The Murdaugh family might not be out of the woods just yet…
The family of Stephen Smith, who was just 19 when he was killed, has big plans to reopen the investigation into the teen’s suspicious death.
As true crime junkies might know, the nursing student’s body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, South Carolina on July 8, 2015, near Alex Murdaugh’s property. Authorities initially believed he was killed in a hit-and-run, but later ruled the death a homicide based on new evidence discovered during the disgraced lawyer’s murder trial. It remains unclear what evidence was uncovered. Despite reopening the investigation in 2021, police never found the killer but did declare the teen died from blunt force trauma to the head.
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The whole thing has been rightfully heartbreaking for the Smith family, but they are not done fighting for answers. On March 10, Stephen’s mother Sandy Smith opened up a new GoFundMe page asking for donations to be used for an exhumation and independent autopsy, explaining:
“We feel it’s critical to seek a new goal − an independent exhumation and autopsy. While the state can elect and fund an exhumation and new autopsy, it is our understanding that it would be carried out at MUSC [Medical University of South Carolina], where his death was initially classified as hit-and-run despite no evidence to support it.”
Her message continued:
“We need a new, unbiased look at his body and an accurate determination of his cause of death based on facts. There was no debris in the road, and his injuries were not consistent with a hit-and-run.”
The grieving mother also thanked her supporters for “not allowing Stephen’s story to be swept under a rug.” So far, the fundraiser has raised well over the goal of $15,000 with a total of $67,745 at the time of this publication. You can support the cause HERE if interested.
On Monday morning, Sandy and her attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter of Bland Richter law firm opened up about the importance of this reinvigorated investigation in a press conference via Zoom. Per local outlet WTOC, the lawyers revealed they are planning to petition the court to have the body exhumed and to bring in experts to help with the investigation, alleging they believe Smith may have been killed in a separate location from where his body was found. Richter said:
“We could still hire investigators to kind of go back and recreate the steps and look back at those communications like Eric said, see if we can find some fresh new leads. But it kind of has to start with a fresh new look at the body and an independent determination about that cause of death. And as Eric said, it might be that that investigation is confirmatory of what has already been said about the cause of death. We don’t think that’s true.”
The officials also plan to file a civil suit so they can subpoena phone records and other evidence from people Stephen was in contact with leading up to his death… which brings us back to the Murdaugh family.
There have been many rumors connecting Buster Murdaugh with Stephen, with unverified claims that they attended a South Carolina high school together. According to the late Paul Murdaugh‘s ex-girlfriend Morgan Doughty in the Netflix docuseries Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, there was speculation that Buster and Stephen were romantically linked. She alleged:
“There were so many rumors swirling around that Buster and Stephen were intimate together.”
The young woman, who was close to the family, added:
“Being gay in the Murdaugh family would have been looked down upon.”
Per the New York Post, it was also alleged that one of Alex’s brothers called Stephen’s parents to inform them of the death before they heard the tragic news from law enforcement. That said, no member of the Murdaugh family has been formally linked to the case. Smith’s attorney Bland even said during the press conference that there is no indication anyone from the Murdaugh family was involved in the teen’s death.
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Still, the allegations have been swirling so much, Buster finally addressed the controversy! In a new statement, the last surviving son of Alex declared on Monday:
“I have tried my best to ignore the vicious rumors about my involvement in Stephen Smith’s tragic death that continue to be published in the media as I grieve over the brutal murders of my mother and brother. I love them so much and miss them terribly.
I haven’t spoken up until now because I want to live in private while I cope with their deaths and my father’s incarceration. Before, during and since my father’s trial, I have been targeted and harassed by the media and followers of this story.
This has gone on far too long. These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false. I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family. I am requesting that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumors about me.”
Whoa. Sounds like Buster wants his name truly cleared, but there is a lot more to uncover in this cold case. Hear lots more from the emotional press conference (below).
Thoughts on this ever-evolving scandal? Let us know (below).
[Image via GoFundMe & Law&Crime Network/News 19 WLTX/YouTube]
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