Alex Murdaugh defense team details appeal win, slams ‘lying’ clerk
The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder conviction of Alex Murdaugh, citing concerns of jury tampering and ordering a new trial. Defense lawyers Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin hailed the court’s unanimous decision, expressing that Murdaugh himself was both surprised and relieved. They pointed to alleged misconduct by a former court clerk, who they claim influenced the jury’s decision, undermining the integrity of the original verdict. The attorneys also raised questions about the credibility of the prosecution’s evidence and motives.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is currently urging the state’s Supreme Court to unseal confidential court documents related to the dismissal of a juror known as the “egg juror” in Murdaugh’s trial. They argue that now, with the new trial granted, these records should be made accessible to the public.
In a recent filing, prosecutors requested that the high court retract its previous objections and allow the release of transcripts from an on-camera hearing. This hearing led to the removal of Juror 785, identified as Myra Crosby, before deliberations commenced in Murdaugh’s double-murder trial earlier this year.
This motion is the latest development in the complex legal saga surrounding Murdaugh, once a prominent attorney, whose convictions for the June 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at their Moselle estate have been overturned.
Myra Crosby, nicknamed the “Egg Juror,” became a memorable figure after amusingly requesting to retrieve her eggs and purse before being excused from the trial, a moment that brought laughter to the courtroom.
Crosby became known as the “egg juror” after she was removed from the panel. As Judge Clifton Newman dismissed her from the case, Crosby asked if she could retrieve her purse and a dozen eggs that another juror had brought to court to give away, prompting laughter in the courtroom.
The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed Murdaugh’s two murder convictions on May 13. The remittitur was issued May 29, formally sending the murder case back to the lower court for further proceedings.
Prosecutors noted that, as of the filing, no circuit court judge had yet been appointed to preside over Murdaugh’s new murder proceedings.
Myra Crosby, known as the Egg Juror, exits the Colleton County courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., on March 2, 2023, after being dismissed for misconduct from the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial by Judge Clifton Newman. (Larry Paci for News Media)
According to prosecutors, the sealed transcript details a private hearing where Newman removed Crosby from the jury for allegedly discussing the case prematurely.
Those records were initially sealed and restricted under protective orders entered by Newman and later continued by retired South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal, who was assigned to preside over Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial after allegations surfaced against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill.
The state said those restrictions previously barred publication or dissemination of the transcript, even though attorneys for the parties and Crosby’s counsel were permitted to review the material.
Alex Murdaugh is escorted from the Colleton County Courthouse in South Carolina on Feb. 8, 2023. (Mark Sims for News Media)
Crosby has continued to request that the transcripts be unsealed. In September 2024, prosecutors objected, arguing the request was premature because the appeal had not yet been resolved.
The state’s Supreme Court once again denied Crosby’s request in October 2024. But prosecutors now say the posture of the case has changed dramatically.
“Here, a new trial has been granted to Appellant,” the filing states. “There should be no prejudice to any party at this time. Consequently, the scales should now tip to unsealing and removing restrictions.”
Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 financial crimes in Beaufort, S.C., on Nov. 17, 2023. (James Pollard/AP)
The state’s motion says the request is “not about litigation” but instead about public access to court records maintained by the state’s Supreme Court.
The filing asks the Supreme Court to allow the previously protected transcripts from Newman’s private proceedings “supporting the removal of Juror 785” to be filed as a supplement to the public appellate record.
Prosecutors also asked the court to declare prior restrictions on sharing, discussing or disclosing the contents of the transcript moot, which would allow the parties and Crosby to speak publicly about the matter without violating earlier court orders.
The motion comes just weeks after Crosby separately fought to crack open sealed investigative records related to the jury-tampering scandal that helped upend Murdaugh’s convictions.
In that filing, Crosby argued that the public interest would be best served by transparency now that prosecutors have acknowledged the jury-tampering investigation into Hill did not result in criminal charges.
Hill was accused by Murdaugh’s defense team of improperly influencing jurors to secure a guilty verdict. She has denied tampering with the jury.
Murdaugh’s attorneys have argued that Hill’s alleged conduct, including her interactions with jurors, deprived him of a fair trial. The defense has also alleged Crosby’s dismissal was part of a broader effort that affected the makeup of the jury before deliberations.
Toal rejected Murdaugh’s request for a new trial in January 2024 after an evidentiary hearing, finding that although Hill made improper comments to jurors, the defense had not proven that her conduct affected the verdict.
The South Carolina Supreme Court later took up the case and ultimately granted Murdaugh a new trial based on Hill’s interactions with jurors.
Alex Murdaugh is incarcerated at the McCormick Correctional Institution in South Carolina. (South Carolina Department of Corrections)
Murdaugh, 57, remains imprisoned after pleading guilty to a series of financial crimes that exposed years of theft from clients, his former law firm and the estate of his late housekeeper.
His murder case, however, is now headed back to court.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.