Alex Murdaugh back in court amid defense questions about police handling of missing murder weapons

Alex Murdaugh back in court over missing murder weapons

Activelifezero.com – Alex Murdaugh back in court Friday as his attorneys seek additional information they say could be important to his defense before a second double-murder trial. The hearing centers on claims that law enforcement may have handled the weapons used to kill Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, at the family’s Moselle estate in 2021. The weapons have never been found.

Defense lawyers argue the allegations could challenge prosecutors’ account that Murdaugh acted alone and later disposed of the guns. Prosecutors have maintained that Murdaugh used two family firearms—a shotgun and a .300 Blackout rifle—to kill Maggie and Paul before taking the weapons away from the scene.

Defense seeks evidence tied to police claims

In filings ahead of the hearing, the defense described the information as potentially exculpatory. Attorneys said reports about officers possibly taking weapons or clothing from the crime scene could undermine the state’s theory that Murdaugh transported the items to his mother’s home in Almeda.

“If the weapons and the clothing left the scene in the hands of law enforcement officers, they did not leave in Defendant Murdaugh’s hands, and they did not go to Almeda,” defense attorney Richard Harpootlian wrote.

The defense cited reporting that a Lowcountry official told state investigators a local police chief had discussed arriving early at the scene and providing Murdaugh with a change of clothes. The same account suggested the weapons may have been temporarily stored at a police station.

Defense filings also said a South Carolina grand jury heard testimony related to the allegations. The attorneys wrote that witnesses had said Yemassee Police Chief Greg Alexander was seen with the weapons soon after the June 7, 2021, killings and that another Yemassee officer was under investigation over claims involving weapons and clothing.

Police chief denies removing evidence

An attorney for Alexander confirmed that his client received a subpoena but said he did not ultimately testify before the grand jury. Alexander’s lawyer, Joe McCulloch, said the chief did not improperly remove or conceal evidence from the crime scene.

“Mr. Alexander had nothing to do with taking evidence or concealing it,” McCulloch said.

McCulloch said Alexander arrived after numerous other officers were already at the property, leaving no opportunity for him to secretly transport evidence. He said the hearing would show that the allegations lacked substance.

Why Alex Murdaugh is facing a new murder trial

The hearing comes ahead of Murdaugh’s retrial, scheduled to begin April 5 in Sumter County. The case was moved from Colleton County because of concerns about whether Murdaugh could receive a fair trial there.

Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering Maggie and Paul. At his first trial, prosecutors portrayed the former personal injury attorney as a man facing mounting pressure from investigations into extensive financial crimes. Murdaugh denied shooting his wife and son, though he admitted lying to investigators about where he was on the night of the killings.

The South Carolina Supreme Court later overturned the murder convictions after finding that improper conduct by the county clerk affected the jury process. The ruling vacated the two life sentences tied to the murder charges, but Murdaugh remains in prison on concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 years and 40 years for financial crimes.

FAQ: What happens next in the Murdaugh case?

What is Friday’s hearing about?

The court is considering defense requests for information and evidence connected to claims that police may have handled missing weapons or clothing after the killings.

Have the murder weapons been recovered?

No. The shotgun and .300 Blackout rifle prosecutors said were used in the killings have not been found.

When is the retrial scheduled?

Murdaugh’s second murder trial is set to begin April 5 in Sumter County, South Carolina.