Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The first was that of a high school student, Stephen Smith, back in 2015. I do believe that were going to get answers. Although many in Hampton County claim the existence of a deeper connection between Stephen's death and the Murdaughs, there is not much evidence to back it up. The Murdaughs are members of a prominent S.C. legal family that first made regional headlines after Paul Murdaugh was involved in a February 2019 boat crash in Beaufort County that resulted in. On the evening of Feb. 23, the 19-year-old Beach was among six friends who boarded a 17-foot boat at the Murdaugh familys river house on Chechessee Creek (3) for a 25-mile run to an oyster roast on Paukie Island (4). The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division re-opened the case in June 2021, shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh based on information discovered during that initial investigation. While Mallory's boyfriend Anthony stayed back at the scene of the incident to wait for his girlfriend to be found, the others in the group witnessed Alex's manipulation at work as he tried to pin the blame on Paul's friend, Connor. On July 8, 2015, the body of a 19-year-old named Stephen Smith was found with a fatal head wound on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina, which is part of the jurisdiction that had been run. In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found in the middle of a rural road. Here's what we know. OF ALL THINGS, why why why would that be one of the very few scintilla of information to be released, other than the big one: ----> The Public was not in Danger. Where Is Buster Murdaugh, Did He Kill Stephen Smith? While he said he wasnt often present for the confrontations, he said he believed his fathers response was usually apologetic. The Murdaugh family has many skeletons in their closet, some of which have emerged during Alex Murdaugh's murder trial. . From left to right, the Murdaugh family: Buster, Maggie, Paul, and Alex Credit: Facebook Maggie Murdaugh Who is the Murdaugh family? Initially, Smith's death was ruled a hit-and-run by the coroner; however, the Smith family and Highway Patrol Investigators rejected the claim and noted that "no vehicle debris, skid marks, or injuries consistent with someone being struck by a vehicle" were found in the initial investigation. This is in line with Alex Murdaugh's history of financial crimes. Names and stories of the Murdaugh family surfaced six years ago regarding the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, a young gay man found dead in the middle of a lonely rural road with several deep gashes in his head, but investigators said they were never able to directly connect anyone in the family to the incident. His son, wife, and housekeeper were all dead. After Smith's body was discovered, authorities fielded tips from the community. Murdaugh murders: Cops clueless about motive, refuse to release 911 call details Another deceased person's name has reemerged in the case - Stephen Smith, a gay man from Hampton who died in 2015. RADAR and RADARONLINE are registered trademarks. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. 'Murdaugh Murders': Buster Murdaugh was accused of allegedly killing classmate and rumored boyfriend Stephen Smith in 2015 By Aayush Sharma Published on : 00:17 PST, Feb 22, 2023 Stephen Smith and Alex Murdaugh in stills from 'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal' (Netflix) He also insisted on heading to a waterfront bar in downtown Beaufort where he ordered two rounds of shots while his annoyed friends waited outside. The case was ruled a hit and run and no arrests were ever made. Why? Did Buster Murdaugh kill Stephen Smith, . What's more, in 2015, he lost a close friend, Stephen Smith, in a . He was a known associate and occasional friend of Buster and several interviews in Murdaugh Murders mention cite rumors that the pair had a romantic relationship. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, During calm testimony, Buster appeared to water down but not refute some key points in the prosecutions case, including the police interview where his father appeared to unwittingly confess to the murders, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Very upset about various sporting events. Smith was a high school classmate of Murdaughs son Buster (not the currently deceased one) and was found dead from blunt force trauma on the side of the road in 2015. His family claims local law enforcement did little to investigate. Then he and his girlfriend Brooklynn grabbed some stuff and drove down to Moselle, reaching the property in the early hours of 8 June. The fall from grace began for the respected and somewhat feared Murdaughs when on a fateful February night in 2019, the actions of Paul Murdaugh, the younger son of Alex Murdaugh, leads to the death of Mallory Beach. While no suspects have been named in the seven years since Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of the road in Hampton County, South Carolina, the Murdaugh family name was featured over 40 times in the investigative documents, according to local reports. SLED Special Agent Jeff Croft testified that Mr Murdaugh said: I did him so bad.. He had almost single-handedly brought down his familys shining century-long dynasty. Evidence of his prolific financial misdeeds had now come to light. If any one genre takes the cake for him, it is none other than good ol' fashioned horror. Cpl. