Key facts
- Prosecutors filed a motion to unseal court transcripts concerning Juror 785, known as the 'egg juror.'
- The juror was dismissed before deliberations in Alex Murdaugh's 2023 double-murder trial.
- The South Carolina Supreme Court previously reversed Murdaugh's murder convictions.
- The transcripts detail a private hearing where the juror was removed for allegedly discussing the case prematurely.
- The state's motion argues that restrictions on the transcripts should be lifted now that a new trial has been granted.
Prosecutors with the South Carolina Attorney General's Office have requested that the state Supreme Court unseal secret court transcripts related to the dismissal of Juror 785, nicknamed the 'egg juror,' from Alex Murdaugh's 2023 double-murder trial. The motion argues that these records should be made public now that Murdaugh has been granted a new trial for the June 2021 killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. The sealed transcript reportedly details a private hearing where Judge Clifton Newman removed the juror for allegedly discussing the case prematurely. These records were initially sealed under protective orders. The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed Murdaugh's convictions on May 13, with the remittitur issued on May 29, sending the case back to the lower court. The state's motion suggests that with a new trial granted, there should be no prejudice to any party, and the transcripts should be unsealed to ensure public access to court records. This move follows separate efforts by the juror, Myra Crosby, to unseal investigative records concerning jury-tampering allegations against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill, which Murdaugh's defense team cited as grounds for a fair trial. While retired Chief Justice Jean Toal initially rejected Murdaugh's request for a new trial, the Supreme Court ultimately granted it based on Hill's interactions with jurors.