Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series living up to its title in every way imaginable, Netflix’s ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’ can only be described as equal parts bewildering, intriguing, and haunting. That’s because it carefully explores the tale of generational attorney Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh as his fall from grace ultimately leads him to a state prison cell for the rest of his natural life. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about Collection County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill as well as her connection to this entire matter, we’ve got the necessary details for you.
Who is Becky Hill?
Although Becky has admittedly always been “a little bit of a legal eagle,” it was not until she was well into adulthood that she really began pursuing her passion to be at the center of all action. This Walterboro native had thus kickstarted her career as a middle school teacher, just to soon evolve into a disability agency worker before rising the ladder to land managerial roles in law offices. So it was from here that she gradually found herself serving as a court reporter, first as a freelancer and then officially for South Carolina State, which is how she came across Alex Murdaugh in 2008.
As per reports, Becky did find the lawyer to be wonderfully charming at the time, but she also knew this was a trait all Murdaughs possessed as their families had been entwined for generations. It turns out her mechanic grandfather, Felder Hiers, and Alex’s solicitor grandfather, Buster Murdaugh, apparently used to run an illegal liquor still of moonshine on the side during their youth. Anyways, avoiding every outside noise, the former continued to grow and was eventually elected Clerk of Court for Collection County in 2020, meaning it became her job to maintain local court operations.
Becky was, hence, the one to help plan for Alex’s high-profile early 2023 trial for the 2021 double homicide of his wife and son, which she knew in her heart would result in a guilty verdict. “While the jurors viewed the Moselle property [towards the end of proceedings], we all could hear and see that Alex’s story was impossible…,” she once expressed. “Some of us either from the courthouse, law enforcement, or jury at Moselle had an epiphany and shared our thoughts with our eyes. At that moment, any of us standing there knew. I knew and they knew that Alex was guilty.”
Becky Hill Has Resigned From Her Position
While it’s true Becky — who’d announced Alex’s conviction on March 2, 2023, — proudly served as a Clerk of Court from 2020-2024, the latter’s defense team has since blasted her conduct. In a motion filed by them in September, they painted this supposedly diligent woman as a fame-hungry opportunist who tampered with jurors during the intense public trial to land a book deal. This stems from the fact she has admittedly, proudly co-written ‘Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders’ alongside Neil Gordon, which was self-published by them in August 2023.
In this filing to the Court of Appeals, Alex’s attorneys allege Becky influenced the trial’s outcome “to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial… Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame.” They continued to assert she deliberately had one person removed from the jury, encouraged others not to be “fooled” by Alex’s testimony, and had several inappropriate private conversations with the court-appointed foreperson in a way not required by her job.
Becky has since outrightly denied every bit of these allegations to maintain her innocence without explaining herself or commenting further, yet her co-author has not shied away from making statements. Neil once candidly said, “Overall, I would ask anyone following these alleged ‘jury tampering’ allegations to please reserve judgement until all the facts come out and all interviews are conducted by the proper, objective law enforcement authorities. Please remember in our society people are innocent until proven guilty…”
He continued to assert that Becky put in “extensive work” for months as a court official preparing for the trial and her “professionalism was highlighted in the courtroom after the trial by key members of the legal community.” Moreover, he made it clear that there are “no known official complaints or reprimands of Ms. Hill for her extensive work on the trial,” so everything is merely hearsay claims at this point in time. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to note she has since also come under fire for admittedly plagiarising some texts for her book, all the while facing her fair share of ethics complaints as well as two state police investigations.
According to reports, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) launched two investigations into Becky in early 2024 “regarding her alleged interactions with the jury in the State vs. Richard Alexander Murdaugh and… regarding allegations she used her elected position for personal gain.” These inquiries are active and ongoing to this day, yet this former professional is no longer associated with the line of legal work — this Colleton County Clerk of Court announced her resignation in March 2024. Though her lawyer has maintained this decision of hers to not run again for reelection was “not in response, whatsoever, to anything going on with any investigation… or with any new developments in any investigation.” It was personal.
Read More: Morgan Doughty: Where is Mallory Beach’s Friend Now?
