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personpersonShalane TindalShalane TindalPublic information officer for the Colleton County Sheriff's Office who wrote the agency's first public statements about the killings.← All People
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Shalane Tindal

Courtroom still of Shalane Tindal.

Public information officer for the Colleton County Sheriff's Office who wrote the agency's first public statements about the killings.

Appeared2023 Murder Trial
47 lines·4 proceedings·1 mention

About

Shalane Tindal testified for the defense about public statements coordinated by the Colleton County Sheriff's Office and SLED after the June 7 homicides. She read selected portions of a June 8 statement that said there was no danger to the public.

Tindal explained that the no-danger language was removed from a later letterhead release and that the agencies did not subsequently issue a statement declaring a public danger. She also said public information officers were not given investigative details and instead turned information supplied to them into language for public release.

On cross-examination, Tindal clarified that the initial statement and updated release were issued on the same day, several hours apart. She said the revision was coordinated with SLED and was not the June 21 document shown to her by the prosecutor.

Trial Record (4)

20232023 Murder TrialJan 23, 2023 – Mar 3, 2023Called by defense

Shalane Tindal testified for the defense about public statements coordinated by the sheriff's office and SLED, including the removal of language saying there was no danger to the public.

Day 4

Day 20

DirectShalane Tindal - DirectShalane TindalDick Harpootlian2highlights37lines spoken

Summary

Shalane Tindal described the sheriff's office and SLED's jointly coordinated no-danger statement, its later removal from a release, and the limits of her public-information role.

Highlights (2)

Quote“At this time there is no danger to the public. The sheriff's office said if information is received that dictates otherwise, we will immediately notify the public. Sheriff's spokeswoman Shalane Lowes referred questions regarding the incident to SLED and the Colleton County Coroner's Office. A request for 911 audio recordings was denied due to the ongoing investigation.”— Shalane TindalTindal read the jointly coordinated public-safety statement that the defense sought to place before the jury.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Yes, sir, I'm public information. We're not privy to the investigation. We just receive details, and then we take those and turn them into paragraphs so the paper and/or the media can print for laymen's terms to be better understood by the public.”— Shalane TindalTindal expressly limited her role to communicating investigative details supplied by others rather than participating in the investigation.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossShalane Tindal - CrossShalane TindalJohn Meadors1highlight8lines spoken

Summary

Tindal clarified that a same-day updated release removed information from the initial statement and said the June 21 document shown to her was not that release.

Highlights (1)

Quote“Afterwards an updated letterhead release, as additional information became available to us, was coordinated with SLED that redacted that information.”— Shalane TindalTindal distinguished the updated release from the initial statement and explained that information was removed after further coordination with SLED.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