Alex Murdaugh juror back in spotlight amid accusations against court clerk – live

Alex Murdaugh is getting the Hollywood treatment – in a new Lifetime movie starring Bill Pullman.

Lifetime’s 500th original film Murdaugh Murders: The Movie is set to air in a two-night event at 8pm on 14 October and 15 October.

First-look images from the movie obtained by Entertainment Weekly – and posted to social media by Lifetime – show a chilling Pullman as Murdaugh violently grabbing actor Curtis Tweedie, who is portraying his slain son Paul Murdaugh.

Murdaugh was convicted in March of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul at the family’s South Carolina estate in June 2021.

Now that Murdaugh’s defence attorneys have filed the motion, an evidentiary hearing is likely to take place where the evidence for the accusations against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill will be laid out.

All of the jurors, Ms Hill and maybe even trial judge Clifton Newman could be required to testify under oath.

If the allegations are proven to be true, attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent that Murdaugh should then “unquestionably” be granted his request for a new trial.

“The actions described, particularly those of a court official who is entrusted with upholding the principles of justice and impartiality, fundamentally undermine the fairness of the trial and the credibility of the verdict,” he said.

“Tampering with the jury, pressuring them, and interfering with their deliberations are actions that directly violate the defendant’s right to a fair and unbiased jury trial.

“In such cases, the law typically requires the granting of a new trial to ensure that justice is served without the taint of undue influence or misconduct.”

He added: “These actions, if substantiated, could lead to severe consequences for those involved.”

But chances are he wouldn’t get out of prison. Murdaugh has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges stealing millions of dollars from clients and his family law firm, which will likely mean years or decades behind bars.

Alex Murdaugh’s only surviving son spoke out in his first TV interview since his family was propelled to national attention, for the new three-part FOX Nation documentary “The Fall of the House of Murdaugh”.

In the interview, Buster slammed rumours that he too could have been involved in a heinous murder – that of 19-year-old Smith in July 2015 – and offered an alibi for his whereabouts on the night the teenager was killed.

“I never had anything to do with his murder, and I never had anything to do with him on a physical level in any regard,” he said in a clip from the documentary, due for release on 31 August.

Smith, a nursing student, was found dead on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina, in the early hours of 8 July 2015 – not far from the prominent Murdaugh family’s estate where Alex Murdaugh murdered Maggie and Paul six years later.

Juror number 785 made headlines due to a comedic moment where she asked to retrieve a dozen eggs from the jury room after being dismissed from Murdaugh’s trial.

Now, the so-called ‘egg juror’ could be about to blow the killer’s case wide open again.

Prominent attorney Duncan Levin told The Independent that the claims laid out in the court documents are “extremely serious” and, if true, Murdaugh could – and should – be granted a new trial.

“The allegations in the complaint are extremely serious,” he said.

“The complaint asserts that an elected state official, the Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, engaged in deliberate misconduct by tampering with the jury during Mr Murdaugh’s trial for the murder of his wife and son.”

Mr Levin – the former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office and prominent criminal defence attorney at Levin & Associates who has represented clients including Harvey Weinstein and Anna Delvey – explained that the accusations could amount to a violation of Murdaugh’s rights.

“If proven true, these allegations not only undermine the integrity of the judicial process but also represent a significant violation of Murdaugh’s constitutional right to a fair trial,” he said.

Lifetime network announced Wednesday that its 500th original will be about the Murdaugh family and the double murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

The two-part movie event is set to air over two nights, 14 October and 15 October.

The network released a synopsis:

“Murdaugh Murders: The Movie follows the twisted true story of Alex Murdaugh played by award-winning actor Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Halston), who was found guilty in the double homicide of his wife, Maggie and his son, Paul. For over 100 years, the wealthy and powerful Murdaugh Family were a local dynasty in the South Carolina low country, where they oversaw the prosecution of all criminal cases in the state’s 14th circuit district. But behind all the power, black ties, and fancy dresses Alex had many secrets… Even with all of Alex’s influence, he couldn’t prevent The Murdaugh Family’s legacy from being tarnished after Paul was involved in a boating accident that left a young girl dead.”

It continued: “While Maggie was consumed with what was happening with Paul, Alex was hiding his addiction to opioids and stealing insurance settlements from his own clients to fund his habit and the family’s lavish lifestyle. Then in June 2021, Maggie and Paul were found murdered and eyes began to turn to Alex.  The bizarre story continued when Alex was nearly shot in the head and his indiscretions and lies began to surface, leading to the eventual unraveling of Alex Murdaugh’s once charmed life.”

Neil Gordon, who co-authored the book Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders, with Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill told Court TV that she will give a statement on the recent jury tampering allegations in the near future.

He added that Ms Hill was in the process of assembling a legal team before responding.

Mr Gordon recalled how he felt when he heard what Murdaugh’s attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin believed to be Ms Hill’s alleged motivation.

“I was pretty upset at what Harpootlian said was the motivation Becky had,” Mr Gordon said. “Last time I checked, Simon and Schuster did not send us a check for $200,000.”