Murdaugh murder retrial moved to new venue with past testimony and DNA review allowed

A South Carolina judge granted a change of venue for Alex Murdaugh’s double-murder retrial, moving proceedings from Colleton County and allowing jurors to hear his earlier testimony, while also authorizing independent DNA testing of Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails. The judge indicated she will designate the new host county in a formal order, noting the 2023 conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court due to pretrial publicity and misconduct by a county clerk.