Becky Hill pled guilty to four charges in Calhoun County Circuit Court on Monday December 8th. The charges were obstruction of justice, perjury, and two counts of misconduct in office. The former Colleton County Clerk of Court appeared in a 35-minute hearing before Judge Heath Taylor who said Hill will not go to prison.
The charges are from accusations that she allowed a photo of Murdaugh in a holding cell to be taken to promote her book, “Behind the doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders”. The book sold 14,500 copies and later was removed from print after accusations of plagiarism. She also gave herself bonuses and purchased lunches for staff as well as prosecutors and a vendor.
The South Carolina State Ethics Commission filed 76 counts of ethics violations after a yearlong investigation and her conduct at the 2023 double murder trial.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated jury tampering claims and also interviewed the jurors that sat on the murder trial, and none corroborated the jury tampering accusations.
Judge Taylor gave her gave her credit for the day she spent in jail earlier this year and sentenced her to three years’ probation in addition to 100 hours of community service. During Hills trial, Judge Taylor said, “If any jury tampering was actually uncovered, this would be a very different sentence.” As part of her plea, Hill brought a check to the hearing for $11,880 as restitution for the bonuses in state and federal money she had improperly allocated to herself. Hill appeared at her hearing with her lawyer Will Lewis of Columbia.
Hill addressed the court saying, she knew she had let down the court, the community, and people who trusted her. “There is no excuse for my mistakes. I am ashamed of them, and I will carry that shame with me for the rest of my life,” Hill said.
Hill resigned from her position as Clerk of Court in March of 2024.
Murdaugh’s appeal for a new trial will go to the South Carolina Supreme Court on February 11th, 2026.
