Retrial for Michael Colucci, former Summerville jeweler accused of killing his wife, has been delayed

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A retrial for Michael Colucci, the former Summerville jeweler accused of killing his wife in 2015, has been delayed.

The trial was slated to begin with jury selection next week; however, News 2 has learned the judge overseeing the case continued the trial because of its potential length.

Officials said the judge and her staff were not available on the second week of the trial. State officials are potentially looking for the trial to get underway in June, but a new date has not been set.

A mistrial was declared in the case of Michael Colucci in December 2018 after a jury could not come to a unanimous decision on whether he killed his wife, Sara Lynn Moore-Colucci, in May 2015.

Berkeley County deputies discovered Moore-Colucci’s body outside the couple’s North Main Street business. At the time, Colucci told investigators that her death was a suicide, saying Moore-Colucci hung herself with a garden hose sometime after exiting the couple’s vehicle.

Affidavits stated that medical evidence, and evidence collected at the scene, did not support Colucci’s version of what happened – even indicating there was a fight or struggle.

Colucci was arrested by agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in May 2016 after Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis requested state police further investigate the case.

He was accused of strangling his wife to death.

The jury deliberated for more than seven hours across two days in early December 2018 before acknowledging that they could not come up with a decision. A mistrial was declared.

He faced a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.