Ryan Kelly left SLED after more than a decade and took a job running internal affairs at the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. He was the person responsible for investigating misconduct allegations against other officers. On June 8, 2026, the sheriff fired him for harassment, unbecoming conduct, and improper procedures. The man who policed the police could not survive scrutiny of his own conduct.At SLED, Kelly was the lead investigator on Alex Murdaugh’s staged roadside shooting — the September 2021 incident prosecutors used at trial to argue Murdaugh had a pattern of deception following the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. Kelly testified as one of the prosecution’s final witnesses, walking the jury through how Murdaugh arranged for Curtis Smith to shoot him so Buster could collect on a life insurance policy.Kelly’s termination adds to a growing credibility problem for the original prosecution. SLED’s lead murder investigator, David Owen, admitted at trial that he gave inaccurate testimony to the grand jury about blood evidence. Court clerk Becky Hill pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice. The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s convictions and ordered a new trial. The first retrial hearing is June 29.Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian told the Post and Courier his team needs to investigate developments that have happened since the original trial. Every name that falls from the prosecution’s witness list weakens the foundation the state built the first time around. Maggie and Paul Murdaugh deserve a case that holds up. Whether this prosecution can deliver one is the question heading into the courtroom.
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