A new development has emerged in the high-profile murder case of Alex Murdaugh, with his defense team seeking an independent laboratory review of DNA evidence found under the victim's fingernails.
The defense team has filed motions in Colleton County asking for the review, as well as other concessions, including moving the trial out of the 14th Judicial Circuit and allowing Murdaugh to review case materials electronically while behind bars.
The DNA evidence in question, identified as SLED Item No. 70, was determined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to be from an unknown and unrelated male.
The defense team has contacted Othram Inc., a company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy, about additional testing and is asking that the sample be delivered to Othram for testing at Murdaugh's expense.
Murdaugh's attorneys have also asked the court to move the trial outside the 14th Judicial Circuit, citing the intense media coverage of the case and the potential for prejudice against Murdaugh and his family.
The defense team argues that the case has been the subject of years of "saturating, sensational, and continuous media coverage" and that a transfer to another county within the circuit would not cure the alleged prejudice.
In a third motion, the defense team has asked the court to require the South Carolina Department of Corrections to allow Murdaugh to review case materials on a secure laptop computer.
The defense argues that the arrangement would be more secure than sending boxes of paper records to a prison, particularly because many of the materials are sealed or subject to a protective order.
No court ruling on the motions has been included in the filings, and the Attorney General's Office and Murdaugh's defense team have been contacted for comment.
