Alex Murdaugh court clerk who wrote book pleads guilty to leaking sealed crime scene photos
A former South Carolina court clerk who played a central role in Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial pleaded guilty Monday to criminal charges after admitting she showed sealed court exhibits to a photographer and then lied about it under oath.
Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the former Colleton County clerk of court, pleaded guilty in Colleton County Circuit Court to obstruction of justice and perjury for exposing sealed crime scene photographs to a reporter and giving false testimony about it.
She also admitted to two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote about the trial through her public position.
Judge Heath Taylor sentenced Hill to three years of probation. He told her the punishment would have been far more severe had prosecutors determined she tampered with the jury during Murdaugh’s trial.
“There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them,” Hill said in a brief statement to the court, asking for a chance to do better.
Hill was responsible for overseeing the jury, managing exhibits and assisting the judge during Murdaugh’s six-week trial, which ended in his conviction for the murders of his wife and son.
The case drew international attention and centered on power, wealth and a once-dominant legal dynasty in a small South Carolina county.
