“Managing a trial with such importance to the people of South Carolina, as well as of the national and international media interest and public scrutiny, it has caused me to reflect upon decisions involving my stay in the office of the clerk of court,” Hill said during a news conference outside the Colleton County courthouse. “And so after much reflection, I have decided that it is best not to run again for reelection. … My resignation as clerk of court will be effective immediately.”
Hill said she will focus on being a wife, mother and grandmother.
Last year, Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion for a retrial, saying Hill told jurors not to be “fooled” by the defense testimony and instructed them to “watch out” for Murdaugh’s body language, among other comments and actions that may have influenced the jurors’ decision to convict Murdaugh in March 2023. Jurors didn’t come forward to speak until after Hill published her book, “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,” which upset some of them, the attorneys said.
Judge Jean Toal in January denied Murdaugh’s request for a new trial, stating that her review showed “some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-seeking clerk of court.” Hill may have been “attracted by the siren call of celebrity,” Toal said, but ultimately did not influence jurors’ decision.
Two investigations into Hill are ongoing.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division continues to probe Hill’s alleged interactions with the jury during the Murdaugh trial, and a second investigation focuses on allegations that Hill used her elected position for personal gain, according to Renée Wunderlich, the agency’s director of public information.
Justin Bamberg, counsel for Hill, said during the news conference Monday that Hill’s decision to resign is not related to either investigation. Hill said she wanted to provide “ample time for other Republican candidates who may be interested in pursuing this position” to do so.
Murdaugh, 55, was a prominent — and now disbarred — South Carolina lawyer. He was among three generations of family members who served as elected prosecutors in the region — a jurisdiction known to locals as “Murdaugh Country.”
In June 2022, he was indicted in the killing of his wife, Maggie, 52, and his youngest son, Paul, 22, and in March 2023, a jury found Murdaugh guilty of murdering both. He received two consecutive life sentences without parole.
The six-week trial riveted the public, compelling thousands to tune in and inspiring Netflix and HBO shows that chronicled the fall of a Deep South legal dynasty. After weeks of exhaustive news and media coverage, the jury took about three hours to reach a guilty verdict.
Murdaugh later pleaded guilty to financial fraud, which prosecutors said led him down the path of killing his family members.
Adela Suliman and María Luisa Paúl contributed to this report.
