Stephens family member didnt seem to believe this at the time. 8:22 p.m. SCHP: Moore calls Burke. CLICK HERE. However, a pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina ruled the death caused by "blunt head trauma sustained in a motor vehicle crash," according to the final autopsy report. In the aftermath of her sons death, Sandy said shes learned that there are two different justice systems in the Palmetto State one for people like the Murdaughs and another for everyone else. The key located in the victims pocket was used to open the vehicle. The doctor ruled out a gunshot wound and said it was possible the injury was a result of the impact from theside-view mirror of a semi-truck. Sandy says shes skeptical of the man claiming to be Stephens boyfriend. Stephens massive head wound along with the lack of other significant injuries on his body stumped investigators on scene. Mallory Beach's parents also spoke out in the 20/20 documentary, remembering their daughter who died after an accident involving a Murdaugh family boat. Photo: Facebook. Evidence in Stephens case was found during the investigation into Maggie and Paul Murdaughs murders, though according to People Magazine, those findings were never made public. The vehicle was in park. there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run or a vehicle even being involved in it," he continued. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. is not perfect, but the information is straight from the 100+ page case file. "[Stephen's mother] has said it was from a broken heart," Susanne Andrews, the founder of #StandingforStephen, a group that raised funds for the headstone, tells PEOPLE. Someone just left him in the middle of the road to die . Additionally, the episode will reveal new details in the death of Stephen Smith, who was found dead in 2015 after an alleged hit and run. Now, police investigating the shooting deaths of. He doesnt deserve that. Upon entering the scene, agents observed that the scene was secured by HCSO personnel and yellow barrier tape, the SLED agent wrote. Similar to the homicide case, SLED has revealed little information to the public since confirming it is reopening the case to the family,Inside Edition Digital previously reported. You go back to the Murdaugh name and their ties in that community, and that dont matter to me What weve done is take that investigation out of that and their reach I dont care what your name is and how much money you got., He then said Im not saying that the Murdaugh boy did it., But if were going to be throwing out names, Im not going to be withholding names, Proctor wrote. In August 2015, the coroner told Proctor that he did not agree with the final autopsy results in the Stephen Smith case. But Sandy Smith told the Hampton County Guardian, as reported in the Augusta Chronicle, that there was no glass or plastic shards on the road where Stephens body was found nothing that would indicate the young man was hit in the head by a mirror. A SCHP flyer is made asking for tips in the case. No other evidence was located at the scene, the SLED agent wrote. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on social media. 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. The final autopsy report said that Stephens cause of death was blunt head trauma, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian vs. vehicle. The victim was covered with a sheet., A hole in the skull was located above the victims right eye, SLED agents wrote. Paul had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was not incarcerated. A NEW 20/20 documentary about the mysterious Murdaugh family includes claims by the twin sister of a teenager who died under strange circumstances in rural South Carolina. His death was first. In early June, a son and mother, both members of a. Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. He also said SLED has not contacted Proctor to assist in their investigationat the time of the interview. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! For the latest true crime and justice news,subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast: Attorney for Kristin Smarts Convicted Murderer Challenges Conviction 2 Weeks Before Sentencing, 4 Dead, Including 13-Year-Old Boy, in Suspected Murder-Suicide, Soft Swinging Mormon Mom TikToker Threw a Chair That Hit Her 5-Year-Old Daughter in Argument With Boyfriend, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Shes an investigative journalist from Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before making the switch to FITS. That's not even the end of the story. HAMPTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A new headstone for Stephen Smith was unveiled at the Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County Sunday. His head was misshapen by blunt force. Moore describes Smith as there were no visible injuries to the deceased, other than his head wound and a small amount of road rash on both arms, Actual or presumed Date of Death: July 8, 2015, Cause of death: Blunt force trauma (probably pedestrian in motor vehicle accident possibly struck by side mirror). Or "king's ransom" waiting to be found A Slap In the Face: Update In The Stephen Smith Case And Murdaugh Murders, Murdaugh Murders: The Latest On The Boat Crash Lawsuit And Obstruction Of Justice Investigation, Boat Crash Lawsuit: Murdaughs Refuse To Settle, Withhold Financial Records From Victims Family, Apparent Human Trafficking Raid Jolts Coastal South Carolina Neighborhood, Murdaugh Murders: South Carolina Attorney General Must Step In And Remove Rogue Solicitor, Powerful Storms, Tornadoes Sweep Through SC: Photos From The Upstate to Lowcountry, SC State House: Speaker Of The House Livid After Close Friend Loses Primary Fight, Mark Powells Palmetto Past & Present: Lost Confederate Gold, Ron Paul: The Anti-War Movement Roars Back To Life, LIVE FEED Murdaugh Murders Trial: Day Twenty-Six. CLICK HERE. Rowell did not make a note of the Murdaugh tip in his written notes. In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Sandy Smith said she was grateful that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), handing the Murdaugh investigation, and the Attorney General's Office have provided "some closure" in the deaths. In the 20/20 documentary, Stephanie claimed shortly after the coroner called regarding her brothers death, her father received another call. Smith died on a rural road in Hampton County, in 2015 that was ruled a hit-and-run.. Smith's mother, Sandy, told the the Hampton County Guardian, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2015 that she believed her son's death was the result of foul play and a possible hate crime because her son was gay. Two Murdaughs also work for the prominent Hampton, S.C. law firm of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick(PMPED). At first, they thought it was a hit and run. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. Files with the state highway patrol showed that a Murdaugh family member - a. Source: YouTube/Law&Crime Network (video still) Buster Murdaugh You become invincible in a way and you get a little liquor and you think youre untouchable.. 6:00 a.m. SCHP: Duncan, on the way to the scene, calls Booker said he was told it appeared to be a homicide and SLED was taking it over. Booker says he was advised there was a possible gunshot wound to the victims head. The mother of the 19-year-old Stephen Smith has told news outlets for the past six years that she thought her son was beaten to death and not hit by a vehicle in Hampton County and she thought someone in the area covered up the crime. SCHP: Moore calls Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home and speaks with a funeral home director. His body was found in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8 with deep gashes to the head. The forensic pathologist who. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is now streaming on Netflix, telling the story of the wealthy Murdaugh family in South Carolina. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The Hampton community is hoping a suspect can be identified, after 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found dead on Sandy Run Road in an apparent hit and run. I guarantee you that Stephen was not in that road, she said. (wrongful death lawsuit updates). Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. There, they listened to gospel songs, speeches and unveiled a new headstone for the 19-year-old's grave, which is close to the spot where his father, who died three months after his son, is buried. Of course, the rumors began from there, with many speculating the Murdaugh family mightve killed Stephen. SLED agents noted minor injuries to victims left arm, left hand and head. What I ended up finding [was] there were a lot of people who didnt want to assist or communicate with us, he said. While reporters from all over the nation contacted her last week about her sons story, she just wants the official call from law enforcement telling her they reopened the case. At the time, her death was classified as an accidental slip and fall, but authorities have reopened the investigation. This is about a child that deserves to be memorialized and commemorated, and a mother to have support that she hadn't had.". 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. Mom and Son, Authorities Open Investigation into Teen's 2015 Death, 'Somebody's in Danger': 2 Months After Deaths of Prominent S.C. Whoever they are, she tells Duncan. Allen tells Duncan that the only injuries to the victim were around the head area.. "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. Got a tip for a story? 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. After receiving a search warrant, agents searched the area and the vehicle, the SLED report said. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? Crime scene photos obtained by FITSNews are horrific Stephens entire face was covered in blood that cascaded from a 7.25-inch gaping hole on the right side of his forehead. SCHP: Moore calls Mitch Altman and tells him to go to the scene and see if he can find any debris. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. It said the manner of death (which is either homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined) was still undetermined. "Stephen's getting his final resting place honored and recognized," says Andrews. They were very withdrawn with what they knew or thought.. 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. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. Despite the lack of tire marks or automobile debris, investigators ruled his death a hit-and-run accident. 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). Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths, Murdaugh Murders: Did Alex Murdaugh hire someone to kill him? Kurt Busch might have received a proper sendoff this weekend in Las Vegas, where his hometown track treated him cruelly over 21 tries until he broke through for a win in 2020. Alex Murdaugh, Paul's father and . SCHP: Moore, Rowell, Booker and Duncan go to Sandy Run Road to document the scene and looked for any evidence at the scene for approximately 100 yards in both directions. And now a retired South Carolina state trooper, who led the investigation into Smiths death, told Fox News he had long suspected the case to have been a murder. She tells police Stephen was going to school in Orangeburg and hung out at Bobcat Landing a lot recently. According to the autopsy, Greene was responsible for evidence transfer in the case. After his autopsy, however, Smith's death was ruled a hit-and-run. Gloria Satterfield, who worked for the Murdaugh family for more than 20 years, died at the Murdaugh home in February 2018. Frantic Families Trapped in Their Homes and Running Out of Food After Massive Snowstorm Cripples California, 3 Female Bodybuilders Say League Owner's Son Sexually Exploited Them While Their Careers Hung in the Balance, Innocent Michigan Man, 71, Walks Free After 2 Decades in Prison Thanks to True Crime Coverage of His Case, Lindsay Clancy: Timeline of Events in the Case of Massachusetts Mom Accused of Killing Her 3 Children, Abby Choi Case: Police Scour Landfill Searching for Dismembered Model's Missing Torso, Hands and Arms, 2 Missing Women Found Alive by Maine Game Wardens After Being Stuck in Their Car in Freezing Temperatures. That would be Stephen Smith, a gay teenager who was found dead in the street inHampton County. Im tired of them putting Stephen on the back burner, Sandy Smith told FITSNews. The gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Maybe there's even manufactured evidence in this case. Is Mother and Son Murder Connected to Death of Woman in Drunken Boat Crash. The vehicle doors were locked. Stephen was not stupid, Stephens friend told FITSNews. MAIT takes photos of the body and Smiths clothes. "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. Todd Proctor, S.C. Highway Patrol's lead investigator in the 2015 Stephen Smith case, tells multiple news outlets that he still doesn't believe Smith died as a result of a hit-and-run. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, despite police reports . Editors Note: The timeline below is an outline of an investigation shared for the purpose of full disclosure as the case is getting attention from sleuths across the country. 8:25 a.m. SLED: Tallon and Burke arrive at the scene. The killings also led the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to open a new inquiry into the unsolved death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old whose body was found on a rural road in the area in . 1:43 p.m. SLED: Agents leave MUSC and take evidence to their forensic laboratory. A 48-year-old man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years' jail for a hit-and-run crash that left cyclist and Perth university professor Thomas Lyons, with a serious and ongoing brain injury . So why didnt they investigate Stephens death as a homicide? 6:12 a.m. SLED: SLED Crime Scene was requested by Chief Deputy Billy Jarrell, HCSO, to assist in the investigation of a possible homicide in Hampton County.. 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