Charleston residents are watching closely as a Lexington, South Carolina, hearing could alter the course of the Alex Murdaugh murder retrial. On November 13, 2026, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked Circuit Court Judge Debra McCaslin to dismiss the indictments that have been in place since July 2022, claiming that the grand jury was misled by false testimony.
According to FITSNews, the defense centered its argument on former SLED agent David Owen’s testimony about alleged blood spatter on Murdaugh’s shirt and shotgun ammunition recovered at the Moselle property. A November 2021 SLED lab report, however, found no human blood on the shirt cuttings, a fact the defense says was omitted from the materials originally provided to the prosecution’s blood‑stain analyst.
Prosecutors acknowledged the omission, stating the lab report was inadvertently left out of the initial packet and that the analyst “stood by his opinion after reviewing it.” They also admitted an error in Owen’s shotgun testimony but argued that other evidence—most notably a Snapchat video recorded by Paul Murdaugh near the kennels—supports probable cause.
During the hearing, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters emphasized that even without the disputed forensic testimony, the State possessed sufficient evidence to justify the indictments. He noted that the blood‑spatter evidence had become a “side issue” as the trial approached, with the timeline evidence taking precedence.
Judge McCaslin indicated she would take the matter under advisement and issue a written order next week. She also remarked, “I’ve made my own timeline,” while reviewing the State’s presentation of the blood‑spatter evidence.
If the judge grants the defense’s request for dismissal without prejudice, prosecutors could return to a grand jury to seek new indictments. The case remains significant for Charleston and the broader Lowcountry, as the Murdaugh saga has dominated state headlines and raised questions about forensic integrity and prosecutorial conduct.
Jury selection for the retrial is scheduled to begin April 5, 2027, in Sumter County, following the South Carolina Supreme Court’s May 2026 decision to overturn Murdaugh’s 2023 convictions due to alleged jury‑selection improprieties.
What’s next: Judge McCaslin’s written order is expected next week. Should the indictments be dismissed, the State will decide whether to present the case to a new grand jury. Residents can follow updates through local news outlets and the court’s public docket.
Sources: fitsnews.com
