Episode
Murdaugh’s Defense Files a Federal Lawsuit, Challenges the AG, and Reveals Untested DNA
- Published
- May 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3869
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://audioboom.com/posts/8905525
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Summary
One press conference. Three significant developments. The Murdaugh defense team filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, accused the Attorney General of vindictive prosecution, and revealed evidence the prosecution may wish had stayed buried. The lawsuit against Becky Hill is a Section 1983 claim alleging she deprived Murdaugh of his right to a fair trial. The defense wants civil discovery to investigate what Hill did and whether she had accomplices. They highlighted the suspicious removal of juror Myra Crosby and sought over six hundred thousand dollars in damages — all directed to the receivership, not to Murdaugh personally. Harpootlian aimed squarely at Attorney General Alan Wilson. He accused Wilson of seeking the death penalty as retaliation for Murdaugh winning his appeal — the legal definition of vindictive prosecution. He asked what new evidence justifies the escalation when nothing about the case has changed. He accused the AG of consulting political advisors instead of career prosecutors. Then the retrial details. The defense does not expect a trial this year. Preparation includes reviewing eight thousand pages of transcript, retaining new experts, and scrubbing all discovery materials. They are pursuing a venue change constrained by demographic requirements that eliminate Richland and Charleston. Individual voir dire will make jury selection a long, difficult process. The evidence revelation that may matter most: unknown male DNA under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails was collected and never run through the CODIS database. The defense intends to use it. They also catalogued SLED’s investigative failures — unprocessed tire tracks, overwritten GPS data, incomplete scene work. Tony Brueski, criminal defense attorney Bob Motta of Defense Diaries, and retired FBI Chie…