MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – A Hanahan man will spend the rest of his life behind bars without the chance of parole following a five-day trial in Moncks Corner.
A Berkeley County jury convicted Matthew Garrett Speck, 37, for the murder of his wife in the Eagle Landing neighborhood of Hanahan in a staged attack and break-in.
He was also convicted of ill-treatment of animals and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime both arising from the same incident. Assistant Solicitors F. Alexander Myers and Nicholas Young prosecuted the case.
“Speck earned his sentence after his brazen betrayal and premeditation,” said Assistant Solicitor F. Alexander Myers.
According Solicitor Scarlett A. Wilson, on June 5, 2020, at approximately 5 a.m., Matthew shot his wife Caitlin Conrad Speck while she slept. After shooting Caitlin, he then shot and killed their dog, Bailey Mae.
Matthew then shot himself in the arm and torso to create superficial wounds to trick police into believing his claim that home invaders had attacked all of them.
After a diligent investigation involving forensic evidence, witness statements, and Matthew’s five-hour interview by detectives from the Hanahan Police Department, he was arrested for killing both his wife and dog.
During the trial, prosecutors introduced evidence against Matthew including testimony from medical experts, crime scene technicians, and testimony from Matthew’s girlfriend who testified that he told her that he was going to divorce his wife and they were moving away together to start a new life.
Evidence showed that before the murder, Matthew researched homicidal strangulation, choking death, and cyanide poisoning. Finally, a former co-worker of Matthew’s testified that he had complained about his marriage.
At sentencing, Myers requested that Matthew face no less than life in prison.
Circuit Court Judge Deadra Jefferson sentenced Matthew to life in prison without parole on the murder, five years on the iIll treatment of an animal charge, and five years on the possession of a weapon during a violent crime to run concurrently.
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