Tossed: S.C. Judge Quashes Michael Colucci’s Murder Indictment

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In a dramatic ruling issued on Tuesday afternoon (June 17, 2025), South Carolina circuit court judge Roger M. Young quashed the state’s murder indictment against Michael Colucci, determining prosecutors withheld critical evidence from jurors during his first trial – a trial that ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury.

Colucci was charged with murdering his wife, Sara Lynn Colucci, in what prosecutors called a staged suicide using a garden hose. The defense argued Sara took her own life – pointing to her long history of mental health struggles, substance abuse and a prior suicide in her family that deeply affected her.

Sara Lynn Colucci was found dead on May 20, 2015, outside one of the couple’s jewelry stores in Summerville, South Carolina. Her body was discovered on a concrete slab next to a six-foot chain-link fence, with a black garden hose wrapped around her neck. She had grooved wounds on her neck – and scrapes on her knees and one of her feet.

The cause of Sara Colucci’s death was determined as asphyxiation by neck compression. The manner of her death has never been established, however. At the time of her death, cocaine and Xanax were detected in her system – and her blood alcohol content was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit. A single strand of her blonde hair was found at the top of the post where the garden hose was looped. 

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Investigators with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) initially determined she died by suicide, but agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – led by David Owen – charged Colucci with his wife’s murder in May 2016. Michael Colucci’s first trial was held in 2018 – but the proceedings collapsed and the case ended in a mistrial. A second trial, slated for May 2024, was derailed by scheduling problems.

Investigators noted wounds on both Sara and Michael consistent with a struggle. Sara Lynn had a bruised eye and was missing the tip of her left pinky nail from her manicured hands (which was later found on the floor of the car along with a broken pair of sunglasses). She also had abrasions on both her knees and on the top of one foot.

Colucci had busted and swollen lip – which he claimed to have received when giving his wife CPR (even though there were no indications he had actually attempted CPR). Colucci also had bruises and scratches on his upper right and left arms as well abrasions on the knuckle of one hand.

Judge Young’s ruling followed an evidentiary hearing on Tuesday morning focused on allegations of prosecutorial and law enforcement misconduct. Central to the defense’s motion was the contention that Sara’s emotional state in the days leading up to her death – including a specific suicide threat she made to her mother – was kept from jurors due to actions or omissions by the state.

“This court believes our courts should demand better from the state,” Young said in his ruling, which he read from the bench. “To simply allow this trial to go forward… amounts to a foul with a harm.”

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RELATED | MICHAEL COLUCCI BOMBSHELL: DEFENSE MOVES FOR DISMISSAL OF MURDER CHARGE

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As Young noted in his ruling, Sara’s mother — Barbara Moore — testified that she found her daughter in a deeply distressed state prior to her death. Sara Colucci had allegedly told her mother she wanted to hang herself – but couldn’t do it because of her children. Moore was so alarmed she considered having her daughter hospitalized.

Despite sharing this account with Owen, the judge noted, no follow-up occurred. Also, the grand jurors who indicted Michael Colucci for his wife’s murder were never informed of Colucci’s suicidal declaration to her mother.

Similarly, this information never reached the jury during Colucci’s first trial. Prosecutors cut off the mother’s testimony as she began to broach the subject, citing hearsay — and never sought to admit the statements under South Carolina Rule of Evidence 803(3), which allows for certain mental state declarations.

“It was known to all that the deceased suffered from severe drug and alcohol abuse,” Young noted, adding that Sara Colucci had been under psychiatric care at the time of her death. Still, the jury never heard about her recent threats of self-harm — a fact Judge Young said “troubles” the court deeply.

Had Colucci been convicted, Young added, the omission of this evidence would have “no doubt” warranted a new trial.

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A ‘RARE AND EXTRAORDINARY’ REMEDY

In an explosive motion filed just days before jury selection was set to begin, Colucci’s defense team argued prosecutors not only failed to disclose exculpatory evidence, but actively kept it from jurors and experts.

Their motion asserted the state had been in possession of evidence for nearly a decade indicating Sara told her mother she planned on taking her own life by hanging — but failed to turn that information over to the defense until June 2025. Defense attorneys called for testimony from key witnesses, including Sara’s mother, Barbara Moore, to determine the facts surrounding what they described as a ten-year Brady violation.

Their request was rare – dismiss the indictment altogether, with prejudice.

Young ultimately chose to quash the indictment without prejudice — meaning the state can refile charges against Colucci if prosecutors are able to convince a grand jury that probable cause of his guilt exists. Still, Young’s ruling carried with it clear message: if the case is going to trial again, it must be restarted from square one with full transparency.

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Young said any future indictment must come from a newly convened grand jury equipped with “the full measure of evidence this matter deserves.” He also directed the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson to do more than the typical “bare-bones” grand jury process used in state courts.

“The goal is to do justice,” Young said. “And this case deserves a fresh restart in order that the citizens of South Carolina can have full confidence in whatever the jury’s verdict is.”

Colucci put his head in his hands and appeared to cry as the judge announced he is now a free man — for the time being.

“This is an unusual case,” Judge Young said. “And it requires an unusual remedy.”

FITSNews has requested comment from both the attorney general’s office and SLED regarding Young’s ruling. We will update this story with any responses we receive.

UPDATE:

The attorney general’s office released the following statement:

“Yesterday, in a court hearing regarding the case against Michael Colucci, Judge Roger Young quashed the indictment without prejudice, which means the State can reevaluate the case and remedy any issues addressed by the court’s order before another trial. 

We respect the decision of the court and note that Judge Young did not find intentional misconduct by prosecutors from the Attorney General’s office.”

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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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