In a new filing this week, the defense team for Alex Murdaugh urged a South Carolina judge to require the state to produce a witness statement that alleges Yemassee Police Chief Greg Alexander handled the murder weapons and arranged a change of clothes for Murdaugh after the June 7, 2021 killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
Defense alleges evidence was withheld
The motion, filed on Wednesday, cites press reports that a state grand jury heard testimony that Chief Alexander was seen with the weapons shortly after the murders. According to the filing, a Lowcountry official told SLED agents that the chief “spoke of arriving early to the murder scene and talked about providing a change of clothes to Murdaugh,” and that the guns and clothing were taken to the police station for storage.
While the Post and Courier story could not independently verify the allegation, the defense argues that the statement, if accurate, contradicts the prosecution’s theory that Murdaugh himself handled the weapons, cleaned the scene with a hose, changed clothes, and later disposed of the firearms.
Background on the case
Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife and son at the family’s Moselle property in Colleton County. The South Carolina Supreme Court later overturned those convictions after finding that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill improperly influenced the jury. A retrial is set to begin on April 5, 2027.
During the original trial, prosecutors maintained that Murdaugh used two different weapons, cleaned the scene with a nearby water hose, changed his clothing, and drove to his parents’ house before returning a week later to discard the firearms. They have previously acknowledged that police never recovered the weapons.
Defense request to the court
The filing asks the court to order prosecutors to turn over all information concerning the handling, transport, concealment, or disposal of the alleged weapons, including the witness statement, interview reports, and any grand‑jury testimony or exhibits related to the matter. The defense says, “if the reports are accurate, prosecutors have held evidence that contradicts their own theory.”
Chief Alexander, through attorney Joe McCulloch, has denied the accusations made in media reports. Fox News Digital reached out to both Alexander and McCulloch for comment.
State response
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the defense’s motion.
As the retrial approaches, the defense’s push for additional evidence highlights ongoing disputes over the factual record in one of the state’s most high‑profile criminal cases.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
