Murdaugh jurors at center of jury tampering allegations speak out for the first time: ‘I was targeted’
Alex Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 for killing his wife and son on a family hunting estate in 2021
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two jurors at the center of jury tampering allegations in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, including one who was famously dismissed, are speaking out publicly for the first time about the case.
Both jurors, known publicly as "Egg Juror" and "Juror Z," recently sat down with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum for an exclusive interview that will be released Tuesday on Fox Nation.
L-R: Jurors Myra Crosby and Mandy Pearce in an exclusive interview with Fox Nation. (Fox Nation)
The "Egg Juror," also known as Juror #785, claims that the clerk of the court, Becky Hill, targeted her for removal from the jury because she was not firm on Murdaugh’s guilt.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Juror Z," also known as Juror #630, says she voted guilty, but wasn’t — and still isn’t — sure about Murdaugh’s guilt, telling MacCallum she was swayed by Hill and other jurors of the court.
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Both women are disclosing their names for the first time: the "Egg Juror" is Myra Crosby, while "Juror Z" is Mandy Pearce.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a clip of the interview, Pearce can be heard telling the judge during an evidentiary hearing, "Yes, mam," when asked if her verdict was "influenced in any way by the communications of the clerk of court in this case?"
"She made it seem like he was already guilty," Pearce says, telling MacCallum: "What Becky did wasn’t right."
"She came into the juror room, and was talking and interacting with all of us," Pearce says.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Crosby tells MacCallum in the interview: "I feel like I was targeted."
"Ms. Hill asked me on several occasions what my opinion was, and my constant answer was ‘undecided'," Crosby says.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When asked if she thought the judge made a mistake in removing her, Crosby says, "In all honesty, I do."
Alex Murdaugh talks with his defense attorney Jim Griffin during a jury-tampering hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)
Crosby was nicknamed the "egg juror" after a viral moment from the court that showed her being dismissed. Crosby asked if she could get her dozen eggs and purse before leaving, eliciting laughter from the courtroom. Another panelist had brought in the eggs to give away, and Crosby explained that she did not want to leave them behind.
The interview, "Fall of the House of Murdaugh: From Egg to Z," will be available on Fox Nation on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tuesday will also see the release of Crosby’s book, chronicling the trial: "Because Enough is Enough, A Tell All Book: How Juror 785 was Wrongly Kicked Off the Jury at the Alex Murdaugh Trial."
Alex Murdaugh and Becky Hill (Fox News)
The jurors’ interview comes just weeks after the South Carolina Supreme Court agreed to take on Alex Murdaugh’s appeal based on jury tampering allegations.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Murdaugh, 56, was convicted in 2023 for killing his wife and son on a family hunting estate in 2021 to allegedly distract from his ever-growing list of financial crimes and buy time and sympathy as he attempted to cover it up. He is serving two life sentences for the murders.
The former South Carolina legal scion appealed the decision on allegations that former Colleton County Court Clerk Becky Hill, who presided over the murder trial, tampered with the jury.
Retired South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal ruled earlier this year that she did not believe a new trial was needed for Murdaugh after hearing from all 12 jurors who convicted Murdaugh in court; only one of those 12 said Hill influenced her decision.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hill, who is the subject of two ongoing investigations by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), resigned in March amid allegations of jury tampering in the Murdaugh murder trial.
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Hill denied all allegations of improper communications with jurors in court during the evidentiary hearing. She has maintained outside court that her decision to resign does not stem from any of the allegations made against her while she presided over Murdaugh’s trial.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin and Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.