Stephens friends and family also disputed the autopsy report. "At that point, I hadbeen working highway patrol for 15 years, I've worked several hit and run collisions, and nothing about this case from the very beginning pointed towards it being a hit and run," Inv. She also said she believed that the Murdaughs influence extended to all realms of the investigation and was initially tainted when it was ruled a hit-and-run incident (see below for part of Sandy Smiths letter). SCHP: Moore calls Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home and speaks with a funeral home director. Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother Maggie, 52, were found slain at their family's hunting lodge in Islandton on June 7 just after 10 p.m., according to reports. Got a tip for a story? "He wouldve called somebody.. They found engine oil in the vehicle but could not get the car to start. After receiving a search warrant, agents searched the area and the vehicle, the SLED report said. The 19-year-old had his skull partially crushed and his shoulder dislocated. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is now streaming on Netflix, telling the story of the wealthy Murdaugh family in South Carolina. Then he was beat up, so the story just kept changing over and over," said Sandra Smith, Stephen's mother, this week. Also buried close by is Stephen's brother, who died as a baby. In the summer of 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of a rural highway in South Carolina. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. She said Stephen had been recently cutting school, which was unusual for him. "Here she is seven years later, still hanging in there, still going strong, still ready to do whatever it takes to find the answers," Smith family attorney Mike Hemlepp tells PEOPLE. She said that it was not a gunshot wound and no bullet or fragments were found during the X-ray and that it didnt look like a bullet wound in her opinion and that since the body was found in the roadway, she could only theorize that it had to be a motor vehicle that caused the death, Moores note said. A SCHP flyer is made asking for tips in the case. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Proctor then spoke withKelly Greene, Hampton County deputy coroner and a SLED agent who both attended the autopsy and said they didnt make any reference to the pathologist about the victim being struck by a vehicle, only that he was found in the road. Im just sitting here like why? It makes no sense, she said. The gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle. The family keeps his casket open so that people could see what they did to him. This did, however, cause theSouth Carolina Law Enforcement Division to open up the case in June 2021, but at this time it doesnt look like there have been any new developments since then. Smalls said hell call right back but doesnt. Or "king's ransom" waiting to be found Stephen Smith Case Files: Why Was Hampton Teens Death Ruled A Hit And Run In 2015? After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. Stephens relative didnt believe the person who said they were dating Stephen and said the family was skeptical of him. Prior to leaving the scene, agents discussed their findings and completed a walkthrough with Inv. Murdaugh, 54, has repeatedly denied any role in the deaths, saying he was visiting his mother and ailing father and discovered his son and wife slain when he returned to their estate. You become invincible in a way and you get a little liquor and you think youre untouchable.. Randy Murdaugh was the second person to call my dad after the coroner," Stephanie told ABC. The Murdaugh familys ties to the legal system sparked questions about whether the investigation into Mallory's death was done properly. How he died remains a mystery to this day. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) received multiple tips in the aftermath of Smiths death linking his untimely demise to the Murdaugh family. Stephens relative tells him that she just officially left the house for the first time since Stephens death the day before and went to the store and a bunch of people kept coming up to her saying Did you know the Murdaugh Boys are behind it, saying Buster Murdaugh the, one we went to school with did it, and some of his friends.. Six years later, Sandy Smith Stephens mother is still grappling with the pain of not knowing what happened to her son. As if all of the foregoing wasn't wild enough, apparently, information gathered from the Murdaugh double murder investigation has prompted law enforcement to reopen a case regarding the 2015 death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. This will be a 3-part series revealing the case file. SLED is investigating every angle in the Murdaugh case something that Sandy wishes they would have done with Stephens death six years ago. Washington tells him its been taken to the funeral home per the familys wishes at the time of the death notification.. His right shoulder was partially dislocated. Well keep you updated if and when we hear anything. Mandy Matneyis the news director at FITSNews. Is Outer Banks based on a true story? Cops investigating the double murder have also reopened the case into a 2015 hit-and-run of teen Stephen Smith Murdaugh family housekeeper Gloria Sattlerfield dies Mallory Beach, 19, died in . SCHP: Moore calls Presnell to try and understand what made her decide Stephen was killed in a hit and run. