Former clerk in Alex Murdaugh murder trial arrested

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Rebecca Hill, a erstwhile tribunal clerk who worked connected the Alex Murdaugh execution trial, was arrested Wednesday and faces aggregate charges successful 2 South Carolina counties from her clip arsenic a region official.

Hill, 57, was charged with 1 number of obstructing justness and 2 counts of misconduct successful bureau successful Colleton County, a sheriff's section spokesperson said. All 3 allegations are felonies.

Hill besides faces a misdemeanor complaint of perjury successful Richland County, according to a property merchandise from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Hill was booked into the Colleton County Detention Center and released aft posting a $30,000 enslaved — $10,000 for each complaint successful Colleton County. She was past processed astatine the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center successful Richland County, wherever she remains successful custody, the facility's website shows.

CBS News reached retired to Hill's attorney, Will Lewis of the South Carolina-based steadfast Richardson Thomas, LLC.

Murdaugh, 56, was convicted successful 2023 of murdering his woman and youngest son. He was sentenced to beingness imprisonment without the anticipation of parole, which helium is serving alongside a separate 27-year condemnation for fiscal crimes.

Murdaugh's ineligible squad has agelong accused Hill of witnesser tampering during the 2023 execution trial. Hill has denied immoderate assemblage tampering.

"We are alert of the charges filed against Becky Hill and portion these developments are serious, they are not surprising," Murdaugh's lawyers, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said successful a statement. "We person agelong raised our concerns astir her behaviour during and aft the proceedings and this apprehension further underscores the request to support the integrity of the judicial process."

In 2024, Murdaugh's attorneys appealed the execution and weapons charges due to the fact that they claimed Hill violated morals codes and prejudiced jurors to allegedly presume their client's guilt. The attorneys besides accused Hill of allowing her idiosyncratic motives to power her nonrecreational behaviour to beforehand a publication she co-authored connected the trial.

Ultimately, the justice presiding implicit the lawsuit rejected the appeal, and Hill aboriginal resigned from her position.

Warrants obtained by CBS News amusement that Hill's charges are related to her clip arsenic a Colleton County tribunal clerk.

The obstructing justness complaint stems from a Feb. 28, 2023, incidental erstwhile Hill allegedly made "sealed evidence" from the Murdaugh proceedings disposable to a 3rd party, according to a warrant.

One misconduct successful bureau assertion stems from a June 7, 2021, incidental erstwhile Hill allegedly breached her work of accountability by utilizing her nationalist bureau to beforehand her publication "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders," a warrant shows. The 2nd misconduct successful bureau complaint is connected to actions that allegedly took spot from Sept. 1, 2021, done March 5, 2024, when, according to a warrant, Hill "willfully, dishonestly and unlawfully" requested and received much than $10,000 successful fiscal bonuses from the region government.

The perjury misdemeanor complaint successful Richland County allegedly took spot connected Jan. 29, 2024, erstwhile Hill told a judge, nether oath, that she did not let immoderate members of the property to presumption sealed exhibits during the trial, according to a warrant.

CBS News has reached retired to the Colleton County Clerk's Office and the South Carolina Commission connected Indigent Defense.