Alex Murdaugh Seeks Dismissal Of Murder Indictments Over Alleged Grand Jury Lies
Disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh asked a judge on Friday to throw out the murder indictments accusing him of killing his wife and son, arguing that a state agent's false testimony misled the Colleton County grand jury that charged him.[1]
In a hearing before Judge Debra McCaslin, Murdaugh's lawyers said State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent David Owen wrongly told grand jurors there was blood spatter on Murdaugh's T-shirt and that ammunition matching the rounds that killed Paul Murdaugh was loaded in guns "all over" the family's rural property. Prosecutors countered that any misstatement was a single mistake, insisted there was ample independent evidence including a kennel video placing Murdaugh at the crime scene and financial-motive proof, and argued they could simply seek new indictments if the current ones are dismissed.[1]
The defense challenge comes after the South Carolina Supreme Court threw out Murdaugh's 2023 murder convictions, ruling that the elected Colleton County court clerk improperly pressured jurors to convict during the original trial. That decision cleared the way for a retrial and returned the case to pretrial status, making the validity of the underlying indictments a critical battleground for both sides. Murdaugh, already serving decades in prison for a wide-ranging financial fraud scheme, has maintained he did not kill his wife Maggie and son Paul, who were found shot to death at the family's Moselle estate in June 2021.[1]
Owen's credibility is now central to the new defense strategy. He was once honored as South Carolina's State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, but he retired in 2024 after another murder case he led was dismissed when prosecutors failed to turn over key evidence to the defense. Defense attorneys in Murdaugh's case are using that history to argue that grand jurors were given a distorted picture of the forensic and ballistic evidence before they voted to indict, while the state insists the core of its case remains intact even if Owen misspoke about specific lab findings.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, November 13, 2026, Murdaugh’s lawyers asked Judge Debra McCaslin to dismiss the original murder indictments based on alleged false testimony to the Colleton County grand jury.
- The defense says SLED agent David Owen inaccurately told grand jurors there was blood spatter on Murdaugh’s T‑shirt and that ammunition matching Paul Murdaugh’s wounds was loaded in guns “all over” the property.
- Prosecutors contend any misstatements were a single mistake, cite other evidence such as the kennel video and financial motives, and say they can seek fresh indictments even if the current ones are tossed.
- The hearing comes after the South Carolina Supreme Court threw out Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions, finding a court clerk improperly influenced jurors against him.
- Owen, previously honored as State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, retired in 2024 and has already had another murder case he handled dismissed over undisclosed evidence.
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