COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (Court TV) — The son of the clerk of court who served during convicted killer Alex Murdaugh‘s trial is now behind bars.
Booking Photo of Jeffrey Hill (Colleton County Sheriff’s Office)
Jeffrey Hill was arrested on a felony warrant on Tuesday as a result of an ongoing investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Hill is the son of Rebecca Hill, who has come under fire in her role as clerk of court during the Murdaugh trial.
Online records indicate that Hill was arrested on a charge of wiretapping, and a source has confirmed with Court TV’s Chanley Painter that Hill is accused of illegally recording conversations involving a deputy county administrator, Meagan Utsey who served as a liaison between the county and the court during Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial.
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Jeffrey Hill is the technology director at Colleton County Administration, according to WCBD, where he’s responsible for the day-to-day operations of computers, software, data storage, mobile cellular services, management, and support.
Court TV obtained Hill’s arrest warrant which says that he is accused of using his position at Colleton County Administration “to unlawfully intercept and listen to” a conversation between two victims, whose names are redacted. Investigators said that neither victim was aware that he was listening or gave consent for their conversation to be recorded.
Hill appeared before Associate Chief Magistrate Sophia T. Henderson, who set a $20,000 personal recognizance bond.
A jury convicted Murdaugh of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at their South Carolina home. He was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences for the murders.
In an appeal filed with the court, Murdaugh’s attorneys have alleged jury tampering was an issue at the trial and have accused Rebecca Hill of speaking inappropriately to some of the jurors. Rebecca Hill has denied the claims in a signed affidavit filed with the prosecution’s response to the defense’s motion for a new trial.
Jeffrey Hill is expected to be released on bond and is due for his first court appearance at 9 a.m. on Jan. 26, 2024, at the Colleton County, SC Circuit Court.
