Did Michael Colucci Murder His Wife? Some Say He Killed Her, Then Staged It as a Suicide

Nearly a decade after the 2015 death of Sara Colucci, the wife of Michael Colucci, owner of the family-run Colucci Jewelers in Summerville, S.C., her case was revisited in June 2025. Michael was initially charged with her murder and was set to appear for a re-trial.

Sara was found dead at the couple’s jewelry store warehouse in Summerville. Three years later, in 2018, Michael went to trial, but the jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial.

The case sat unresolved until it was brought back in 2025 for a re-trial. But on the very day opening statements were set to begin, Judge Roger Young dismissed the indictment, according to Live5 News.

Still, there’s plenty of confusion surrounding Sara’s death. And with Michael not behind bars, and now, likely never will be, one big question remains: What really happened to Sara Colucci? Here are some of the theories, starting with whether Michael is still considered a prime suspect.

Michael Colucci’s defense team has continued to push the narrative that Sara Colucci died by suicide, and that Michael did not murder her. But the fact remains, Sara did die by strangulation, and her body was found outside the family’s jewelry store warehouse in Summerville. Whether that happened at the hands of Michael or by her own doing is still up for debate.

The strangulation tool was a garden hose that had been attached to the warehouse building. After Michael allegedly found his wife unresponsive, he called 911, and in the recording, he can be heard telling the dispatcher, “She put herself around... a hose or something. I don’t know,” according to a Court TV documentary clip shared on Instagram.

Michael’s attorney for the 2025 re-trial, Scott Bischoff, also stated, “There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that Sara committed suicide.” According to Post and Courier, two memos were introduced during the case that allegedly suggest Sara “had a plan to commit suicide.” Michael’s legal team claims those memos were withheld for a significant portion of the case.

Because Michael and his defense team have managed to present enough doubt surrounding Sara’s death, arguing that she may have wrapped the hose around herself to end her life, that doubt continues to stall the case and keep Michael out of jail. While there’s still a chance the case could be brought before a judge again, many believe that now seems unlikely.

Although Michael and his family continue to insist he didn’t kill Sara, with his brother even calling her death a “freak accident” in the Court TV documentary, plenty of people still believe Sara would have never taken her own life.

“He killed her,” Sara’s mother told the camera. Her close friend, Stephanie Merrell, also stated, “There’s no way she would go into a dirty alley and put a garden hose around her neck.”

While it’s true we can never fully know what someone might be going through, or suspect they’re suicidal, Sara’s family and friends simply don’t see her as someone who would end her own life.

Instead, many who believe Michael is guilty say he strangled his wife, leaving severe markings around her neck, and then staged the scene to make it look like a suicide.