UMVA has learned that a dramatic turn of events has unfolded in the case of disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh, with prosecutors now pushing to unseal secret court transcripts related to the removal of a juror dubbed the "egg juror."
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office has filed a motion with the state Supreme Court, seeking to retract the state’s previous objection and lift restrictions on a transcript from an on-camera hearing that led to the dismissal of Juror 785, identified as Myra Crosby, before deliberations in Murdaugh’s 2023 double-murder trial.
This surprising move comes on the heels of Murdaugh being granted a new murder trial, following the overturning of his convictions for the June 2021 killings of his wife, Maggie, and their younger son, Paul, at the family’s sprawling Moselle hunting estate.
Crosby became known as the "egg juror" after a peculiar incident in which she asked to retrieve her purse and a dozen eggs that another juror had brought to court to give away, prompting laughter in the courtroom.
The state Supreme Court reversed Murdaugh’s two murder convictions on May 13, and a formal remittitur was issued on May 29, sending the murder case back to the lower court for further proceedings.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the sealed transcript details a private hearing where the judge removed Crosby from the jury for allegedly discussing the case prematurely.
Prosecutors argue that, with a new trial granted, there should be no prejudice to any party, and the scales should now tip to unsealing and removing restrictions on the transcript.
The filing asks the Supreme Court to allow the previously protected transcripts to be filed as a supplement to the public appellate record, and to declare prior restrictions on sharing, discussing, or disclosing the contents of the transcript moot.
This latest development is just one chapter in the complex and dramatic saga of Murdaugh’s case, which has been marked by allegations of jury tampering and a broader effort to influence the outcome of the trial.
Crosby has been fighting to crack open sealed investigative records related to the jury-tampering scandal, arguing that transparency is now warranted since prosecutors have acknowledged that no criminal charges will be brought.
Murdaugh’s attorneys have argued that the alleged conduct of a former Colleton County Clerk of Court, including her interactions with jurors, deprived him of a fair trial.
The case is now headed back to court, with Murdaugh, 57, remaining imprisoned after pleading guilty to a series of financial crimes.
