Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh are seeking independent DNA testing of evidence found beneath Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, hoping to cast doubt on his conviction in the 2021 double murder of his wife and son. The defense has requested that Othram Inc., a forensic genetic genealogy company based in The Woodlands, Texas, conduct the testing. This lab has been instrumental in solving several high-profile cold cases, including the University of Idaho murders and the killing of Rachel Morin.
Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, 52, and their younger son, Paul, 22, at their family's hunting estate. His conviction was later overturned, and a new trial is tentatively scheduled for April 2027. The defense team has focused on unknown male DNA discovered beneath Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, suggesting it belongs to an unidentified individual and could support an alternate suspect theory.
Prosecutors have contested the significance of additional DNA testing, arguing that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) previously analyzed the evidence. They stated that SLED's testing yielded a mixture of Maggie Murdaugh's DNA and an incomplete profile from another contributor, which was insufficient for submission to the national DNA database, CODIS.
Othram Inc. specializes in advanced DNA analysis and forensic genetic genealogy, techniques that can identify individuals when conventional databases fail. The company's work has been credited in cases such as the 1974 murder of Carla Walker, the identification of the "Lady of the Dunes" victim from 1974, and the identification of Karen Vergata in a case connected to the Gilgo Beach investigation.
During a status hearing on June 29, Judge Debra McCaslin did not immediately rule on the defense's request for independent DNA testing, asking the attorneys to clarify the viability of the sample. Murdaugh's attorneys have argued that investigators focused too early on their client, potentially overlooking other leads. The state, however, has characterized the defense's request for Othram's involvement as lacking merit and intended more for public perception than as a valid forensic argument.