COLUMBIA, S.C. — Attorneys for the State of South Carolina have responded to a motion by attorneys for convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, who are asking for a new trial, alleging jury tampering in his high-profile murder trial.
The filing was made in Colleton County court Tuesday and asks a judge to dismiss the attorney motion.
A Colleton County jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty in the killings of Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, back on March 2, 2023. He was sentenced to consecutive life sentences without parole. He maintains his innocence and filed an appeal.
On September 5, however, defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin filed a notice with the Court of Appeals of South Carolina, asking the appeal to be put on hold so they could motion for a new trial. They claimed that was necessary because of possible jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca Hill.
The Court of Appeals granted the defense's request, and they formally filed a motion in Colleton County Court on October 27. In that filing, Murdaugh and his attorneys claim Hill had inappropriate conversations with jurors in an attempt to influence the outcome of the case.
In the motion filed Tuesday by the Attorney General's Office, Attorney General Alan Wilson asked the 14th District Court to deny the request for a new trial. The motion includes a three-page affidavit by Hill and individual statements from the jurors reaffirming their guilty verdict.
In her affidavit, Hill says she never told the jury "not to be fooled" by the evidence presented by the defense; did not tell the jury to "watch (Murdaugh) closely" or to "look at his actions." She also denies telling the jury, "this shouldn't take us long."
Hill also says she was never asked to comment on the allegations from Murdaugh's attorney before they filed a motion for a new trial.
No hearing date has been set for the motion.