Murdaugh’s Legal Team Appeals Guilty Verdict
On Wednesday, lawyers for Alex Murdaugh made their case to the South Carolina Supreme Court, seeking to overturn his conviction for the June 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and their youngest son, Paul.
Lead attorney, Dick Harpootlian, alongside Jim Griffin, highlighted concerns over potential jury tampering by former court clerk, Rebecca “Becky” Hill. They argued that her comments could warrant a new trial.
“Before we even got to present our side, Ms. Hill told the jury that we would be trying to confuse them,” Harpootlian claimed. He noted that some jurors felt Hill’s remarks about overseeing Murdaugh’s behavior influenced their perspective on him.
Harpootlian alleged that Hill seemed enamored by the idea of celebrity, mentioning comments made by Barnwell County Clerk of Court Rhonda McElveen. According to Harpootlian, Hill had expressed hopes of writing a book and believed a conviction would boost sales. This conversation reportedly took place in December 2022, before jury selection began in January 2023.
Previously, Harpootlian indicated to Fox News Digital that the legal team was “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of a new trial being approved.
On the other hand, lead prosecutor Clayton Waters stated that Hill’s remarks to the jury were not harmful, though he agreed with Chief Justice John Kittredge that the comments could be deemed “inappropriate.”
“We’re dealing with a competent legal team on both sides and a capable judge, while we have a rogue court clerk causing issues,” Kittredge said, acknowledging that although the comments were inappropriate, they might not be enough to overturn the verdict.
Waters concurred but elaborated that compared to the overall context of the trial, Hill’s influence was relatively insignificant. “What these jurors have said, it isn’t about her—it’s about what transpired in court,” he remarked.
In another hearing, testimony revealed that Hill had made remarks about Murdaugh’s demeanor that suggested he had crossed a line. While she denies attempting to sway the jury, Judge Jean Toal had previously ruled that the defense didn’t provide sufficient proof that her comments impacted the outcome. Harpootlian expressed disagreement with that assessment.
“What matters is whether her statements could have reasonably influenced the jury,” he argued, referencing guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the need to establish perceived influence rather than actual impact.
In March 2023, Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and son on their family property in South Carolina and was sentenced to life in prison.
