Murdaugh, 55, was sentenced to two life sentences in March for the 2021murdersof his wife,Maggie, 52, and son,Paul, 22.
Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty
The attorneys allege that Hill had repeatedly referenced Murdaugh to the jury in ways that made him appear guilty. They also claim she made efforts to remove a juror she wasn’t confident would turn in a guilty verdict. Murdaugh’s attorneys also claim Hill “pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict, telling them from the outset of their deliberations that it ‘shouldn’t take them long,’ “ the motion reads.
“Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial,” the attorneys claim. “Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame.”
Hill released a book about the Murdaugh murder trial —Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders— in late July.
Alex Murdaugh (right).Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool/Tribune News Service via Getty
Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool/Tribune News Service via Getty
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty of shooting his wife and son to death on the family’s South Carolina property. After the trial, a number of jurorsspoke out to the mediaabout the evidence they said led them to the guilty verdicts.“Well, witness testimony was very believable, and the kennel video definitely played a major part” juror Amie Williams told theTodayshow in March, referring to video evidence that proved Murdaugh went to the dog kennels where his wife and son were killed, though he claimed otherwise.
Alex Murder (middle left).Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty
Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty
Gwen Generette, another juror, said she “couldn’t believe” Murdaugh took the stand, and that when she heard his voice for the first time there, it “sealed the deal” that it was indeed him in the dog kennel video, which his son Paul captured on his phone minutes before his death.
The video was a key component for the prosecution’s case becauseMurdaugh initially denied being near the dog kennelswhere Maggie and Paul were killed.
Sometime after that video was taken, Paul was shot in the chest and head with a shotgun at close range. Maggie was shot multiple times with an AR-style rifle, including one shot in the back and additional shots while she was lying on the ground. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.After nearly two years of claiming he wasn’t at the kennels that night with his wife and son, Murdaugh admitted to lying about his whereabouts when he took the stand. “I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” he said.
Initially, juror Craig Moyer recalled later onGoodMorningAmerica, nine of the 12 jury members believed Murdaugh was guilty at the outset of deliberations. Then after reviewing the case’s evidence, the three remaining jurors joined in putting forth guilty verdicts to reach a unanimous decision – one that Murdaugh’s attorneys are re-challenging this week.
“The serious allegations in the petition filed today speak for themselves but we believe they explain a number of peculiarities in the six-week trial,” Murdaugh’s attorneys said in a statement to PEOPLE, adding, “Alex Murdaugh maintained and still maintains his innocence of the murder of Maggie and Paul and he believes the truth will ultimately prevail.”
PEOPLE was not immediately able to reach Hill for comment.
source: people.com
