Murdaugh defense seeks withheld DNA and forensic data from South Carolina prosecutors
Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers filed a motion demanding the state release DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails and other forensic materials they say have been withheld.
Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh have moved to force South Carolina prosecutors to turn over key forensic evidence, including an unidentified male DNA profile found under his wife Maggie’s fingernails that the state lab allegedly did not fully analyze. The filing also requests ballistics information on.300 Blackout projectiles, a list of nearby shootings involving that cartridge, and the raw data from a 3D laser scan of the crime scene, which the defense says is needed to reconstruct events.
They claim the state’s withholding of these materials is delaying their preparation and could necessitate a trial postponement the court has signaled it will reject. The defense further contends the prosecution has changed its description of the murder weapon from a rare rifle to a common AR-style cartridge. Prosecutors previously supplied a read-only viewer file in 2022 but not the underlying data. Commentators warn the additional DNA request could backfire by drawing attention to the unknown male profile.
Why it matters
The case could set precedent on evidence disclosure and affect the timeline of a high-profile murder retrial.
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