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Murdaugh sues former court clerk whose actions caused his murder convictions to then be vacated

Krdo · · 607 words · By CNN Newssource
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What to know about Judicial Misconduct

Murdaugh sues former court clerk whose actions caused his murder convictions to then be vacated By Dianne Gallagher, Devon M.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Murdaugh sues former court clerk whose actions caused his murder convictions to then be vacated By Dianne Gallagher, Devon M.

Why it matters

Sayers, CNN (CNN) — Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal lawsuit against the now-former clerk of court whose interference with the jury in his 2023 murder trial prompted the South Carolina Supreme Court last week to overturn his double murder convictions.

Common ground

The 17-page lawsuit was filed Sunday in US District Court in Charleston, South Carolina.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://krdo.com/news/2026/05/18/murdaugh-sues-former-court-clerk-whose-actions-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
schedule Pending 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “Hill has never been charged with jury tampering.”
CORROBORATED
While the search results for 'Becky' were initially cluttered with movie results, the legal reports specify she pleaded guilty to obstruction, perjury, and misconduct, but not 'jury tampering' specifically as a charge.
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web search NEUTRAL — Becky is a 2020 American action thriller film [3][4] directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, from a screenplay by Nick Morris, Lane Skye, and Ruckus Skye. The film stars Lulu Wilson, Kevin James…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becky_(2020_film)
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web search NEUTRAL — Becky: Directed by Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion. With Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Robert Maillet. A teenager's weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a gro…
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt10314450/
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 27, 2026 · Lulu Wilson reprises the role of Becky, with the third outing taking How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and contorting him into a neo-Nazi intent on establishing the Fourth …
https://movieweb.com/becky-3-plot-title-cast/
help
Claim 2: “As a result of Ms. Hill’s actions, Mr. Murdaugh suffered monetary damages of $600,000.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding a specific claim of $600,000 in monetary damages.
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Claim 3: “Last week, the state Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion, vacated Murdaugh’s murder convictions and ordered a new trial in the killing of his wife and son in June 2021”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned the convictions and ordered a new trial.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — State of South Carolina v. Richard Alexander Murdaugh was the trial of former American lawyer Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Alex_Murdaugh
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web search NEUTRAL — COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s double murder convictions and life sentence, ordering a new trial in the June 2021 killings of his wife …
https://www.wrhi.com/2026/05/south-carolina-supreme-court-un…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Court overturns Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions and orders new trial.A jury found Murdaugh guilty of the murder of his wife and son - who were shot at close range near the family's dog kennels - af…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedpvnq7wn1o
verified
Claim 4: “Murdaugh, a disbarred attorney who remains charged with the murders of his wife and son”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other news sources confirm Murdaugh is a disbarred attorney and was charged/convicted for the murders of his wife and son.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — State of South Carolina v. Richard Alexander Murdaugh was the trial of former American lawyer Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Alex_Murdaugh
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Murdaugh is already jailed and faces dozens of criminal charges that have piled up in the months since his wife Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were killed.
https://www.aol.com/news/alex-murdaugh-charged-murder-death-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The legal team for Alex Murdaugh (center) presented their closing argument in his double murder trial on Thursday. He's seen here listening to prosecutor Creighton Waters make his closing arguments at…
https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/03/02/jury-finds-disbarred-law…
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Claim 5: “She was sentenced to three years of probation.”
CORROBORATED
Both CNN and Krdo report that she was sentenced to three years of probation.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — She pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2025 and was sentenced to three years of probation
https://krdo.com/news/2026/05/13/court-overturns-alex-murdau…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — She pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2025 and was sentenced to three years of probation
https://krdo.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2026/05/15…
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Claim 6: “The charges said she made sealed evidence available to the media, lied under oath about doing so, and used her court position to promote her book about the trial.”
CORROBORATED
CNN and other sources confirm the charges involved sharing sealed evidence with media, lying under oath, and promoting her book.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The charges said she made sealed evidence available to the media, lied under oath about doing so, and used her court position to promote her book about the trial. She was sentenced to three years of p…
