In a highly anticipated court hearing on Monday, a judge in Columbia, South Carolina denied convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh a new trial. The daylong evidentiary hearing revolved around allegations that a court clerk had tampered with the jury and influenced the verdict. Judge Jean Toal made her ruling after hearing testimony from all 12 jurors in Murdaugh's trial, as well as the Colleton County Clerk of Court, Rebecca Hill.

Toal stated that Murdaugh needed to demonstrate that the clerk had made an improper comment that had influenced the jury. Although she found Hill to be "not completely credible as a witness" and accused her of being "lured by the siren call of celebrity," Toal ultimately concluded that the jurors were not swayed by her actions. She firmly stated, "I simply do not believe that our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-seeking clerk of court."

During her testimony, Hill vehemently denied tampering with the jury for financial gain or any other reason. She insisted, "I did not have a conversation with any juror about any topic related to this case." However, Hill's credibility was called into question when she was questioned about her book, "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders," which she released four months after the trial ended. When asked if the verdict mattered to her, Hill responded, "It didn't matter to me if it was guilty, not guilty, or mistrial." She claimed that she only made approximately $100,000 from the sales of her self-published book, which she shared with a co-author. However, it was revealed last month that she had plagiarized a passage from a BBC News article, leading to the book being pulled from sale.

Following Hill's testimony, Rhonda McElveen, the court clerk of Barnwell County who had assisted her during Murdaugh's trial, contradicted Hill's statements. McElveen claimed that Hill had made a comment suggesting that a guilty verdict would be better for book sales.

The courtroom was filled to capacity, with spectators eagerly awaiting the judge's decision. Murdaugh, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, sat flanked by his attorneys. The case has garnered significant attention due to its high-profile nature. After Toal's ruling, Murdaugh's lawyers announced that they would appeal the decision, determined to continue fighting for a new trial.