Court overturns Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions and orders new trial

Wednesday's ruling cites a number of comments that Hill allegedly made to jurors during the trial. One juror wrote in an affidavit that Hill made comments telling jurors to "watch [Murdaugh] closely", which she said influenced her decision to find Murdaugh guilty because she thought the clerk was implying he was. 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 - after an extensive six-week long trial. Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison.In their bid to overturn his conviction, Murdaugh's lawyers had argued that Hill tampered with the jury, telling them not to trust his testimony and to speed up the verdict.In the ruling, the justices cite testimony from jurors who say Hill told them "not to be fooled" by the evidence presented by the defence team. Jurors also said Hill told the jury when they began deliberations: "[T]his shouldn't take us long."A few months after Murdaugh's trial, Hill published a tell-all book about the court proceedings. In their ruling, the justices mentioned the book, called Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders. "As her book's title suggests, it turns out Hill was quite busy behind the doors of justice, thwarting the integrity of the justice system she was sworn to protect and uphold," the justices wrote. "The book was pulled from publication because Hill plagiarized portions of it."