Alex Murdaugh's defense has asked Judge Debra McCaslin to formally approve additional forensic testing ahead of his April retrial in Sumter County. Filings on Sept. 18 seek DNA analysis from Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, ballistic records related to .300 Blackout rounds and raw laser-scan crime-scene data. The defense also asks whether a SLED agent who examined the cartridges will testify again. The move follows the South Carolina Supreme Court's order for a new trial after improper juror contact in the first proceeding.
Murdaugh Defense Seeks New Forensic Tests Ahead Of April Retrial In Sumter County
Alex Murdaugh smiles and laughs for a short moment during a status hearing ahead of his retrial, Friday, August 14, 2026, in Lexington. Henry Taylor/The Post and Courier/Pool
CHARLESTON — Alex Murdaugh's defense team has renewed efforts to obtain untested forensic evidence as preparations continue for his April retrial in Sumter County. In filings submitted Sept. 18, attorneys asked Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin to grant formal approval for tests that previously received preliminary sign-off.
Lead defense lawyer Dick Harpootlian requested authorization to test DNA recovered from Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, to obtain ballistic evidence and records related to the use of .300 Blackout ammunition, and to access the raw laser-scan data of the crime scene. The defense says the state attorney general's office has conditioned consent to additional testing on the defense previewing its "forensic strategy" to prosecutors.
Harpootlian's filings also seek clarity on whether a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent who analyzed the .300 Blackout cartridges at the first trial will be called to testify again at the retrial. The defense is asking Judge McCaslin to rule soon following her preliminary approval last August for some DNA testing.
Case Status And Venue
Murdaugh, 58, a former Hampton County lawyer, was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son, Paul, in Colleton County in June 2021. On May 13 the South Carolina Supreme Court ordered a new trial after concluding that a court clerk had improperly spoken to jurors during the original proceedings and may have influenced the verdict.
On June 8 the high court directed that all proceedings involving Murdaugh be handled by Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin, an at-large judge who lives in Lexington County. The first trial had been presided over by Circuit Judge Clifton Newman, who has since retired. Murdaugh successfully moved to have the retrial held outside the 14th Judicial Circuit; McCaslin selected Sumter County as the venue in early September.
Related Sentences And Where He Is Now
Murdaugh remains jailed in South Carolina serving lengthy prison terms for nonviolent financial crimes after pleading guilty to stealing millions from clients, associates and others. He is serving concurrent sentences of 27 years (state) and 40 years (federal).
What This Could Mean: Additional forensic testing could produce new evidence or clarification on ballistic and DNA questions that were central to the first trial, and the defense is pushing to resolve disputes over access and witness testimony well before the scheduled April retrial.
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