SC Gov. McMaster replaces embattled Alex Murdaugh murder trial clerk. Becky Hill resigned.

The governor of South Carolina has appointed a temporary replacement for the embattled former Colleton County Clerk of Court who resigned last week amid numerous controversies and ongoing allegations.

Gov. Henry McMaster issued an Executive Order late Tuesday appointing Patricia C. Grant as Colleton County Clerk of Court following the resignation of former Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill.

Hill, who was nearly at the end of her first four-year term, resigned from office "effective immediately" on March 25.

According to state law, the Governor's Office, "in the event of a vacancy in the office of a county clerk of court, the governor is authorized to appoint a suitable person, who shall be an elector of the county, to serve as clerk of court."

Grant's appointment is effective immediately, stated Executive Order 2024-07, and she will serve until the next general election, Nov. 5, 2024, or until a successor otherwise qualifies as provided by law, such as if a Special Election is held to fill the seat until a permanent elected official is seated.

Grant, a resident of Walterboro, served as the Colleton County Clerk of Court for 20 years, retiring in 2020.

In terms of public service, Grant's career is the polar opposite of the brief, controversial career of Hill's. Hill had served as Colleton County Clerk of Court since 2020. She ran as a Republican and was elected with more than 55 percent of the vote.

In October 2021, Gov. McMaster awarded Grant the Order of the Palmetto, S.C.'s highest civilian honor, for her 46 years of public service to Colleton County.

A 2021 "Walterboro Live" article, an online publication of The Press and Standard newspaper, stated that Grant had retired following a "remarkable" 46-year career in the judicial system in South Carolina, including 20 years as Colleton County Clerk of Court.

A native of Round O, a small community in rural Colleton County she began her career in July 1974 and was the first African American, apart from law enforcement officers, to work at the Colleton County Courthouse, reported the local paper. Grant would go on to be elected as the first Black Clerk of Court in Colleton County, running unopposed for five terms.

What's next for former clerk Rebecca Hill?

Hill became widely known for her work during the internationally publicized Alex Murdaugh murder trial, in which she oversaw the inner operations of the six-week trial and even read the guilty verdicts before going on to write a tell-all book about her experiences.

But much has happened to Hill in the year since the trial's conclusion, and her brief fame spiraled into infamy. In September 2023, she was ensnared in jury tampering allegations and other controversies, which earned Murdaugh an unsuccessful hearing in hopes of a new trial.

In late 2023, Hill was accused of plagiarism, which she admitted, and ethics violations, which she has denied.

Hill remains under investigation in two probes by state police, and other potential troubles remain on the legal horizon.

South Carolina state police confirmed in early January they were conducting two, separate criminal investigations into Hill.

On Jan. 10, Renee Wunderlich, spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), stated that SLED had two open investigations into Hill: "1) regarding her alleged interactions with the jury in the State vs. Richard Alexander Murdaugh and 2) regarding allegations she used her elected position for personal gain."

On Jan. 29, a specially appointed judge, former S.C. Justice Jean Toal, conducted a hearing on the jury tampering allegations and denied Murdaugh's motion for a new trial.

Although the allegations weren't enough to grant a new murder trial, the jury tampering issue is not over. Justice Toal questioned Hill's credibility and actions during the recent hearing, and state police have not dropped the issue, either.

"Monday’s hearing does not change the status of SLED’s investigations," Wunderlich told The Hampton County Guardian recently. "Both SLED investigations are active and ongoing."

During the March 25 press conference to announce her resignation, however, Hill and her attorney, Justin Bamberg, said her resignation from public office had nothing to do with the ongoing investigations, but to spend more time with her family and grandchildren.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: McMaster replaces embattled Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill.