Michael Colucci's Second Trial Ended Before It Began — Why Did the Judge Declare a Mistrial?

According to The Post and Courier, a medical examiner ruled that 38-year-old Sara Lynn Colucci died by asphyxia by neck compression. In May 2015, Sara's lifeless body was found by her husband, Michael Colucci, who called 911 to report she had hung herself with a garden hose.

Exactly one year later, State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agents arrested Michael and charged him with murder.

During his 2018 trial, jurors were shown pictures of Sara's body. Her parents were in the courtroom, and while they understood this was necessary, the images before them were too painful to look at.

This was made worse by the fact that at the time of her death, Sara was wearing a dress that her stepdaughter had gifted her on Mother's Day. Michael's first trial ended in a mistrial in December 2018. Where is he now? Here's what we know.

In June 2025, the judge in Michael's second trial dismissed the case before the jury could hear a single argument, per The Post and Courier. This was on the heels of a discovery that law enforcement, and perhaps the prosecution, had hidden crucial evidence from the defense since Michael's first trial.

Ninth Circuit Judge Roger Young heard four hours of testimony on the defense's motion to dismiss the case before opening statements. What was not made available during the first trial was testimony from Sara's mother, Barbara Moore, who heard her daughter discuss suicidal ideations two weeks before taking her own life.

A prosecutor allegedly kept Barbara from testifying.

Judge Young did not dismiss the case with prejudice, which means the state can once again charge Michael with his wife's death. Defense attorney Scott Bischoff is hoping Attorney General Alan Wilson will let the judge's dismissal be the final word on the case.

Michael told reporters that he feels satisfied. "I feel like finally somebody is listening. Justice has been done."

If Attorney General Wilson chooses to move forward again, Judge Young urged his office to bring the "full measure of evidence" before a grand jury. "This court recognizes this is an unusual remedy.

However, this is an unusual case," said the judge. "This court urges the attorney general to present a fuller case to the grand jury than is usually done in state court in South Carolina."

Michael was seen exiting the courthouse, bleary-eyed but smiling. He passed through a metal detector and into the arms of his daughter. The two embraced and quietly left.

Sara's mother went limp upon learning that the case was dismissed. Two unidentified women helped carry her out of the courtroom. While she was leaving, the last words Moore heard were those of the judge who was lecturing the courtroom about prosecutorial misconduct.