Judge moves Alex Murdaugh retrial from small county, but motion to toss out case will wait

Lexington, South Carolina — Judge Debra McCaslin decided on Friday to transfer the retrial of Alex Murdaugh from the rural Colleton County to a more accommodating location, amidst the legal and media fallout from the 2023 murders of Murdaugh's wife and son. However, the request to dismiss the entire case has yet to be addressed.

Murdaugh's attorneys argue that state investigators provided misleading information to the grand jury that indicted him in 2022, and one of the principal investigators was later fired for misconduct following a job change to another agency. The judge ruled that Murdaugh does not have to wear a prison jumpsuit, despite being sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and 27 years in state prison for a $12 million theft from clients and his family's law firm.

The judge's decision to move the retrial is based on the overwhelming media frenzy from the initial trial, concerns over the court clerk's influence on the first jury, and Murdaugh's significant local connections. The new trial date is set for April 5, and McCaslin is still researching potential venues for the retrial. The defense plans to submit more evidence in writing regarding their belief that the case should be dismissed, particularly regarding conflicting statements from investigators David Owen and Ryan Kelly.