The region’s chief prosecutor released a statement Monday evening defending his agency’s role in the Murdaugh homicide investigation. He called comparisons to a previous recusal “not apt.”
The S.C. Law Enforcement Division released some reports shedding light on the early police response to the scene where two members of the prominent Murdaugh family were found dead on June 7 in Colleton County.
Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother Maggie, 52, were shot to death on June 7 outside their Colleton County estate. Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband, called 911 at 10:07 p.m. to report that he had discovered the bodies.
Anyone with information can call SLED’s tip line for this case at 803-896-2605.
Top prosecutor’s ‘investigative support’ in Murdaugh investigation
Monday, 5:42 p.m.: 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone defended his agency’s role in the Murdaugh homicide investigation after two weeks of silence since the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, according to a new statement.
Stone said comparisons to when he recused himself in the 2019 boat crash investigation that implicated Paul Murdaugh are “not apt.”
The Solicitor’s Office is offering the S.C. Law Enforcement Division legal advice and “investigative support,” the statement said.
“To my knowledge, there is no clear suspect in this case at this time,” Monday’s statement said. “As such, speculation about the propriety of my office’s involvement is precisely that – speculation.”
Alex Murdaugh, the father of Paul and husband to Maggie, was an authorized volunteer for the Solictor’s Office, according to a recent letter obtained by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette newspapers.
-Jake Shore, Kacen Bayless
SLED releases (mostly redacted) police reports
Monday, 4 p.m.: New reports released by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division give a rough outline of how and when police responded to the double Murdaugh homicide, including logging shell casings and asking neighbors for camera footage.
SLED released the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office reports, which were mostly redacted, on Monday afternoon following a recent lawsuit against the agency arguing that law enforcement agencies were illegally keeping reports from the public.
The released documents include 11 narrative reports from officers who responded to the scene of the shootings.
“I urge the public to be patient and let the investigation take its course,” SLED Chief Mark Keel said in the release. “This case is complex, and we will not rush this or any investigation. Investigative decisions we make throughout this case must withstand the scrutiny of the criminal justice process. SLED agents continue to interview possible witnesses, collect and process potential evidence, and investigate every lead with the same diligence we devote to every case.”
-Jake Shore, Kacen Bayless