Colleton County court official turned author launches Murdaugh murder trial book tour

Michael M. DeWitt, Jr., Greenville News
·2 min read
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The Colleton County court official who helped orchestrate and oversee a six-week, double murder trial in Colleton County, then read the guilty verdict for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, has now published a tell-all book about her experiences and is launching a book tour.

Colleton County Clerk of Court turned author Rebecca "Becky" Hill and co-author Neil R. Gordon released their book, Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, on Aug. 1 and are about to embark on a promotional tour.

The new book, which is self published, is already bouncing around the top three on one of the Amazon “true crime” best seller categories (white collar crime true accounts).

"I love the Toni Morrison quote that says, 'If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must write it.'," Hill said. "And that's exactly what I did."

Gordon worked in the Augusta market for 30 years in various TV news positions for WRDW and WAGT and published print and digital publications, called “Buzz on Biz” and “Augusta Business Daily.”

The cover of Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.
The cover of Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.

“I am sooo excited to introduce viewers, readers, and friends of mine to meet Becky, take photos with her and get autographed copies of Behind the Doors of Justice, a book we are so proud of," said Gordon.

The book contains exclusive, never-before-seen photos by Gordon's wife, photographer Melissa Brinson Gordon, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes courthouse images.

This non-fiction account is a result of a chance encounter with new friends, Hill says. The Colleton Clerk of Court met Melissa Gordon in the courthouse square in the final days of the Murdaugh murder trial. Gordon and a friend were in Walterboro to document the S.C. Lowcountry murder trial that had gripped the entire country.

Authors Becky Hill, at left, and Neil Gordon hard at work at a studio in Augusta, GA.
Authors Becky Hill, at left, and Neil Gordon hard at work at a studio in Augusta, GA.

This chance meeting ― and a request to take a "selfie" with Hill ― led to friendship and a mutual desire to capture in words and photos what went on “Behind the Doors of Justice," Hill added.

Neil Gordon said that he and Melissa were "obsessed" with the murder trial, and after meeting Hill, wanted to work together to document the experience.

“To make things sweeter for me, my photographer wife Melissa took many of the exclusive photos in the book and she collaborated with Addie Strozier, an Augusta photographer friend, on the book cover.”

While some book events are still in the works, here is a list of signings around the Southeast over the next few weeks.

Book Signings:

  • Saturday, Aug. 5, 12 - 4 p.m., McIntosh Book Shoppe, 917 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC

  • Sunday, Aug. 6, 12 - 6 p.m., Augusta Business Daily, 930 Stevens Creek Road, Augusta, Ga

  • Saturday, Aug. 12 and Sunday Aug. 13, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Huc-A-Poos, 1213 U.S 80 Tybee Island, Ga

  • Saturay, Aug. 26, 10 a.m. - Noon, The Material Girls, Lee Avenue, Hampton, S.C., (joint book signing with Michael DeWitt, author of Wicked Hampton County).

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Colleton County court official, author launches Murdaugh book tour