Murdaugh Retrial Moved From Rural County; Dismissal Bid Pending
Judge moves Alex Murdaugh's murder retrial out of Colleton County, citing publicity and jury taint; dismissal motion deferred.
The judge overseeing Alex Murdaugh's murder retrial has ordered the case moved out of the rural South Carolina county where his first trial drew international attention. The decision, announced Friday, comes ahead of the retrial scheduled to begin April 5.
Judge Debra McCaslin agreed to relocate the proceedings from Colleton County, where the killings occurred and where the 2023 trial overwhelmed local infrastructure. The county of roughly 40,000 residents saw an influx of media and true-crime enthusiasts that strained its limited hotels and restaurants.
McCaslin cited the extensive publicity from the first trial, the circumstances surrounding a court clerk's alleged influence on the original jury, and the Murdaugh family's deep roots in the community. The family's law firm and its patriarchs served as chief prosecutors for generations.
The new venue has not yet been chosen. Murdaugh's defense team suggested Charleston County, where their client once lived, but prosecutors questioned the practicality, noting the city's high costs and parking difficulties. The judge said she would take time to research courtroom availability and accommodations before deciding.
Also left unresolved was a defense motion to dismiss the case entirely. Murdaugh's lawyers allege that a lead State Law Enforcement Division investigator, David Owen, gave false testimony to a grand jury about blood found on a shirt, contradicting another agent's findings. They also raised concerns about former agent Ryan Kelly, who was fired from a subsequent job for harassment and misconduct after testifying about an alleged plot to kill Murdaugh for insurance money.
The judge did rule that Murdaugh need not wear a prison jumpsuit during proceedings, citing no security risk. He remains incarcerated, serving a 40-year federal sentence and a 27-year state sentence for financial crimes.
Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. The state Supreme Court overturned that conviction in May, ruling that a court clerk may have improperly influenced the jury. Prosecutors maintain Murdaugh killed his family to deflect attention from his mounting financial fraud. He has consistently denied the murders while admitting to theft, addiction, and other wrongdoing.
The judge also asked the defense to assess whether remaining DNA evidence under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails is sufficient for additional testing by both sides.