Story perspectives

Judge OKs Murdaugh Defense DNA Testing for Retrial

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 3:17 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. District Judge Debra McCaslin granted Alex Murdaugh’s defense permission to test remaining DNA samples.
The defense will use Othram’s Y-STR test to seek an unknown male, a process expected to take about 90 days.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters called the DNA request high risk and warned it could deplete evidence.
Judge McCaslin denied the defense’s broader request for ballistics data from other .300 Blackout shootings.
The double-murder retrial is scheduled for April 5, 2027, with a pre-trial hearing on November 13.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office tried O.J. Simpson, presenting 1,105 items of evidence—including extensive DNA fragments—and secured an acquittal on October 3, the first high-profile U.S. case dominated by DNA analysis. Today Judge Debra McCaslin allows the Murdaugh retrial to use Othram’s Y-STR testing, echoing Simpson’s forensic precedent and shaping future evidentiary standards.

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Story summary

U.S. District Judge Debra McCaslin granted Alex Murdaugh’s defense permission to test remaining DNA samples.
The defense will use Othram’s Y-STR test to seek an unknown male, a process expected to take about 90 days.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters called the DNA request high risk and warned it could deplete evidence.
Judge McCaslin denied the defense’s broader request for ballistics data from other .300 Blackout shootings.
The double-murder retrial is scheduled for April 5, 2027, with a pre-trial hearing on November 13.

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