Murdaugh trial clerk Becky Hill: SLED agents conducting two criminal investigations

South Carolina state police have confirmed that agents are conducting two, separate criminal investigations into the county clerk of court who oversaw the double murder trial of disgraced Hampton attorney Richard "Alex" Murdaugh, and who may be responsible for forcing the courts to consider granting him a retrial.

On Tuesday, Renee Wunderlich, director of Public Information for the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED), confirmed to The Hampton County Guardian that "SLED currently has two open investigations into Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill: 1) regarding her alleged interactions with the jury in the State vs. Richard Alexander Murdaugh and 2) regarding allegations she used her elected position for personal gain."

As the chief court official in Colleton County, Hill oversaw the inner workings of the Walterboro courthouse and the jury during Murdaugh's six-week, double-murder trial that led to the March 2, 2023, conviction in the June 2021 murders of Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.

But the Murdaugh murder saga was far from over. Murdaugh, who steadfastly denied guilt during the trial and during his March 3 sentencing, appealed his conviction and two life sentences, even as he pleaded guilty to more than a score of financial crimes in state and federal courts.

And on Aug. 1, Hill, along with a co-author, released a self-published, tell-all book about the trial, Behind the Scenes of Justice.

From there, the Murdaugh saga further engulfed Hill and continued to unravel at almost exponential speed.

In September, Murdaugh's attorneys accused Hill of jury tampering by attempting to influence the jury regarding Murdaugh's testimony and possible guilt in order to obtain wealth and fame through her book, and demanded a retrial.

In December, the S.C. Attorney General's Office announced it was looking into possible ethics violations reported to the S.C. Ethics Commission in June. The ethics complaints alleged that not only did Hill use her public office for personal gain through the book and television projects, but she also misused public money.

Later that month, Hill was accused by her co-author, Neil Gordon, of plagiarism.

Hill has admitted to the plagiarism allegations but has denied the jury tampering allegations and the alleged ethics violations.

A hearing on the jury tampering allegations, and to consider a possible retrial for Murdaugh, is set to begin Jan. 29 in Columbia at the Richland County judicial center.

Hill, who is in her first term as clerk of court, currently remains in office.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: SLED confirms two criminal investigations surrounding clerk Becky Hill