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP) received. Eight days after the accident, Mallory Beach's body was finally found. Online following of Murdaugh saga:South Carolina murder saga attracts cult-like online following. An investigator for the South Carolina Highway Patrol says that he thinks Stephen Smith's body was staged the night of his death in July 2015. Amidst this ruckus, on September 4, 2021, Alex called 911, claiming that he was shot in the head while changing a tire on the side of the road. Buster said that his father had called him at 9.10pm on 7 June 2021 just 20 minutes after he allegedly shot and killed Maggie and Paul at the dog kennels of the familys estate in Islandton. So thats about it! Following the deaths of Mallory Beach, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh, SLED elected to re-open Stephen Smith's case. According to Live 5 News, the Murdaugh family is mentioned several times in the investigative files of Stephen Smith, who died by hit-and-run in July 2015. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21. She also went to the scene of the crime to take a look around. Nobody knows. In fact, it was one of the first files I ever received related to this story, Folks said. Buster said that Mr Murdaugh called him that night and asked him if he was sitting down. Stephen's body was found in the middle of the road and the . 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. South Carolina investigators say they are picking up steam in the reopened investigation into the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith who reportedly was close with Alex Murdaugh's oldest son, RadarOnline.com has learned. Throughout the weeks-long trial, Buster and several other family members have put on a united front, supporting Mr Murdaugh in court every day. His death was initially deemed a hit and run but the case remains unsolved. Buster who has attended the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, every day since the start of the high-profile trial in a show of support for his father was the first witness called to the stand by the defence on Tuesday morning. His car was discovered three miles away with the gas cap off. It was last brought back to the KFC menu in April 2014. In an eerie fashion, the docuseries also explores the other deaths scattered over the years that were connected with the Murdaughs. Worst of all, with at least one of those deceased clients, its suspected that Murdaugh may have assisted with their death. Stephen Smith died in 2015 and, the docuseries alleges, may have had a relationship with Alex Murdaugh's other son Buster. In July 2015, Stephen Smith's death on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County was ruled a homicide and then a hit-and-run before finally being closed as an "accidental death." There were no tire or skid marks at the scene or blood on Smith's clothes. A cellphone video captured by Paul minutes before the murders also appears to place Mr Murdaugh at the murder scene. Michael DeWitt: Stephen Smith was a young man living in Hampton County. Buster Murdaugh, 26, was a high school classmate of Smith, who was described as a loving jokester by friends and family. After that, Buster Murdaugh's name kept coming up. Two days later, he announced he had quit his law firm and was entering a rehabilitation program for treatment of opioid addiction. His twin. Based in Cleveland, Ohio. Often, Alex did not pass on the money that he won from financial settlements to the kin of the deceased after suing the insurance companies. 1. Deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, June 7, 2021. During calm, controlled testimony, he appeared to water down but not refute some key points in the prosecutions case, including his fathers behaviour on the day of the murders, the clothes he was wearing and the police interview where he appeared to unwittingly confess to killing his wife and son. Despite being visibly hammered and underage, Paul was not given a field sobriety test, taken to jail for booking, or even handcuffed. Satterfields next of kin was supposed to receive a substantial insurance settlement due to accidental death. While police were still searching for Mallory Beach, Alex arrived at the hospital and went room to room to speak with the survivors. Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. Entertainment; News & Politics; Sports; Health & Lifestyle; Science & Tech; toggle. Moreover, the lapses in the immediate investigation by the local investigators, the Department of Natural Resources, exposed the workings of a powerful network that the Murdaughs had woven over years. The cause of . Advertisement. Maybe it was simply incompetence. Ten days later, SLED uncovered that Curtis Edward Smith, an associate of Murdaugh and his oxycodone dealer, had been hired by Murdaugh to kill him. His mother referenced an earlier instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for help. Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. The body of Stephen Smith, a friend and classmate of Buster Murdaugh, was found on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina. On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh familys boat with several of his friends on board. Thats right: Alex Murdaugh (ALLEGEDLY) murdered his estranged wife and youngest son. In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. She asked the FBI, the governor and others to keep investigating but the case went nowhere until Mallory Beach was killed on the Murdaugh boat four years later. The case remains unsolved. The mystery surrounding the fatal shootings at the home of a prominent South Carolina family connects to the deaths of three people and a roadside shooting. Home > News & Politics > News. His death was ruled a. July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. There was clearly a Murdaugh tie into the death of Stephen Smith, because if you read the investigatory reports from his death back in 2015, the Murdaugh name is mentioned dozens of times. But why though? The Murdaugh family were undoubtedly the biggest names in small Hampton County where everyone knew everyone a point reiterated quite a few times throughout the Netflix docuseries in a possible attempt to justify the numerous perspectives that were available on the central events being discussed. There are conflicting reports of what . Buster testified that he helped pack his father a bag of clothes from his closet to take with them. "No car parts. There was been much speculation around whether Mr Murdaugh said they or I in the audio, which is difficult to distinguish. We know for a fact it was not a hit-and-run. But the more devastating reality behind this unfortunate incident is that another rescue attempt was going on at the same time. Police believe Smith ran out of gas while on his way home from college, though his family questions this. Buster testified that Paul later told him that his gun was apparently lost, stolen, taken and after that his brother would always use his. I walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug just broke down.. The group was returning from an oyster roast that Paul had planned. 3-6. Mallory Beach's death brought enough bad PR to the Murdaughs to bring them under scrutiny, but a greater tragedy was waiting to strike them. He had a large gash on his head, a police report read, and a wound over his eyebrow. An August 2015 tip accused Buster and Smith of having a forbidden relationship that would have been damning for the prominent family's reputation. The first one was that of Stephen Smith, who was found dead on the side of a road in 2015. Alex Murdaugh Ordered To Deal With Civil Lawsuit Accusing Him Of Ripping $4 Million Off His Late Housekeeper Gloria's Estate After Murder Trial Wraps Up, Alex Murdaugh Accused Of Cheating On Late Wife Maggie Before Gruesome Murders But Jury Won't Hear About Alleged Affairs, Sources Claim, Alex Murdaugh Murder Trial Update: Jurors Will Visit Moselle Ranch Crime Scene Where His Wife & Son Were Shot To Death. Yet, the case was left classified as a hit and run. If Alex Murdaugh did indeed contribute to Gloria Satterfields death, it might not be the first time that a Murdaugh killed someone and got away with it. New details in the Paul and Maggie Murdaugh double-murder has led the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to open the hit-and-run cold case death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Smith was found dead just before 4:00 a.m. on July 8, 2015 in the middle of Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, South Carolina. Buster said that there was a negative reaction in the community in the aftermath of the boat crash and it consumed his mother, making her anxious. Perhaps by the end of it, Netflix will feel compelled to order Murdaugh Murders season 2. The U.S. Murdaugh admitted that the events had been an assisted suicide scheme so that his son Buster would still receive $10 million upon his death. It also showed that he stayed just 21 minutes at his parents home that night less than half the 45 minutes to an hour he claimed to police. June 22: Authorities reopen probe into 2015 death of Stephen Smith. The oldest Murdaugh son, Buster, was the same age as Stephen Smith and his twin sister. On Feb. 2, 2018 she supposedly fell down the front steps of the Murdaughs estate, and received traumatic head injuries (including a stroke) that she later succumbed to on Feb. 26, 2018. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? A passerby in a car called in a 911 report, and by dawn the local highway patrol was conducting an investigation, collecting evidence, trying to piece together what might have happened. RadarOnline.com has learned that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has "made progress" in the "active and ongoing" case of Smith, who died in 2015. His mother hired a private investigator to look into the matter. Alex Murdaughs only surviving son Buster gave stoic testimony as his father looked on smiling in the South Carolina courtroom where he is on trial for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. Beach fell overboard and went missing; her body was found on March 3 near the Broad River Boat Landing (6). He had been struck by a blunt object on his right temple, killing him. But Mallory Beach's death was a tragedy waiting to happen at the hands of Paul, who was known for his violent behavior under the influence of alcohol. Stephen Smith was studying to be a nurse at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, hoping to eventually become a doctor. ALL FREE. