Murdaugh retrial hopes dim as ex-AG says Becky Hill’s guilty plea won’t sway high court

The blameworthy plea by erstwhile Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill whitethorn gully questions surrounding Alex Murdaugh's bid for retrial, but it is improbable to sway the state's highest tribunal arsenic it considers whether helium deserves a caller trial, according to erstwhile South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon.

Hill, who oversaw assemblage absorption and courtroom logistics during Murdaugh's 2023 execution trial, pleaded blameworthy Monday to perjury, obstruction of justness and misconduct successful office. She besides admitted to showing journalists sealed exhibits, misusing nationalist funds and promoting her publication astir the proceedings portion successful office. A justice sentenced her to 3 years' probation.

Hill's long-awaited plea comes little than 2 months earlier the South Carolina Supreme Court is scheduled to perceive arguments successful February connected Murdaugh's bid for retrial. His defence squad has pointed to Hill's misconduct arsenic grounds that assemblage integrity was compromised.

"I bash deliberation it volition beryllium 1 of their grounds, and it does person immoderate entreaty to the public," Condon told Fox News Digital. "But from a ineligible standpoint, I truly don't deliberation it's the strongest grounds [for a retrial]. In fact, I deliberation it's their weakest one."

Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill pleaded blameworthy Monday to showing sealed exhibits from disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh's execution proceedings and different charges. (Fox Nation/ Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool)

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Hill became cardinal to Murdaugh's bid for retrial aft respective jurors alleged she made improper comments during the proceedings and took members of the media into the courthouse aft hours to reappraisal exhibits. The allegation led to an evidentiary proceeding earlier erstwhile Chief Justice Jean Toal successful January 2024, who questioned each 12 jurors.

"Eleven of the 12 intelligibly stated nether oath that nary of this affected their verdict whatsoever. There was 1 juror called juror Z, and she was precise ambivalent. She archetypal said that it did impact her verdict, past aboriginal connected successful her testimony, she said she stuck by her affidavit wherever she said that the different jurors pressured her into her verdict, which of people happens each the clip successful a assemblage situation, which wouldn't beryllium a grounds for an appeal," Condon said.

"I deliberation erstwhile our Supreme Court hears this, it volition not beryllium an effectual crushed to get a caller trial," helium said.

Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill smiles aft pleading blameworthy connected Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, successful St. Matthews, S.C. Hill pleaded blameworthy Monday to showing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh's execution proceedings and different charges.  (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

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While Hill's behaviour was "disappointing," Condon said, the Palmetto State's instrumentality requires that a suspect amusement either existent prejudice oregon probable interaction connected the jury's decision. Condon argued that Murdaugh's defence team, led by Dick Harpootlian, couldn't conscionable the state's threshold to warrant a caller trial.

"The justice was close to absorption connected the information that there’s nary grounds it affected the existent process," Condon said. "Given her deficiency of a anterior record, what she’s done for the community, and that nary assemblage tampering had immoderate effect connected the outcome, I deliberation the probation condemnation is appropriate."

Disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh arrives successful tribunal successful Beaufort, S.C. Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/James Pollard)

Condon said that helium thinks the defence whitethorn find much traction successful arguing astir the proceedings judge's determination to let extended grounds related to Murdaugh's fiscal crimes.

In the six-week 2023 trial, prosecutors spent astir 2 weeks presenting grounds connected Murdaugh's fiscal wrongdoing that was not straight tied to the execution charges but was offered to found motive.

"One could reason that that was conscionable mode excessively much," Condon said. "But adjacent connected that ground, the grounds volition amusement that if it rises to a level of concern, the tribunal whitethorn extremity up saying it’s a harmless mistake oregon that the defence opened the door."

Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca "Becky" Hill is sworn successful during a tribunal proceeding connected Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, successful St. Matthews, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

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Condon, who sat done Murdaugh’s execution trial, said that adjacent if a 2nd proceedings were granted, helium inactive believes the disgraced lawyer would beryllium convicted.

"I bash deliberation that, from an appellate standpoint, fixed the Himalayan upland of grounds against Alex Murdaugh, helium is improbable to person a caller execution trial. At the extremity of the day, I don’t deliberation Murdaugh gets that caller trial. And adjacent if helium did, which I doubt, helium is going to stay successful situation for the remainder of his life—either successful authorities oregon national custody."

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Even if Murdaugh were granted a retrial, helium would stay incarcerated owed to his lengthy authorities and national sentences related to his fiscal crimes. But Condon believes Murdaugh is "highly motivated" to wide the execution conviction, successful portion due to the fact that of the stain connected his family's legacy.

"My anticipation is that this tribunal is going to affirm these execution verdicts," helium said. "Alex Murdaugh volition not lone stay successful prison, but he’ll stay successful situation for being a murderer."

Alex Murdaugh, convicted of sidesplitting his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, successful June 2021, sits during a proceeding connected a question for a retrial, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, astatine the Richland County Judicial Center successful Columbia, S.C.  (Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool)

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Murdaugh was convicted successful March 2023 of sidesplitting his woman and lad and sentenced to beingness successful situation without parole.

In a connection to Fox News, Murdaugh's defence lawyer said: "The blameworthy plea is not surprising. More importantly, the bureau expected to impartially analyse these charges has a vested involvement successful avoiding immoderate result that would question the verdict of the archetypal Alex Murdaugh execution trial. If Becky admittedly perjured herself successful the assemblage tampering proceeding held by Judge Toal, what other could she person lied about?"

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Hill's attorney, Will Lewis, for comment.