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by JENN WOOD
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The former juror whose removal from Alex Murdaugh‘s murder trial helped secure his initial guilty verdicts – and spark years of litigation over jury tampering – is urging a South Carolina judge to move quickly in making public the investigative records surrounding former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill.
In a response (.pdf) filed on Monday (July 27, 2026), former juror Myra Crosby — better known as the “Egg Juror” — largely agreed with prosecutors’ recent request to unseal the records. However, she contended the state’s proposed redaction process should not unnecessarily delay public access to the files.
Represented by Columbia attorney Joe McCulloch, Crosby further insisted the filing from the office of attorney general Alan Wilson understates the scope of what she has been seeking all along.
Rather than simply requesting access to the sealed in camera proceedings that led to her removal from the jury, Crosby says her motion has always been aimed at obtaining the complete investigative files concerning Hill’s alleged jury tampering.
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SEEKING THE COMPLETE INVESTIGATION
The filing comes in response to the attorney general’s July 3, 2026 motion (.pdf) supporting the release of the jury tampering investigation, provided juror identities and other sensitive information were first redacted.
While Crosby welcomes the state’s decision to no longer oppose disclosure, her attorney argued prosecutors incorrectly characterize the scope of her request.
According to the filing, Crosby was previously allowed to review portions of the sealed in camera proceedings concerning her removal from the jury. After reviewing those materials, however, McCulloch says it became apparent they did not contain the investigative records generated during the state’s later inquiry into former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill’s conduct.
“None of those documents appear to relate to the state’s jury tampering investigation,” the filing stated, arguing that obtaining those investigative materials — not merely the proceedings surrounding Crosby’s dismissal — has always been the purpose of her motion.
To obtain those records, McCulloch said he submitted a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests earlier this year to the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the attorney general’s office and the office of S.C. eleventh circuit solicitor Rick Hubbard (who was tasked with investigating Hill’s tampering) seeking their investigative files.
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According to the filing, each agency declined to produce the records, citing former supreme court justice Jean Toal‘s January 2024 protective order – even though Hill’s criminal case had concluded. Copies of the FOIA requests and agency responses were attached as exhibits.
McCulloch argued the purpose of South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act is to allow citizens to scrutinize the actions of public officials – and says the public should now be allowed to evaluate how state investigators handled allegations that ultimately led to the supreme court overturning Murdaugh’s murder convictions.
The filing’s sharpest disagreement with prosecutors concerns the scope of the proposed redactions. While Crosby does not oppose reasonable efforts to protect sensitive information, McCulloch argued the state overstated the need to shield juror identities. He notes jurors testified publicly during the post-trial proceedings, several have voluntarily identified themselves, some traveled to New York to appear on national television and members of the panel have since participated in documentaries, including productions for Netflix.
Under those circumstances, he argues, extensive identity-based redactions are no longer necessary.
Instead, Crosby asked the court to ensure that whatever redactions are ultimately ordered do not become another reason to delay releasing the records to the public.
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RELATED | Murdaugh Saga: Prosecutors Support Unsealing Becky Hill Files
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HILL INVESTIGATION UNDER SCRUTINY
The filing also renewed questions surrounding prosecutors’ decision not to pursue jury tampering charges against Hill.
McCulloch pointed to statements made by Hubbard during Hill’s December 2025 guilty plea hearing, when he told the court his office could not prove a jury tampering case beyond a reasonable doubt despite having sufficient evidence to obtain an indictment.
According to Crosby, those statements underscore why the investigative file should be opened to public scrutiny, allowing citizens to independently evaluate the evidence in light of the South Carolina Supreme Court’s May 2026 decision overturning Murdaugh’s murder convictions because of Hill’s improper communications with jurors.
If the court grants Crosby’s request, the public could gain access to one of the last significant collections of records still shielded from public view in the Murdaugh saga, shedding additional light on the investigation that ultimately unraveled one of South Carolina’s most closely watched murder convictions.
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THE MOTION…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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SOUND OFF…
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