They haven’t found his murderer. So his wife can’t face charges in Horry, judge rules
Since no one has been charged with her late husband’s murder, Irene Clodfelter can’t face charges of involvement in that murder, a judge ruled Thursday.
Hubert Clodfelter’s widow was originally charged with “accessory after the fact of murder in relation to her husband’s death” in Horry County, but that charge was terminated, according to a press release from the Office of the Solicitor Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.
Hubert Coldfelter was found deceased by his children. They saw their father wrapped in plastic bags under his Myrtle Beach home in 2019, according to the solicitor’s office.
The trial began Tuesday, but Circuit Court Judge Steven H. DeBerry ruled Thursday in favor of the defense’s motion for a directed verdict, meaning DeBerry found that there was no way for a reasonable jury to have found her guilty based on the evidence, according to the release.
While prosecutors believed they could prove the accessory charge, the defense successfully argued that the state should need to prove the identity of the killer for the case to move forward.
Investigators have been unable to determine where or when the murder occurred, partly due to the condition of the victim’s body when it was found, according to the release.
“We believe that this case hinged on a very technical legal issue,” Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said in the release, noting that they disagreed with the judge’s ruling.
Irene Clodfelter is still facing an obstruction of justice charge in Georgetown County, according to online court records.
