Alex Murdaugh wants murder indictments dismissed

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– Alex Murdaugh was back in court Friday morning for a pre-trial hearing ahead of next year’s double-murder retrial.

Defense Attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin as well as Prosecutor Creighton Waters spoke before Judge Debra McCaslin inside the Lexington County Courthouse November 13.

Murdaugh’s defense team making a motion to dismiss Murdaugh’s original murder indictments for killing Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

They claim that SLED’s lead investigator on the case David Owen presented false evidence to the grand jury.

Owen testified during the original trial that blood splatters from Paul Murdaugh were found on the front of Alex’s shirt, however no such evidence was introduced at trial.

Owen also told jurors that the same ammunition that was used to kill Paul was found loaded in other weapons on the Murdaugh property.

However defense attorneys argue that was false as well.

Judge McCaslin says she will take everything under consideration and make a written decision by Friday of next week (November 20).

The next pre-trial hearing will take place on January 20 in Sumter which is where the retrial will be held.

The official retrial is set to begin in April of 2027.