Murdaugh asks SC Supreme Court to examine jury tampering decision

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)- Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh are asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to examine a January ruling in which a judge denied the convicted killer’s motion for a retrial amid allegations of jury tampering.

Murduagh and his defense team had accused Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of tampering with the jury and trying to persuade the outcome of the 2023 double murder trial.

Former Chief Justice Jean Toal individually questioned each of the 12 jurors during a Jan. 29 hearing on whether they heard – or were swayed by – comments from Hill before delivering a guilty verdict in the weeks-long trial.

Ultimately, Toal denied Murdaugh’s request for a retrial, acknowledging that while one of the jurors may have had some influence by Hill, or felt pressure from other jurors, she verified under oath that her decision was her own.

Toal also noted that she believed Hill was “attracted by the siren call of celebrity.”

Hill, who resigned from her position in March, was also exposed for plagiarizing parts of a book she wrote about the weeks-long trial titled, “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.” The book was later pulled from shelves.

Murdaugh’s attorneys filed to appeal Toal’s decision in April but are now asking the state’s highest court to step in before it is determined by the Court of Appeals.

Murdaugh is currently serving two consecutive life sentences in state prison for the murders.

This story is developing and may be updated.