Murdaugh Defense Claims Separate Killing May Involve Murder Weapon From Double-Homicide Case

During a Friday court proceeding, attorneys defending Alex Murdaugh introduced an unsubstantiated allegation that a recent homicide in Allendale County could potentially involve firearms tied to the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. The assertion caught both prosecutors and the presiding judge off guard, as Murdaugh prepares for a new trial following the South Carolina Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to overturn his 2023 convictions and life sentences earlier this year.

The high court determined that Becky Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court, had improperly swayed jurors during the initial proceedings, effectively denying Murdaugh a fair trial. Despite the overturned murder convictions, Murdaugh remains incarcerated due to separate state and federal convictions related to financial crimes. He is now navigating a retrial before South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Debra McCaslin.

Defense counsel Jim Griffin informed the court that his team obtained information through FITSNews reporting suggesting a recent Allendale County murder may have utilized weapons connected to the Murdaugh case. Griffin requested that prosecutors investigate and provide any related documentation. The reference stemmed from an August 8 FITSNews YouTube episode in which founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood discussed an unconfirmed report concerning a possible third firearm at the Moselle crime scene.

During the FITSNews segment, Folks stated the outlet had received reports of a Murdaugh-connected firearm being used in a subsequent crime, though he declined to provide specific details. Wood cautioned that the information remained unverified despite hearing it from reliable sources. However, neither the FITSNews segment nor Griffin’s courtroom presentation identified the victim, the specific weapon, or any forensic testing substantiating the alleged connection.

Griffin argued the matter qualified as Brady material—exculpatory evidence favorable to the defense. He noted that a SLED ballistics expert had testified during Murdaugh’s first trial that shell casings from the .300 Blackout rifle used to kill Maggie Murdaugh matched casings found at the Murdaugh family’s shooting range. Griffin contended that if Allendale County case casings matched those from the Murdaugh murders, the defense deserved access to underlying testing and investigative materials.

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters expressed complete surprise at the allegation, stating he had received no such information despite communicating with SLED investigators daily. Waters pledged to investigate the claim but said he would be astonished if such a connection existed without his office being notified. Judge McCaslin similarly appeared taken aback, acknowledging the assertion had raised significant questions.

After the hearing, SLED informed Waters that no ballistics match exists linking the .300 Blackout used in the Allendale County shooting to any other crime. Waters confirmed that the Allendale firearm evidence had been entered into a ballistics database but produced no leads or matches. No concrete evidence has been presented establishing any connection between an Allendale County homicide and weapons used in the Murdaugh killings.