|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
On this week’s episode of FITSNews Week in Review we were joined by South Carolina attorney Lauren Taylor of the Lauren Taylor Law Firm to discuss the quashing of a 2016 murder indictment filed against Lowcountry jeweler Michael Colucci. We then returned to the still-unfolding story of South Carolina state representative RJ May III, who was arrested and charged last week with distributing child sex abuse materials (a.k.a. “child pornography”).
In our first segment, research director Jennifer Wood sat down with Taylor to discuss the decision by S.C. circuit court judge Roger M. Young to quash Colucci’s murder indictment. According to Young, prosecutors withheld critical evidence from jurors during Colucci’s first trial seven years ago.
Colucci was charged with murdering his wife, Sara Lynn Colucci, in what prosecutors called a staged suicide using a garden hose on May 20, 2015, outside of a jewelry store owned by the couple in Summerville, South Carolina.
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.
***
Just prior to the selection of a jury earlier this month, Colucci’s defense team filed an explosive motion arguing prosecutors not only failed to disclose exculpatory evidence, but actively kept it from jurors and experts.
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 still exists.
Taylor weighed in on the bombshell developments – offering her perspective based on her experience in Palmetto State courtrooms – and discussed what Young’s ruling means for the Colucci case moving forward. Stay tuned for the publication of the full conversation next week, which will also include a segment discussing Karen Read‘s recent high profile not-guilty verdict after being accused of killing her boyfriend in Canton, Massachusetts.
For our final segment, special projects director Dylan Nolan sat down with our lead investigative reporter Andy Fancher to dive into the still-unfolding story of South Carolina state representative RJ May III – whose arrest last week continues to send shock waves across the Palmetto political establishment.
The pair begin by recounting the chain of events that led to May’s arrest, putting dates and details into the context of the timeline of alleged depravity provided in federal court by prosecutors and law enforcement agents.
***
RELATED | POLITICAL TIES AND HARD DRIVES
***
While the YouTube’s terms of service prevented a discussion of the deeply disturbing videos of the sexual abuse of toddlers May was accused of disseminating, readers inclined to read the horrific allegations themselves can do so by accessing the the nine-page indictment (.pdf) or the government’s motion for detention (.pdf).
In the week since our last episode, Fancher has found some interesting and hitherto unreported information pertaining to “Eric Rentling,” a previously unknown online alias tied to May’s electronic devices and allegedly used to solicit sex in South America.
Fancher’s new “Political Ties & Hard Drives: The Fall of R.J. May III” report examines “Rentling’s” Facebook page, noting that DHS Special Agent Britton Lorenzen “repeatedly testified — with confidence — that the Facebook profile photo of ‘Eric Rentling’ appeared to show the back of May’s head.”
What Fancher discovered through his own investigation is that the profile picture — of a bearded man in a dark shirt sitting alone on a beach, facing the ocean — is a widely used stock photos, seen across blogs, news stories, and social media posts since at least 2019.
Fancher’s investigation is wide-ranging and ongoing, and anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact him via email at Andy@Fitsnews.com.
Once again, thanks to everyone who watched this week’s program. Please remember, your support drives literally everything we do at FITSNews. The lights, the cameras, the accountability … all of it is a direct result of your subscriptions. So, if you value the sort of independent, unapologetic coverage we provide – please help us out and consider subscribing today!
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: Travis Bell)
Dylan Nolan is the director of special projects at FITSNews. He graduated from the Darla Moore school of business in 2021 with an accounting degree. Got a tip or story idea for Dylan? Email him here. You can also engage him socially @DNolan2000.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
