The "Unbelievable" Character Who Just Upended the Wildest Trial in Years

"Yes, I do, and I think it was the right decision. Obviously, it was a really difficult decision. There was jury tampering, and I think it shows a regard for due process that the court did overturn it. I would not like to see him go free on the basis of this. [This is unlikely, as Murdaugh"

"The announcement on Wednesday that South Carolina's state Supreme Court has overturned Alex Murdaugh's 2023 conviction for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, was the latest sensational twist in the story of one of the most notorious crimes of the past decade. Murdaugh's counsel successfully argued that Becky Hill, the court clerk during the murder trial, had tampered with the jury."

"Lasdun, who covered the case for the New Yorker and recently published The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh, wrote about Hill's problematic behavior during the trial and the even sketchier memoir she published afterward about her time at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina. Hill's book, Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, was later withdrawn by its publisher for reasons unrelated to the jury interference charges."

"In yet another unrelated incident, Hill was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to showing photographs from sealed court exhibits to a reporter and then lying about it in court. I spoke to Lasdun on Wednesday about the woman who inadvertently overturned Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction and set the stage for yet another trial."

South Carolina’s state Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 convictions for the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. The court found that Becky Hill, the clerk during the trial, tampered with the jury, leading to a procedural reversal. The case remains highly public and contentious, with Murdaugh continuing to deny the charges. The reversal sets up the possibility of another trial rather than immediate freedom. Hill’s conduct during the trial and later actions have been described as problematic, including a memoir about her time at the courthouse that was withdrawn by its publisher. Hill also faced legal consequences after pleading guilty to showing photographs from sealed court exhibits to a reporter and lying about it in court.

Read at Slate Magazine