Alex Murdaugh's legal team has requested that Othram Inc., a Texas-based forensic DNA lab, conduct tests on unknown male DNA found beneath the fingernails of his late wife, Maggie Murdaugh. This request comes as Murdaugh prepares for a new double-murder trial, tentatively scheduled for April 2027. Murdaugh was previously convicted in 2023 for the murders of Maggie, 52, and their son, Paul, 22, but those convictions were later overturned.
The defense claims the DNA belongs to an unrelated male and is seeking independent testing, while prosecutors argue that previous tests conducted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) only produced a partial profile that lacked sufficient identifying information for entry into the national DNA database, CODIS.
Othram specializes in advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, which has been instrumental in solving high-profile murder cases. The lab has previously assisted in the investigation of the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, where DNA from a knife sheath was used to identify Bryan Kohberger as the suspect. Kohberger has since pleaded guilty to the murders.
The defense's request for testing does not guarantee a change in the outcome of Murdaugh's case, but it may support an alternate-suspect theory. Murdaugh's lead attorney, Dick Harpootlian, has criticized the initial investigation, claiming that it prematurely identified Murdaugh as the suspect without considering other possibilities. The state has dismissed the defense's request as lacking substantial evidence and more focused on public perception than forensic viability. During a recent hearing, Judge Debra McCaslin did not rule on the DNA evidence and asked the defense to confirm the viability of the sample.