South Carolina prosecutors filed a 22‑page response on Friday, November 6, 2026, addressing the defense’s allegations of fabricated forensic evidence in the high‑profile murder case of former attorney Alex Murdaugh. While the state conceded that a laboratory report was unintentionally left out of the materials given to a blood‑stain analyst and that a former SLED investigator’s shotgun testimony contained inaccuracies, officials argued that these mistakes do not rise to intentional misconduct and do not warrant dismissing the indictments.
Omitted Laboratory Report
The state acknowledged that a November 2021 SLED laboratory report, which found no human blood on certain samples from Murdaugh’s white T‑shirt, was not provided to blood‑stain‑pattern analyst Tom Bevel until after the grand jury returned its indictments. Prosecutors described the omission as inadvertent, noting the report was discovered among the expert’s materials in November 2022, four months after the grand jury’s proceedings.
Bevel later issued a supplemental report in December 2022 after reviewing the previously omitted findings, but he continued to stand by his earlier conclusion that the shirt bore more than 100 stains consistent with blood spatter. The state argued that the shirt’s treatment with Leuco Crystal Violet (LCV) could have produced a false‑negative result in the laboratory, offering an alternative explanation for the conflicting forensic results.
Shotgun Ammunition Testimony
Former SLED investigator David Owen’s testimony regarding shotgun ammunition recovered from the Moselle property was also addressed. The defense had claimed Owen presented inaccurate information about mixed shotgun loads to the grand jury. Prosecutors did not dispute that Owen’s statements were imprecise, but they framed the errors as confusion over several firearms recovered from the property, not a deliberate attempt to mislead jurors.
The state highlighted that other firearms at the scene contained mixed ammunition, including buckshot and birdshot, supporting the view that Owen’s description reflected his understanding at the time.
Impact on the Retrial
Despite these acknowledgments, prosecutors emphasized that the grand jury had sufficient additional evidence to establish probable cause against Murdaugh. They pointed to the original conviction—secured without the contested blood‑spatter evidence—as evidence that the prosecution’s case does not rely on the disputed forensic findings.
The defense continues to seek dismissal of all four murder‑related indictments without prejudice, allowing the state to pursue new charges if necessary. Murdaugh’s retrial is scheduled to begin April 5, 2027, in Sumter County, with Circuit Court Judge Debra McCaslin presiding.
Background
Alex Murdaugh was convicted in early 2023 for the June 7, 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and his son, Paul Murdaugh, 22. The South Carolina Supreme Court later reversed those convictions, citing numerous trial‑conduct issues, including alleged jury tampering. The state’s latest filing seeks to clarify procedural matters while maintaining the integrity of the ongoing prosecution.
Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
