Top Investigators In Alex Murdaugh’s Case Quietly Retire

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While last year’s six-week long murder trial of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh was accompanied by many stunning twists and shocking revelations – perhaps nothing was quite as surprising as the defense team’s deft dismantling of the investigation conducted by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Department (SLED).

And while Murdaugh’s aggressive defense ultimately failed to sway a jury of his peers, it did expose several flaws in the inquiry – prompting national criticism of SLED and its investigators.

Now, two of the SLED agents most heavily involved in the Murdaugh case have quietly retired. Lead Murdaugh agent David Owen and Lowcountry investigative captain Ryan Neill have both stepped down from SLED in the aftermath of the ‘Trial of the Century’ – which resulted in a victory for the agency and the office of attorney general Alan Wilson.

At least for the time being, anyway …

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Before the trial even started, Murdaugh attorneys Dick Harpootlian, Jim Griffin, Phillip Barber and Maggie Fox made it clear the integrity of the investigation would be a focus of their defense – submitting subpoenas to compel multiple SLED agents to appear at a hearing in August of 2022.

This shot across the bow was followed by a seismic motion in November of 2022 seeking to exclude controversially obtained blood spatter evidence – and another motion submitted just days before the trial began accusing prosecutors and investigators of waging “a campaign of selective and deceptive leaks to news media to convince the public that Murdaugh is guilty before he is tried.”

At several points during the trial, it appeared as though Murdaugh’s bid to discredit the investigation was working. For example, Owen – who was expected to be a key witness for prosecutors – faced relentless questioning when he took the stand in Walterboro. Cross-examined by Griffin, Owen revealed SLED failed to search the home of Murdaugh’s parents in Almeda, S.C. – which is where prosecutors believe Murdaugh temporarily stashed the murder weapons after murdering his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and younger son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, on June 7, 2021.

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Neither murder weapon has ever been recovered, incidentally.

Despite having permission from the Murdaugh family to search the residence, SLED failed to do so for another three months.

“That was an opportunity missed?” Griffin asked Owen.

“Probably, yes,” Owen replied.

Owen was grilled further by Griffin over purportedly inaccurate statements made to the grand jury that indicted Murdaugh for the murders of his wife and son. Specifically, he was challenged about controversial blood spatter evidence that convicted Murdaugh in the court of public opinion – but was excluded from the trial due to the dubious manner in which it was analyzed.

In the aftermath of the Murdaugh’s conviction on March 2, 2023, the SLED investigators who spent years building the case against him have remained largely quiet. Despite wild speculation, it appears the most likely reason for that is half of them have since retired – making the Murdaugh case their ‘swan song.’

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RELATED | MURDAUGH’S ATTORNEYS SEEK TO EXCLUDE BLOOD SPATTER

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According to a biography posted on the Southeastern Homicide Investigators Association (SEHIA)’s annual conference agenda, Owen is listed as having “retired from active law enforcement in June 2024” after twenty-eight years of service. According to the biography, Owen – who is listed as a presenter at the annual conference – still holds a state constable commission.

In addition to Owen’s quiet retirement, SLED captain Ryan Neill also retired in October of 2023 following a 33-year career with the agency – the last decade of which he served as the captain of the Lowcountry investigative division.

Neither retirement appears to be related to anything other than both seasoned investigators meeting the eligibility for retirement as established by the Police Officers Retirement System (PORS) – part of the S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA). PORS states class five members of law enforcement agencies can retire after 27 years of service – or at age 55 or older.

Murdaugh is currently appealing his convictions – but has asked the S.C. supreme court to pause that process to consider whether a trial judge erred in refusing him a new trial on the basis of jury tampering by former Colleton County clerk of court Becky Hill.

Hill is facing criminal prosecution related to a number of allegations leveled against her, another SLED “investigation” the integrity of which is drawing scrutiny.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

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