In a shocking turn of events, the court clerk who played a pivotal role in the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh in South Carolina is now embroiled in a plagiarism scandal. Becky Hill, who assisted in guiding the trial, recently published a book titled "Behind the Doors of Justice: the Murdaugh Murders," but her co-author Neil Gordon revealed that the book had been unpublished and sales suspended due to allegations of plagiarism.

Gordon discovered the plagiarism while reviewing thousands of emails released through the federal Freedom of Information Act. A 12-page portion of the book's preface was found to contain passages that appeared to be copied from a BBC article about the case. Confronted about the issue, Hill admitted to plagiarizing the passage, citing deadline pressures as the reason for her actions.

As a veteran journalist, Gordon expressed his disappointment and stated that he could not excuse or condone Hill's behavior. He announced that he would no longer be partnering with her on any projects and extended apologies to readers, as well as to the BBC and the reporter whose work had been plagiarized. Attorneys for the broadcaster are said to be conducting an investigation into the matter.

This plagiarism controversy comes amidst a series of controversies surrounding Hill ever since Murdaugh's conviction and sentencing. Defense attorneys for Murdaugh have demanded a new trial, alleging improper discussions and jury tampering by Hill. These allegations include accusations that Hill influenced jurors, instructed them not to trust Murdaugh's testimony, engaged in one-on-one conversations with the jury foreperson in a bathroom, and even denied smoking breaks and threatened sequestration to pressure jurors into a quick guilty verdict.

In addition to the jury tampering accusations, Hill is also linked to a separate public corruption case involving wire-tapping charges against her son, Jeff Hill, a former Colleton county employee. State investigators found evidence suggesting that he abused his position to illegally intercept and listen to a phone conversation. The investigation uncovered a plot to listen in on internal county discussions related to an ethics complaint against Becky Hill for potential financial gain. South Carolina's attorney general, Alan Wilson, has taken jurisdiction over the case as part of a broader corruption inquiry.

As for the murder trial itself, Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the case, has requested to be removed from all post-trial matters. Judge Jean Hoefer Toal has been appointed to handle matters related to Murdaugh's convictions and the motions for a new trial.

It remains to be seen how these various controversies will impact the ongoing legal proceedings and if there will be further implications for Becky Hill beyond the plagiarism revelation.