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Inmate David Heupel Seeks Justice and Reinvestigation

By James Seidel | CC News Network

Inmate David Heupel Seeks New Trial, Citing Childhood Sexual Abuse, Prosecutorial Misconduct, and Medical Negligence in 2002 Murder Case

By James Seidel | CC News Network

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — David Heupel, a South Carolina inmate currently serving a life sentence, with no possibility for parole, for the 2002 stabbing death of his stepfather and the attempted murder of his mother, has released a series of documents, letters, and statements to a friend, calling for a new trial. He alleges through the friend that systemic abuse, prosecutorial misconduct, and suppressed medical evidence prevented him from receiving a fair trial.

David Heupel, now 54 and incarcerated at Perry Correctional Institution, stemming from a 2002 incident involving his mother and stepfather. In that case, he was arrested in North Charleston for fatally stabbing William Ricker, 73, and slashing the throat of his mother, Barbara Ricker, who survived.

According to archived reporting from The Post and Courier and newly submitted documentation, Heupel claims his violent outbursts stem from unprocessed trauma caused by childhood sexual abuse and years of overprescription of powerful medications that led to a psychotic break.

Childhood Abuse and Institutional Cover-up

In a statement and personal letter addressed to his friend, David Heupel outlines a history of sexual abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother. He alleges the abuse began at age 14 and continued for several years while he lived in the household.

“From the age of 14 to 17, I was merely her live-in lover ready to perform at a moment’s notice when we were alone,” he wrote to the friend.

David Heupel states that his relationship with his adoptive mother was known to school administrators. He says high school principal and secretary confronted the adoptive mother, who admitted to the abuse. However, the incident was never reported to law enforcement. Heupel notes that the school was affiliated with the SC Independent Colleges and Schools Association and the Baptist Convention.

Recently, Heupel attempted to reopen the investigation through the North Charleston Police Department. He claims Sgt. Washington Saunders, supervisor of the Special Victims Unit, told him that his adoptive mother admitted to having sex with him but claimed it was consensual. Heupel, who was 14 at the time, disputes that any sexual relationship with a guardian could be consensual under South Carolina law.

In South Carolina, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16 years old.

Key Legal Details:

Anyone 16 or older can legally engage in consensual sexual activity with an adult, as long as there is no coercion, authority misuse, or special relationship involved (such as a teacher, guardian, or clergy).
If the minor is under 16, any sexual activity with an adult can be prosecuted as statutory rape or criminal sexual conduct (CSC), regardless of consent.
South Carolina law provides no “Romeo and Juliet” exception: A 19-year-old and a 15-year-old, for example, can still be prosecuted.

⚠️ Exception – Position of Authority:

Even if the victim is 16 or older, sexual activity can be illegal if the adult is in a position of authority or trust over the minor — such as:

A parent or adoptive parent
A guardian or custodian
A teacher or school official
A religious leader or counselor

In such cases, it can fall under Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor – Third Degree, even if the minor is above the age of consent.

Prescription Drugs and Diminished Capacity

At the time of the 2002 attack, Heupel had been under the medical care of a doctor at a spine institute. Records and personal testimony indicate he was prescribed high doses of sedatives and painkillers, including Ambien, Soma, Oxycodone, and Percocet, over a two-year period for neck injuries sustained at work.

Heupel claims that both he and his workers’ comp case manager, warned the doctor about concerning side effects: memory loss, confusion, sleep-driving, blackouts, and dissociation. Despite these warnings, the medication regimen continued until the day of the incident.

“One day later, after isolating myself at my family’s campground, I was awakened by police telling me that I had killed my mom and Bill. I have absolutely no memory of this,” Heupel said.

He alleges that medical evidence and expert opinions supporting an “unconsciousness defense” were withheld during trial due to an agreement between the solicitor and defense to exclude references to medication use.

Allegations of Prosecutorial Misconduct

In legal filings shared with CC News Network, Heupel lists multiple due process violations:

The solicitor referenced Heupel’s alcohol use during trial despite a court-approved stipulation barring such evidence.
Surprise evidence was introduced in court without proper disclosure under Rule 5(b), including subpoenaed jail medical forms.
A doctor acting on behalf of the solicitor interviewed Heupel in jail without court order or attorney present.
Brady material — including medical files from the spine institute, that medical records, and drug tests — was not disclosed.

Heupel also points to procedural errors during his Post-Conviction Relief (PCR) hearing. He was not allowed to testify before the state’s witnesses, and PCR counsel was barred from questioning trial counsel about omissions.

Not Seeking Exoneration, But Fairness

In a letter concluding his filings, Heupel writes his friend:

“My goal is a new trial, not for innocence, but for shared culpability based on the medical facts of the case that were never presented to the court or jury. I received a life sentence without parole, with no prior convictions. A fair sentence from the whole story and facts at a fair trial should be 30 years, for which I have already served 22 years.”

Archived articles from The Post and Courier show that during his 2004 trial, even Heupel’s mother told the court her son was “crazy” and “out of his mind.” Heupel was found guilty of murder and assault but acquitted of robbery. He did not testify during the trial.

The FDA later issued a black box warning on Ambien in 2019 due to dissociative side effects. Heupel says the same sedative-hypnotic class of drugs formed the backbone of his medical treatment and were never disclosed to the jury. In the 2019 FDA black box warning for Ambien (zolpidem), it highlighted the drug’s potential to trigger dangerous “complex sleep behaviors”—including sleepwalking, sleep-driving, and engaging in activities with no memory of them afterward.

This warning, though issued years later, resonates with David Heupel’s account of having no memory of what occurred involving his mother or stepfather in 2002. Heupel has consistently stated that he awoke to a chaotic scene at a campground but had no recollection of the events that unfolded in the stepfather’s murder or mother’s stabbing. His reported memory lapse aligns with the very type of amnesia-inducing behavior now prominently cautioned against in Ambien’s labeling—raising questions about whether the drug may have played a role in the events of that night.

Heupel is currently seeking legal representation to file a motion for a new trial or sentencing hearing. His supporters are urging journalists and legal advocates to examine what they say is a failure of multiple systems — legal, medical, educational, and law enforcement — that collectively denied Heupel justice.

This is a developing story and more will be forthcoming.

Ongoing Investigation

CC News Network has reached out to the North Charleston Police Department, and South Carolina Baptist Convention for comment regarding the abuse allegations and institutional response. No comments have been returned at this time.

This is a developing story. Individuals with direct knowledge of events referenced in this article are encouraged to contact CC News Network confidentially.