On Monday, a judge rejected convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh’s request for a new trial following an extensive evidentiary hearing focused on accusations of jury tampering by a court clerk that purportedly tainted the verdict.

Judge Jean Toal rendered the decision after listening to testimony from all 12 jurors involved in Murdaugh’s trial and hearing from Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill.

Toal stated that Murdaugh needed to demonstrate that the clerk had made an inappropriate remark that influenced the jury.

While expressing skepticism about Hill’s credibility, describing her as “not completely credible as a witness” and susceptible to the allure of celebrity, Toal concluded that the jurors were not swayed by her actions.

“I simply do not believe that our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-seeking clerk of court,” Toal said.

In her testimony, Hill refuted any allegations of tampering with the jury for financial gain or any other motives, NBC News reported.

Dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and accompanied by his legal team, 55-year-old Murdaugh was present among the onlookers in the crowded courtroom at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, reigniting interest in the high-profile case.

Following Judge Toal’s decision, his attorneys informed reporters that they intend to appeal the ruling.

Written by B.C. Begley