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? Investigation files revealed (part one). ", Hemlepp says SLED investigators have "been engaging in regular communication with Sandy.". EXCLUSIVE : A former South Carolina state trooper who led the 2015 cold case involving an alleged fatal hit-and-run is speaking out exclusively to Fox News, describing how the prominent. I then reminded him that earlier that morning they were certain it was a gunshot wound and he told me he had to go by the opinion of the doctor. Moore asks where Smiths body is. Officially, Smiths death was classified as a hit and run. But a former state trooper who worked on Smith's case told Fox News last week that he still believes Smith's death might have been a homicide,and not a vehicle collision like the autopsy report said. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? Singleton tells Moore he wasnt at his desk and would call him back in 30 minutes. Alex's. She tells him they located Smiths car on US 601 and that the gas cap was off. (latest case updates), Murdaugh Murders: Was Paul Murdaugh charged for Mallory Beachs death? She is working writing an official letter to SLED. Hes never been around Stephen., When asked who told her that she said Stephens friend, another kid who she named, and a couple other people.. On Thursday, Sandy Smith said she received a call from an official with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). South Carolina state investigators have opened an investigation into a fatal 2015 hit-and-run case based on information gleaned from the investigation into the murders of two members of a prominent South Carolina family. His head was misshapen by blunt force. Smith's case had gone cold in the months following his July 2015 death, which was officially ruled a vehicular hit-and-run despite strong objections from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. In a recording that features in the documentary, a South Carolina State Trooper tells an unidentified phone tipster that he received at least "nine phone calls" about a rumor connecting the Murdaugh family to Stephen's mysterious roadside death. Andrews, who helped raise more than $40,000 for the headstone and for a scholarship in Stephen's name, says she's thankful for all the worldwide support Sandy has received in her fight for answers. Singleton took the wallet, according to the report. What I ended up finding [was] there were a lot of people who didnt want to assist or communicate with us, he said. Sandy Smith was told that if she wanted her sons case to be looked at by SLED, she would have to write a letter. Of course, the fact SLED is interviewing Sandy Smith means it is taking seriously the suggestion that the Murdaugh family may have had something to do with the death of her son. SLED agents noted minor injuries to victims left arm, left hand and head. The worst part is that some of the individuals responsible were Stephens classmates.. He gets voicemail. August 18, 2015, SCHP: The coroner tells Proctor that he did not agree with the final autopsy results in the Stephen Smith case. (wrongful death lawsuit updates). She was devastated to hear the news that she and her family were now being viewed as possible persons of interest in the savage slayings last Monday at Moselle the Murdaugh family hunting lodge in Colleton county. The Murdaugh name was mentioned over 40 times throughout the course of the investigation which went cold less than a year after Smith was killed. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Perry Singleton and Chief Billy Jarrell, the SLED report said. Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. Duncan didnt ask any follow-up questions and never mentioned this rumor in his notes. It was determined that the wound in the victims head was not caused by a fired projectile., The pathologist stated that it appeared the victim was struck by a vehicle., Tallon contacted Singleton to tell him SCHP would need to be contacted to investigate, They collect the Gun Shot Residue (GSR) kit from MUSC, Cause of death: Blunt head trauma due to motor vehicle crash, 7.25-inch laceration on the right side of Stephens forehead along with bruises on both sides of his forehead, Right side of skull has multiple fractures, bruising and contusions, He has smalls cuts on the inside of his left arm, He has cuts and bruises on his right hand, He has cuts on his right arm, including a 6-inch irregular cut on inside of right arm, 12 3-inch aggregate of irregular to angulated abrasions on right arm, Smalls tells him that the doctor was ruling it a motor vehicle accident and they were turning it over to us., Moore then calls Singleton and asks for any notes or information he had.. 3:57:43 a.m. Hampton County Communications: A man called 911 to report seeing a white male lying in the middle of Sandy Run Road. On July 22, 2015, Proctor visited Presnell at MUSC to get some sort of clarification on the Smith case. "She now has more people than she knows what to do with," says Andrews. 