南卡罗来纳州法官Debra McCaslin决定将Alex Murdaugh谋杀案重审从人口4万的Colleton County移至其他地点[1]。法官做出这一决定是因为首次审判引起了大量媒体关注和舆论影响[1]。重审定于2025年4月5日开始[1]。
Murdaugh因杀害妻子Maggie和22岁儿子Paul在2023年被陪审团以两项谋杀罪定罪并判终身监禁[1]，但南卡最高法院随后撤销了这一定罪，理由是法庭书记员可能影响了陪审团[1]。检控官称Murdaugh实施谋杀是为了获得同情以掩盖其财务犯罪[1]。目前Murdaugh仍在监禁中，因盗窃约1200万美元而同时服刑40年联邦刑期和27年州刑期[1]。
关于是否驳回该案的动议，法官暂未做出决定[1]。Murdaugh的律师声称State Law Enforcement Division特工David Owen曾向2023年大陪审团作伪证，称发现血迹在Murdaugh穿着的衬衫上，但另一特工确定未发现血迹[1]。此外，前特工Ryan Kelly因骚扰和不当行为被Charleston County Sheriff's Office开除[1]。
A South Carolina judge has ordered that Alex Murdaugh's murder retrial be relocated from Colleton County, a rural area with approximately 40,000 residents, citing the extensive media coverage and public attention surrounding the original trial [1]. The retrial is scheduled to begin on April 5, 2025 [1].
Judge Debra McCaslin has not yet ruled on a defense motion to dismiss the case entirely [1]. Murdaugh's legal team has challenged the integrity of the prosecution's case, arguing that a State Law Enforcement Division agent committed perjury before the 2023 grand jury by claiming to have discovered blood evidence on Murdaugh's shirt, when another agent determined no such blood was found [1]. Additionally, former investigator Ryan Kelly was terminated from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office for harassment and misconduct [1].
Murdaugh was originally convicted on two counts of murder in 2023 for the deaths of his wife Maggie and their 22-year-old son Paul [1]. The South Carolina Supreme Court later vacated the conviction after finding that a courthouse employee may have influenced the jury [1]. Prosecutors maintained that Murdaugh killed his family to generate sympathy and divert attention from substantial financial crimes [1]. Currently, Murdaugh remains incarcerated while serving a 40-year federal sentence and a 27-year state sentence for stealing approximately $12 million [1].