Becky Hill, Colleton County Court Clerk Under Surrogate Investigation for Misuse of Funds

Walterboro, S.C., — Two sources close to the investigation have confirmed that Becky Hill, the former Clerk of Court for Colleton County, is under a surrogate investigation conducted by the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Lexington, SC. A surrogate investigation occurs when the South Carolina Attorney General delegates an investigation to a Solicitor, who then investigates and prosecutes on behalf of the AG’s office.

Becky Hill, who served as Clerk of Court during the high-profile Alex Murdaugh trial and subsequently authored a book about the case, is now facing close to 100 allegations of fund misuse brought by the South Carolina Ethics Committee. Hill is scheduled to appear in court on December 19th, 2024.

The penalties for misusing funds in South Carolina depend on the amount involved. Misuse of $2,000 to $10,000 is classified as a felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison. If the amount exceeds $10,000, it is also a felony, with a potential prison term of up to 10 years. The SC Ethics Committee alleges that Hill misused close to $20,000 over time, which could subject her to a sentence exceeding 10 years in a South Carolina prison. Under South Carolina law, any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Should the surrogate investigation lead to prosecution, the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office would need to seek and obtain an indictment against Hill, transitioning the case to a surrogate prosecution. Despite confirmation from two sources, the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office has not publicly commented on Hill or the investigation. (UPDATE July 11, 2024: The official referral letter is posted herein by FitsNews, https://www.fitsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2024/07/2024-referral-of-Hill-case-to-Hubbard-03630784xD2C78.pdf )

On November 21, 2023, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Jeffrey Colton Hill, 34, with wiretapping. According to SLED, Hill, misusing his role as an information technology director, unlawfully intercepted and listened to a phone conversation on July 20. The individuals involved were unaware and had not consented to the recording. A search warrant for the phone records confirmed the conversation was recorded by an IP address assigned to Hill’s computer.

Becky Hill is also entangled in allegations of jury tampering in the Alex Murdaugh trial. A juror from that trial, known as Juror 785 or the “Egg Lady,” is set to release a book this summer detailing the alleged tampering and her experiences during the trial. The book is said to be explosive and will prove that Alex Murdaugh did not get a fair trial from the State of South Carolina.