Alex Murdaugh’s defense team is pointing to unknown male DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails as it pushes for new testing in the disgraced South Carolina legal scion’s murder case.In motions filed Tuesday in Colleton County, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked a judge to order an independent laboratory review of the DNA evidence, move the trial out of the 14th Judicial Circuit and allow Murdaugh to review case materials electronically while behind bars.In one filing, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked the court to require the state to produce DNA evidence collected from underneath Maggie Murdaugh’s left-hand fingernails for independent laboratory review.The defense said the evidence, identified as SLED Item No.70, was determined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to be from an unknown and unrelated male.BRYAN KOHBERGER DEFENSE SOUNDS ALARM ON UNIDENTIFIED BLOOD AT STUDENT MURDERS HOMEAlex Murdaugh is brought into the courtroom during a jury-tampering hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center in Columbia, S.C., on Monday, Jan.
29, 2024.(Andrew J.
Whitaker/The Post And Courier)"No further analysis was attempted," the defense wrote.FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XThe motion says Murdaugh’s attorneys contacted Othram Inc., a company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy that was used in the Bryan Kohberger case, about additional testing.SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTERAccording to the filing, Othram believes it can conduct a more thorough analysis, but the testing would take considerable time and require a rush order.The defense is asking that the sample be delivered to Othram for testing at Murdaugh’s expense.Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 financial crimes in Beaufort, S.C., on Nov.
17, 2023.(James Pollard/AP)SEND US A TIP HEREIn a separate motion, Murdaugh’s attorneys asked the court to move the trial outside the 14th Judicial Circuit, which includes Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper co...