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Nearly a year-and-a-half after the conclusion of South Carolina’s ‘Trial of the Century‘ – the double homicide trial of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh – the lust for details regarding this case and its spinoff sagas has yet to subside. A barrage of books, documentaries, podcasts and made-for-television movies has been churned out covering different components of the case – but no account of the saga has been as steeped in controversy as the book penned by former Colleton County clerk of court Becky Hill.
That makes sense seeing as Hill’s jury tampering during Murdaugh’s trial has put him in position to receive a new trial – although his initial bid came up short back in January.
When Hill’s book – ‘Behind the Doors of Justice’ – was released last August, it promised to give readers an insider’s view into the weeks-long trial that culminated with a jury finding Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and younger son – 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh – on the family’s hunting property near Islandton, S.C. in June of 2021.
Appearing alongside Hill during various media appearances following the release of the book was her co-author, publisher Neil Gordon of Augusta, Georgia.
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As we now know, Hill and Gordon’s brush with true crime fame did not end well. On September 5, 2023 – six months after the guilty verdicts were announced – Murdaugh attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin filed a bombshell motion publicly accusing Hill of tampering with the jury in this case. According to Harpootlian and Griffin, Hill conspired to have a juror supposedly sympathetic to Murdaugh removed from the panel on the same day the verdicts were announced. She also allegedly told jurors “not to believe Murdaugh’s testimony and other evidence presented by the defense,” and encouraged them to reach “a quick guilty verdict.”
Hill was further accused of ignoring allegations involving a separate juror who allegedly violated the judge’s instructions and spoke in favor of convicting Murdaugh.
Hill’s motive for all of this alleged manipulation? Selling copies of her book… portions of which she has since admitted to plagiarizing.
“Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame,” Murdaugh’s attorneys claimed.
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RELATED | MURDAUGH BOOK PULLED AMID PLAGIARISM ALLEGATIONS
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While Hill has remained largely out of the public eye since resigning as clerk of court on March 25, 2024, Gordon – who disavowed her following the plagiarism allegations – has been busily re-branding himself.
Part of his rebranding campaign? Dishing dirt on his former co-author…
Clearly not ready to surrender his newfound notoriety, Gordon – along with his wife, Melissa Brinson-Gordon – started a new business venture recently entitled Trial Watchers.
According to Gordon, Trial Watchers – which currently consists of a book and a podcast – “chronicles the stories of true crime fans and WHY they’re so passionate about the topic, sometimes putting their lives on hold to follow every twist and turn of court proceedings.”
On the venture’s website, Gordon teased some of its content – including “never-before-seen updates on his experiences with former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill.”
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For $10 a month, the Gordons are offering a Patreon membership allowing subscribers access to “exclusive weekly content.” As of this writing, the channel has 76 members.
An ardent supporter of Hill in the aftermath of the jury tampering allegations, Gordon appears to have changed his tune over the past year – and is now holding nothing back as it relates to his former colleague.
In promotional posts for Trial Watchers, Gordon noted “my co-creators and I spill some tea on the South Carolina Clerk of Court at the Murdaugh Trial.”
What tea, though?
Specifically, Gordon cited a mysterious email Hill sent to a media outlet “in the middle of the night.”
“There’s an email she sent in the middle of the night that Colleton County and a media outlet are keeping in their hip pockets,” Gordon wrote.
Take a look…
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(Trial Watchers)
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On the podcast, Gordon elaborated on the email – referring to it as “mind-blowing and eye-opening.”
“I will generically tell you that she sent an email in the middle of the night, a very long email to a news organization in South Carolina,” Gordon said. “And copied us from her Colleton County court email address.”
Wait… what?
“She basically tried to give her side of the story via email to a news organization which has not, at this point, done a story,” Gordon added.
Gordon did not identify the media outlet in question – nor did he divulge the contents of the email.
Hill’s use of a government email for personal purposes has been extensively chronicled, but where was this “mind-blowing” missive in all of the documents sought under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)? According to Gordon, Colleton County officials held the document back – perhaps due to the ongoing S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigation into Hill.
“It’s one of the things that was held back,” Gordon said. “Makes you wonder, though… they didn’t release it.”
The first episode of Gordon’s podcast focused extensively on the collapse of the couple’s relationship with Hill – a curious venue for the airing of such dirty laundry. Brinson-Gordon stated at one point that her last communication with Hill was via text. According to her, Hill accused Gordon of using her as a “stepping stone” – an accusation which made her “furious.”
“I have a right to make a living,” Gordon said.
Gordon added he and his wife were “damaged” during the scandal surrounding ‘Behind the Doors of Justice,’ saying “Becky’s plagiarism just detonated the whole project.”
Count on this media outlet to keep our audience in the loop on the latest developments in Hill’s case, which remains under investigation and (controversially) under the prosecutorial purview of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson – whose office relied on Hill in its bid to deny Murdaugh a new trial.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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2 comments
Gordon is making another shameless money grab, off the backs of two deceased individuals. It’s disgusting. First it was the plagiarized book, and now a patreon. Hill should have been charged for jury tampering, and Murdaugh should get a new trial.
Any leads on them”real killers”?