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. He suffered what police described as a superficial gunshot wound to the head.. They have not made any statement about it since. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaughs name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Some cases are so explosive, however, that documentarians just cant wait to get their cameras on it. Netflix's Murdaugh Mysteries: A Southern Scandal unpacks the many crimes of Alex Murdaugh. Buster Murdaugh Girlfriend Stood by His Side Throughout Murdaugh's Trial. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! In the video, sent at 7.56pm on 7 June 2021, Mr Murdaugh is seen in trousers, loafers and a blue button-down shirt on the grounds of the estate. Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. On July 8, 2015 he was on his way home from school when he ran out of gas. They graduated high school together. He is accused of buying alcohol for his younger brother Paul prior to the 2019 fatal boat crash. Though Alex Murdaugh and other Murdaugh family members began committing crimes in 2014 or earlier, the inciting incident for their ultimate downfall begins in 2019. Ultimately the 88 indictments for financial fraud amounted to around $9 million. Stephen would not have been in the roadway," said his mother Sandy. The 19-year-old nursing student who had been a classmate of Buster Murdaugh at Wade Hampton High School was found dead with a head wound on Sandy. The Mallory Beach incident led to Murdaughs legal career coming under scrutiny by SLED, other lawyers representing Murdaughs victims, and Murdaughs own law firm. It is also believed that Buster was a close friend (and rumored boyfriend) of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old who was killed under mysterious circumstances in 2019. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) certainly did. A classmate of Alex's elder son Buster, Stephen was rumored to have been in a gay relationship with Buster, a pill that was, allegedly, too bitter for the Murdaughs to digest. (NewsNation) As Alex Murdaugh heads to trial for the murder of his wife and son, there is another mysterious case that has led investigators back to the Murdaugh family. Meanwhile an attorney named Justin Bamberg began investigating Murdaughs finances on behalf of eight people who claim Murdaugh victimized them. Celebrity news. He said he was not aware Paul ever got a replacement gun and did not see him using a Blackout that wasnt his. One of the challenging things about fully understanding the scope of the Murdaugh story is comprehending its timeline. Personally, I think there was some type of pressure or just lack of investigation upon other agencies to do anything, he told NewsNation. As the multiple Murdaugh cases have played out in the small community, rumors have spread. Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh is on trial for the double murder of his wife, Margret "Maggie" Murdaugh, and son Paul Murdaugh, who died on June 7, 2021. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Murdoch testimony could be sharp dagger for Fox News: Expert, East Palestine residents report unusual symptoms, John Oliver on new AI tech: Stupid in ways we cant predict, Why TikTok is being banned on govt phones in US and beyond, COVID-19 origins drawing further scrutiny in Washington, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Later, Connor's father was also contacted by Alex in an act of intimidation. The final state witness SLED Agent Peter Rudofski laid out a detailed timeline of both the final movements of the two victims and the movements of their accused killer. Busters testimony also called into question the significance of the multiple outfits Mr Murdaugh was seen wearing on the day of the murders with no bloodied clothing ever found. On July 14, 2022, Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. The death was never reported to the coroner, and no autopsy was conducted. DAILY. Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh, Buster's father, is facing charges with the murders of his wife, Maggie, and his . As part of the reopened investigation, there were plans to exhume Gloria's body to carry out a proper autopsy. Now Paul, just 22 years old and facing three felony counts, was dead. The documentary series comes from directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst and explores the rise and fall of . Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! One of the cases now being re-examined is the death of Stephen Smith, 19, whose body was found on a rural road in 2015. Ronnie Richter: She literally helped raise Alex Murdaugh's sons, Paul and Buster. His younger brother, Paul, was killed alongside his mother in 2021. Bamberg theorizes that Murdaugh may have defrauded 30-50 people to the tune of $20 million. Paul was driving the boat under the influence of alcohol and had just slapped his ex-girlfriend Morgan moments before the accident. Ultimately, Mallorys body was discovered on March 3 about five miles down river from the crash scene. In the year and a half since, no new details have come to light but SLED reports it has "made progress" and the case remains "active and . I just want answers." Consequentially, Alex was forced to resign from the law firm, which is now known as Parker Law Group. . Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand in his fathers murder trial on Tuesday morning. Busters name has also cropped up in a series of other scandals surrounding the once-powerful family. 2. Three members of the family had served as district attorneys since 1920. By July 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted with several charged including two counts of murder. The five county area that serves as the 14th district was the Murdaughs political dominion for nearly a century. Breaking. Mike DeWine said he was impressed with the magnitude of the cleanup efforts he witnessed and by the hard work people are doing. Death of Mallory Beach, Feb. 24, 2019. The damage to his body was limited to Smith's right side, "from his right eye socket to the back of his head and his right shoulder was dislocated," she said. At the core of all the events was the name of Alex Murdaugh, who's currently on trial for the murder of his own wife and son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Smith was just 15 when he passed away suddenly in Hampton County. In what marks the first time the 26-year-old has ever spoken out publicly about the murders, he recounted the moment that he learned that his mother and brother were dead. Three miles away, Stephen Smiths body was found, in the middle of the road with no skid marks or other physical evidence that a car had hit him. What started out as an unfortunate accident at the hands of the scion of the powerful Murdaugh family, turned out to be just an isolated dot in a line of deaths and financial frauds. In the aftermath of the murders, Buster said that he was with his father almost all day every day for a good while and kept a close eye on him. She said since the case has been reopened, there have been offers of a book deal and a Netflix movie but all shes interested in is justice. 8. Here is everything you need to know about the true story. . Then people started asking questions about Stephen Smiths case. The Murdaughs were members of a prominent South Carolina legal family that first made regional headlines in February 2019.. In 2015, Smith was mysteriously found dead in the middle of the road, and his death was ruled a hit-and-run, even though other evidence shows that he could have died by gunshot or some other attack. The 19-year-old nursing student who had been a classmate of Buster Murdaugh at Wade Hampton High School was found dead with a head wound on Sandy Run Road near Crocketville. Buster refuted this testimony, saying that his father said they did him so bad after listening to the footage in court. Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag, Pauls message to his father on 6 May 2021 read. Buster Murdaugh was allegedly involved in a relationship with Stephen Smith, an openly gay 19-year-old. Like the probe of the 2019 boat crash, the 2015 investigation into Smith's death was chaotic from the beginning clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. At the time of the murders, Mr Murdaugh claims he was spending up to $60,000 a week to feed a 20-year opioid addiction. Meanwhile, the prosecution has assembled its witnesses and pieces of evidence, including bodycam footage from the night of the murders, to prove Alex's alleged crimes. Long before any of the Murdaugh family's criminal activities came to light, a good friend of Buster's, Stephen Smith, passed away. On July 8, 2015 the body of 19-year-old Smith was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, S.C. Later, coroner Ernie Washington declared Smith had died from "blunt force trauma to the head," likely from the mirror on a passing vehicle, via Live 5 News. Paul is the platonic ideal of the spoiled rich boy archetype and the police arriving on the scene of the accident certainly treated him as such. Following Stephen's death, his father made claims that Buster and Stephen had been seeing each other romantically, although Buster . Blanca Simpson, who worked as the Murdaugh family housekeeper for several years and did their laundry, testified that she never saw the clothing Mr Murdaugh was wearing on the morning of the murders again after that day. Around 1:15 a.m. the group re-boarded the boat with Paul still driving over the objections of his friends. He has pleaded not guilty. The True Story Behind Netflix's 'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal', 10 Most Disturbing True Crime Documentaries (& Where To Stream Them), Paul's mobile clearly suggested that Alex was with Maggie and Paul, Alex was forced to resign from the law firm, suicide schemed by Alex himself to help his son, Buster, claim $10 million from the insurance company, Days after the death of Paul and Maggie, the investigation into the death of Stephen was reopened, The case was reopened when a coroner found that the medical report stated the reason behind Gloria's death to be a natural one. Behind this unfortunate incident is that another rescue attempt was going on at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical college hoping. News where Smith ran buster murdaugh and stephen smith of gas while on his way home from college, though his claims. The 2019 fatal boat crash '' said his mother referenced an earlier instance Live. Arrests were ever made, Paul, just 22 years old and facing felony... 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