Murdaugh’s Defense Accuses Prosecutors of Withholding Evidence

Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh have accused prosecutors of holding back crucial evidence in his case. They claim a witness statement suggests that a South Carolina police chief managed the weapons used in the murders of Murdaugh’s wife and son. The defense has asked a judge to intervene.

Murdaugh was initially convicted in 2023 for killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at their property in Colleton County. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court later overturned the conviction. This decision was based on findings that a former Colleton County Clerk of Court, Becky Hill, improperly influenced the jury. Murdaugh’s retrial is now scheduled for April 5, 2027.

A motion filed by Murdaugh’s attorneys refers to media reports indicating a state grand jury heard testimony implicating Yemassee Police Chief Greg Alexander. Reports suggest Alexander was seen handling the murder weapons shortly after the June 7, 2021, killings.

“According to those reports, witnesses have testified that the Chief of Police of the Town of Yemassee, Greg Alexander, was seen with the murder weapons in the immediate aftermath of the June 7, 2021, killings,” the filing states.

The document also mentions a story from The Post and Courier. It reported that a Lowcountry official told investigative agents that Chief Alexander arrived early at the murder scene. He allegedly offered clothes to Murdaugh and advised storing weapons and clothing at the police station.

Prosecutors in Murdaugh’s initial trial claimed he used two separate weapons to kill his family. They proposed Murdaugh cleaned himself with a water hose, changed clothes, and left the murder weapons at his parents’ house. Police never recovered these weapons.

Chief Alexander, through his attorney Joe McCulloch, denied these allegations made in media reports.

Murdaugh’s legal team has requested that the prosecution disclose all related information. This includes any handling, transport, or disposal of the weapons used in the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. They assert that if reports are accurate, prosecutors have withheld evidence weakening their case.