South Carolina prosecutors are rejecting claims that Alex Murdaugh’s defense was denied critical raw cellphone evidence in the murder case. In a new court filing, the state says defense records and emails show investigators provided extraction files, logs and related materials before Murdaugh’s first trial. Prosecutors also point to a January 2023 request for a duplicate extraction after the defense reportedly misplaced the original. Murdaugh is scheduled for a retrial in April 2027 after his 2023 convictions were overturned.
| 1) | Prosecutors challenge the defense evidence claim |
| 2) | Records outline earlier cellphone disclosures |
| 3) | A duplicate extraction was requested before trial |
| 4) | The case is headed toward a 2027 retrial |
| 5) | The court is reviewing recreated digital evidence |
Prosecutors challenge the defense evidence claim
The South Carolina state prosecution filed its response after Murdaugh’s legal team argued in September that it had not received cellphone extraction files, key chain files and extraction logs from seized smartphones. The state disputes that account and describes it as false and contradicted by the defense’s own communications.
The filing was submitted in the ongoing criminal proceedings before Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin in Lexington, South Carolina. Prosecutors are seeking to establish that the relevant digital evidence was disclosed during the preparation for Murdaugh’s first trial, rather than withheld before the upcoming retrial.
“The State will be glad to send the cell phone evidence to the defense yet one more time if they have somehow messed up or lost their copies again.”
Records outline earlier cellphone disclosures
The state released 40 pages of emails, file-folder screenshots and signed discovery receipts covering late 2022 and early 2023. According to the filing, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigators provided defense experts with full, unredacted raw extractions, password logs, key chain files and reports in October and November 2022.
Those materials are central to the dispute because the defense has argued that access to the original extraction data is necessary to evaluate the prosecution’s digital evidence. Prosecutors say the disclosure records show the defense received the information, in some instances more than once, before the 2023 proceedings began.
A duplicate extraction was requested before trial
The prosecution’s filing highlights emails dated January 20, 2023, three days before jury selection began in Murdaugh’s first trial. In those messages, the defense reportedly requested a duplicate copy of Murdaugh’s phone extraction because its team had misplaced the original.
The exchange is significant because it directly addresses whether the defense lacked access to the cellphone material. Prosecutors say the request indicates the defense had previously received the extraction and was seeking another copy for its records. The defense position may still be considered by the court as part of the broader discovery dispute.
The case is headed toward a 2027 retrial
Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his son, Paul Murdaugh, in 2021. He received two life sentences. In May 2026, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the convictions after finding that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill improperly influenced jurors.
The reversal did not resolve the underlying murder allegations. Murdaugh is scheduled to face a new trial in April 2027, with pretrial motions being argued in Lexington. The cellphone evidence dispute is therefore part of the preparation for a second jury proceeding rather than an appeal of the original verdict.
The court is reviewing recreated digital evidence
During a recent court session, legal representatives said they were auditing discovery materials years after the first trial. They also discussed spending hours recreating a corrupted August 2022 murder download for the defense.
The court clarified that the recreated file was recopied data, not new evidence. That distinction matters to both sides as they determine what digital records remain available, whether the files are complete and how the material should be handled before trial. The defense has not publicly responded to the latest filing in the information provided.
| Number | Key Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | Prosecutors say cellphone evidence was disclosed before the first trial. |
| 2 | Emails show the defense requested a duplicate extraction after losing the original copy. |
| 3 | Murdaugh’s convictions were overturned in May 2026 because of jury influence findings. |
| 4 | A retrial is scheduled for April 2027. |
Summary
The latest filing places the dispute over cellphone evidence at the center of pretrial proceedings in Murdaugh’s case. Prosecutors rely on disclosure receipts and emails to argue that the defense had access to the relevant digital material and later sought a replacement copy. The court must determine how the evidence dispute affects discovery and preparation for the April 2027 retrial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What evidence is at the center of the dispute?
The dispute concerns raw cellphone extractions, password logs, key chain files, extraction logs and related reports from seized smartphones.
Why do prosecutors cite the January 2023 emails?
Prosecutors say the emails show that the defense requested a duplicate phone extraction after its team misplaced the original, indicating that the material had previously been received.
When is Murdaugh’s retrial scheduled?
The retrial is scheduled for April 2027 in South Carolina proceedings being handled in Lexington.
