-acre hunting estate in South Carolina’s Lowcountry.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The New Yorker.
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