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/18/us/alex-murdaugh-lawsuit-beck…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hill co-authored a book about the proceedings, “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,” while also granting favors to media members and cultivating celebrity around the case, according to …
https://metapress.net/us/2026/05/17/becky-hills-disgraceful-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Who is Becky Hill? Hill served as Colleton County Clerk of Court during the murder trial. Prosecutors and defense attorneys later accused her of using the case to build personal fame and financial opp…
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/alex-murda…
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Claim 7: “Though the murder convictions have been vacated, Murdaugh remains in prison.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 8: “Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal lawsuit against the now-former clerk of court whose interference with the jury in his 2023 murder trial prompted the South Carolina Supreme Court last week to overturn his double murder convictions.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (CNN and another news source) confirm that Alex Murdaugh filed a federal lawsuit against former clerk Becky Hill after the SC Supreme Court overturned his convictions.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — State of South Carolina v. Richard Alexander Murdaugh was the trial of former American lawyer Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Alex_Murdaugh
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal lawsuit against the now-former clerk of court whose interference with the jury in his 2023 murder trial prompted the South Carolina Supreme Court last week to overtur…
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/18/us/alex-murdaugh-lawsuit-beck…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The South Carolina Supreme Court recently overturned Murdaugh’s double murder convictions, ruling that Becky Hill had improperly influenced the jury.murdaugh in court orange prison clothing. Alex Murd…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alex-murdaugh-files-civ…
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Claim 9: “In a 5-0 ruling, the court said Hill “placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury.””
CORROBORATED
The specific 5-0 ruling and the quote regarding 'fingers on the scales of justice' are reported by Krdo and other news sources.
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web search NEUTRAL — The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and ordered a new trial, citing improper influence by Clerk Becky Hill.
https://www.wionews.com/world/new-trial-ordered-for-us-lawye…
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web search NEUTRAL — But in a 5-0 ruling last week, the South Carolina Supreme Court said Murdaugh deserved a new trial because Hill, the clerk, had denied Murdaugh "his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury". They c…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgpdypw993o
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s double murder convictions and life sentence, ordering a new trial in the June 2021 killings of his wife …
https://www.wrhi.com/2026/05/south-carolina-supreme-court-un…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 10: “The 17-page lawsuit was filed Sunday in US District Court in Charleston, South Carolina.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail that the lawsuit was 17 pages and filed on Sunday in the US District Court in Charleston is only explicitly detailed in the CNN report provided.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — State of South Carolina v. Richard Alexander Murdaugh was the trial of former American lawyer Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021. The t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Alex_Murdaugh
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The 17-page lawsuit was filed Sunday in US District Court in Charleston, South Carolina. It says Murdaugh, a disbarred attorney who remains charged with the murders of his wife and son, is bringing th…
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/18/us/alex-murdaugh-lawsuit-beck…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Now, as Murdaugh is less than three years into back-to-back life sentences, his appeal comes before the S.C. Supreme Court this week at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1,1 in the state capital, Columbia. Ho…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fatal-boat-crash-sc-supr…
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Claim 11: “However, in December 2025, she pleaded guilty to perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Becky Hill pleaded guilty to perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in December 2025.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Former Colleton County clerk Becky Hill pleads guilty to obstruction, perjury, and misconduct for showing sealed Murdaugh trial exhibits and lying in court.
https://valawyersweekly.com/2025/12/08/murdaugh-clerk-becky-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The former elected official pleaded guilty to charges of obstruction of justice, perjury, and misconduct in office in Dec. 2025 as a result of the investigation into allegations she shared sealed evid…
https://kfdm.com/news/nation-world/inside-the-investigation-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hill pleaded guilty in Calhoun County Circuit Court to four charges, obstruction of justice and perjury. She also pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgzcTyOFACQ
schedule
Claim 12: “He is serving concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years, respectively, for stealing millions of dollars from clients and his law firm.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.