Convicted murderer Richard “Alex” Murdaugh will not get a new murder trial after a hearing Monday on jury tampering allegations against a public official.

Murdaugh, convicted on March 2 for the 2021 murders of his wife and son, was granted a hearing Monday in the state capital based on allegations of jury tampering involving Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, who oversaw the six-week murder trial in Walterboro in early 2023.

Former S.C. Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal heard from jurors, Clerk of Court Hill, and other witnesses before denying Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial based on failing to meet the burden of proof of prejudice.

Hill took the stand during the hearing and categorically denied having any improper contact or conversations with any jurors, and denied telling the jurors “don’t be fooled” by Murdaugh’s testimony during the trial.

“I have not communicated with jurors on anything related to this trial at all,” Hill said, adding later, “I never talked to the jurors about any of the evidence… I did not have a conversation with any juror about anything related to this case.”

Hill also denied questioning a juror about a Facebook post, despite statements made on the record by that juror to Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the murder trial.

Hill further denied giving a juror a ride home during the trial.

However, Murdaugh’s defense team called Barnwell Clerk of Court Rhonda McElveen, a 16-year veteran of the office, who testified that Hill admitted to her that she and a bailiff gave a juror a ride home, but did not discuss the case.

McElveen also testified that she heard Hill say phrases like “Don’t be fooled” and “Watch him closely” before Murdaugh took the stand last February, but she did not hear Hill make those remarks around the jury.

McElveen further testified that Hill stated several times that a guilty verdict would be good for the sales of her book, “Behind the Doors of Justice.”

Three jurors testified that they heard Hill make some type of remark about the case during the trial.

One juror, the first to be questioned Monday morning, testified that she heard Hill make improper remarks to the jury saying “watch him closely” and “don’t be fooled,” remarks that “made it seem like he was already guilty,” and that those remarks affected her guilty verdict.

But during the hearing, 11 jurors were “solid as a rock” in stating that Hill did not influence their verdict,” stated Creighton Waters, lead prosecutor for the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.

Concluding the hearing was testimony from one alternate juror. She also testified that Hill approached her during the trial stating that the media might like to interview her after the trial.

However, as prosecutor Creighton Waters said during his closing arguments, that 11 jurors testified that they did not witness improper statements or contact that influenced their verdict.

“The evidence was overwhelming from the people who mattered,” said Waters, adding that it was an “honest verdict.”

Those 11 jurors were “strong and clear that this was a fair trial,” Waters added.

While Murdaugh’s attorney Richard Harpootlian questioned Hill, attorney Jim Griffin delivered the closing remarks for Murdaugh. He focused on the legal stand of South Carolina vs. Green.

Griffin argued that not only did his team prove improper comments were made, but they also proved that Hill had prejudice.

“There is no way to find Mrs. Hill credible,” said Griffin, adding “This is prejudice…we have proven prejudice.”

Alex Murdaugh was in attendance, wearing an orange detention center jumpsuit. At times, he appeared anxious, and at other times angry.

S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson joined the team of state prosecutors.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: SC Justice denies Alex Murdaugh new trial after jury tampering hearing