Attorneys representing lawyer-turned-convict Alex Murdaugh have filed an appeal for his sentence, citing concerns over improper testimony and alleged jury tampering by court clerk Becky Hill. Murdaugh, 56, is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, in June 2021 on their family's hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina.
Prosecutors argued that the murders were committed to divert attention from Murdaugh's financial crimes, which were coming to light at the time. In addition to his life sentences, Murdaugh was sentenced to an additional 480 months for various financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
The appeal, spanning 132 pages, contends that Murdaugh's financial crimes should not have been part of his murder trial, as they were deemed irrelevant and potentially prejudicial to the jury. The defense also alleges that former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill, who resigned amid accusations of jury tampering, influenced the jury's guilty verdict.
Despite claims of Hill's interference, 11 out of 12 jurors stated that her actions did not impact their decisions. One juror mentioned hearing comments from Hill about observing Murdaugh's body language but asserted that it did not affect his verdict. Judge Jean Toal previously ruled that the allegations against Hill did not warrant a new trial for Murdaugh.
Becky Hill, facing 76 ethics violations, was scheduled to appear before the State's Ethics Commission but is now awaiting the outcome of a criminal investigation by the Attorney General's Office.
The appeal also challenges the introduction of guns as evidence without clear links to the murders and questions the gunshot residue on a raincoat presented in court, arguing that there was no evidence tying it to Murdaugh.
