Judge allows DNA testing, rejects wider ballistics review

Judge Debra McCaslin allowed Alex Murdaugh’s defense to test remaining male DNA found under his wife Maggie’s fingernails, while rejecting a request for a broader review of ballistics evidence, at an October 16 hearing ahead of Murdaugh’s retrial. She urged prosecutors and defense lawyers to resolve evidence disputes without further courtroom battles and said the retrial would begin April 5, 2027, with no continuance. Prosecutors had warned that testing could consume the limited sample and leave none for another examination. The defense argued that independent analysis could help determine whether the male DNA is consistent with material found in other samples, potentially providing investigative leads or excluding contributors. The ruling permits the testing; no results were reported. The court also rejected the defense’s request for a manual review of ballistics evidence from shootings in eight other counties involving .300 Blackout rifles. Murdaugh’s lawyers sought records and cartridge cases for comparison with evidence from the killings. Prosecutors argued that a review of unrelated cases would burden the state laboratory and questioned its relevance. The judge said...