Alex Murdaugh defense points to unknown male DNA in push for new testing

Alex Murdaugh’s defence squad is pointing to chartless antheral DNA recovered nether Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails arsenic it pushes for caller investigating successful the disgraced South Carolina ineligible scion’s execution case.

In motions filed Tuesday successful Colleton County, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked a justice to bid an autarkic laboratory reappraisal of the DNA evidence, determination the proceedings retired of the 14th Judicial Circuit and let Murdaugh to reappraisal lawsuit materials electronically portion down bars.

In 1 filing, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked the tribunal to necessitate the authorities to nutrient DNA grounds collected from underneath Maggie Murdaugh’s left-hand fingernails for autarkic laboratory review.

The defence said the evidence, identified arsenic SLED Item No. 70, was determined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to beryllium from an chartless and unrelated male.

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Alex Murdaugh is brought into the courtroom during a jury-tampering proceeding astatine the Richland County Judicial Center successful Columbia, S.C., connected Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier)

"No further investigation was attempted," the defence wrote.

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The question says Murdaugh’s attorneys contacted Othram Inc., a institution specializing successful forensic familial genealogy that was utilized successful the Bryan Kohberger case, astir further testing.

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According to the filing, Othram believes it tin behaviour a much thorough analysis, but the investigating would instrumentality sizeable clip and necessitate a unreserved order. The defence is asking that the illustration beryllium delivered to Othram for investigating astatine Murdaugh’s expense.

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh pleaded blameworthy to 22 fiscal crimes successful Beaufort, S.C., connected Nov. 17, 2023. (James Pollard/AP)

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In a abstracted motion, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked the tribunal to determination the proceedings extracurricular the 14th Judicial Circuit, which includes Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.

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The defence argued the lawsuit is "among the astir heavy publicized transgression prosecutions successful the history" of South Carolina and said Murdaugh, his household and the instrumentality steadfast associated with his household for generations person been the taxable of years of "saturating, sensational, and continuous media coverage."

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The attorneys said publicity has been particularly aggravated successful the five-county circuit, where, they argued, the Murdaugh sanction has been tied to the section ineligible strategy for astir a century. The defence said a transportation to different region wrong the circuit would not cure the alleged prejudice.

This question is not surprising, arsenic Murdaugh’s pb defence attorney, Dick Harpootlian, antecedently shared with Fox News Digital his plans to record for the proceedings to beryllium moved.

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Alex Murdaugh is incarcerated astatine the McCormick Correctional Institution successful South Carolina. (South Carolina Department of Corrections)

A 3rd question asks the tribunal to necessitate the South Carolina Department of Corrections to let Murdaugh to reappraisal lawsuit materials connected a unafraid laptop computer.

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The defence said find successful the lawsuit is voluminous and would capable galore banker’s boxes if printed.

Murdaugh’s attorneys projected providing the situation strategy with a laptop with an encrypted, password-protected hard thrust for his usage successful preparing for trial.

The projected instrumentality would not person cellular capabilities oregon Internet access, would not beryllium utilized to marque audio oregon video recordings without written support from the Department of Corrections, and would beryllium kept successful the warden’s bureau oregon different unafraid determination erstwhile not successful use, according to the filing.

The defence argued the statement would beryllium much unafraid than sending boxes of insubstantial records to a prison, peculiarly due to the fact that galore of the materials are sealed oregon taxable to a protective order.

No tribunal ruling connected the motions was included successful the filings. Fox News Digital has reached retired to South Carolina's Attorney General's Office and Murdaugh's defence squad for comment.