4:40 p.m. SCHP: Moore calls Washington and asks him if the hit-and-run was his ruling as well. Like the probe of the2019 boat crashthat killedMallory Beach, the 2015 investigation into Smiths death was chaotic from the beginning clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. MAIT is a division of the South Carolina HighwayPatrol unit that initially responded to the scene. Currently, Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh. His death was ruled a hit-and-run, but his mother Sandy Smith, who attended Sunday's unveiling, has long suspected he was murdered. I just dont believe my son would have been walking in the middle of the road like that. Sandy told FITSNews shes still clinging to hope even after Thursdays heart-wrenching news. She also says shes received a book deal offer and even a Netflix movie opportunity about the case, but shes turned it all down. He said Stephen was harassed by Rednecks in a big truck with big mud tires.. When asked if theyve had been contacted by a lawyer, the family member tells police that Randy Murdaugh was the second person to call Stephens father after the coroner on the day of Stephens death. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. They just throw their cases on a shelf to collect dust.. So why didnt they investigate Stephens death as a homicide? State investigators have released scant information on the case including an 18-page redacted report with nearly 8 pages fully redacted. No arrests have been made in Smith's death. Alex Murdaugh, Paul's father and . "My son will be 18 in November, and I just couldn't imagine in six years that no one had come to Stephen's mom's aid for memorializing her son," Andrews says. Following Killings of S.C. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. "I just couldn't believe it," she said. Law enforcement officers believed Smith ran out of gas and started walking home before he was killed. Netflix 2023. Stephen's murder was ruled a hit-and-run with no one arrested for the crime, but in 2021, the case was reopened. SCHP: Moore calls Singleton again when Singleton doesnt call him back. 5:37 a.m. SCHP: Sgt. However, his mother, Sandy, told the the Hampton County Guardian, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2015. No one's going to feel like they're being held accountable if we don't bring attention to it.". Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of a country road 15 miles from the Murdaugh family's Islandton hunting lodge on July 8, 2015. In the letter, she said that they were told that the Murdaugh brothers were involved in her sons death. Smith's body was found on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road, near Hampton. According to court documents, Alex . Days after the shockingdouble homicideofPaul Murdaughand his motherMaggie Murdaugh, FITSNews published an exclusive report about three other deaths that have connections to the powerful South Carolina family. According to the investigation file, Buster was rumored to have been linked to Stephen intimately but detectives never proved this connection. He instead calls Smalls to see if he can get the information. Michael Hemlepp, attorney for Smith's family, joins NewsNation's "Banfield."#Banfield #AlexMurdaugh The victim was covered with a sheet., A hole in the skull was located above the victims right eye, SLED agents wrote. But eight years later, a new investigation says otherwise, with Smith as the subject of the new docuseries Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. It looked like it was more staged, like possibly the body had been placed in the roadway.. Ive been waiting on this day for 2,174 days, Sandy told FITSNews. He tells them to meet him at the funeral home. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on social media. A mother knows her child, and my son would not do that," Sandy said. Moore is called by Cpl. Alex Murdaugh called 911 Saturday and said he had been shot as he stood at the side of a road in Hampton County, South Carolina, according to a statement from the state police. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division spokesman Tommy Crosby said earlier this week that SLED was opening its own investigation into Smiths death not a reopening of another agencys probe but rather bringing a fresh set of eyes onto the case. Her body was found seven days after the February 2019 boat crash. The case is being reexamined, partly because some Murdaugh family members were among those first on the scene. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. The death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith was originally ruled a hit-and-run in 2015 when his body was found in the middle of a road 15 miles from the Murdaugh hunting cabin. The family was skeptical of Randy Murdaughs offer and thought it was weird. Death of Stephen Smith, July 8, 2015. But Smith's family refuses to believe it was an accident. 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