Murdaugh Trial Prep Heats Up | Charleston News

Charleston News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 13, 2026 · 1m

Alex Murdaugh returns to court today for a pivotal pretrial hearing as his new murder trial looms — this time without shackles or a uniform, per the judge’s ruling to avoid media bias. The defense is pushing to move the trial to Charleston County, while prosecutors argue it’s too close to the original site and risks jury bias. A major dispute also erupts over whether the defense should be allowed to test DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails — claiming the state’s initial results were inconclusive. Expect heated debate over Murdaugh’s phone records and past financial fraud convictions…