Alex Murdaugh’s Defense Team Accused of Lying About Polygraph Test Results in New Court Filing

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. — State prosecutors have escalated tensions in the ongoing legal saga surrounding Alex Murdaugh, alleging in a new court filing that the disgraced attorney’s defense team falsely claimed he passed a lie-detector test regarding the 2021 murders of his wife and son.

The motion, filed Wednesday in Colleton County, targets statements made by defense attorney Dick Harpootlian during an August 14 court hearing. During the proceedings, Harpootlian told the court that Murdaugh had "passed a polygraph. Flying colors. Same polygrapher. It may play a role in this trial."

However, prosecutors contend that Harpootlian's assertion is entirely fabricated. According to the state's filing, Murdaugh never underwent a polygraph examination concerning the murders prior to his initial 2023 trial, where he was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to consecutive life terms.

Investigators point out that the only lie-detector test Murdaugh actually took occurred later, in the fall of 2023, administered by the FBI while he was facing separate, intensive investigations for massive financial crimes—not a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) polygraph regarding the homicides.

"Defense council’s claim on the record at the hearing that defendant Alex Murdaugh passed a SLED polygraph as to the murders... is categorically false, and clearly said for no other reason that an attempt to prejudice this court and the public," prosecutors wrote in the court document.

Defense Backtracks

Faced with the state's allegations, Harpootlian sent an email letter to Judge Debra McCaslin on Thursday conceding that his previous statements were erroneous. He stated that he had mistakenly conflated multiple facts during the hearing.

"I want to offer my apology to both the court and state for any confusion I may have caused," Harpootlian wrote.

Murdaugh’s original double-murder convictions were overturned in May after revelations that former Colleton County court clerk Becky Hill had improperly influenced the jury.

Upcoming Retrial Status

As preparations for a new trial ramp up, Judge McCaslin ruled on Friday that the upcoming proceedings must be relocated out of Colleton County. While a specific venue has not yet been finalized, the defense has actively pushed for the case to move to Richland County, citing the potential for a larger and less insular jury pool.

Murdaugh's retrial is currently scheduled to begin in April of next year.