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. Trump was once a supporter of DeSantis, but he has criticized the Florida governor as he has become his chief rival for the nomination. Alex Murdaugh is currently standing trial for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, and is pleading not guilty with the support of his surviving son Buster. "Another rumor claims Buster Murdaugh and two other boys were responsible for [Smith's death]," said the outlet. Smiths mother, Sandy Smith, has been relentless in her quest for answers. 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. From 1920 through 2006, three members of the family served uninterrupted terms as the solicitor (which is known in most jurisdictions of the U.S. as a district attorney) of South Carolinas 14th district. But the more devastating reality behind this unfortunate incident is that another rescue attempt was going on at the same time. In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith died after he was hit by his car and the driver didn't stop. While SLED (and documentaries the world over) delve into the circumstances of Smiths death, there is currently no public-facing evidence for the Murdaugh familys involvement in his murder. He had a large gash on his head, a police report read, and a wound over his eyebrow. 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. 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. '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) Like several other Alex Murdaugh documentaries before it, Murdaugh Murders brings up the curious case of Stephen Smith. Smith's injuries suggested a more nefarious cause of death. The case was ruled a hit and run and no arrests were ever made. He even had his shoes on. 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. Smith's body was found in . It definitely was not a hit and run. While police were still searching for Mallory Beach, Alex arrived at the hospital and went room to room to speak with the survivors. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it was opening an investigation into the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, . Days later on 3 June 2021 four days before he allegedly killed his wife and son Mr Murdaugh sent a voicemail to then-Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte asking him for $600,000. They graduated high school together. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? In following with family tradition, Buster. Recently, Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand for the defense and testified that his father was destroyed by the deaths of Paul and Maggie. After regaining their balance and senses the six occupants of the boat regrouped to discover that one of their own, Mallory Beach was missing. He certainly knew the area. Evidence was not gathered and testimonies were not recorded properly. Satterfields death was accepted as an accidental trip and fall despite several suspicious circumstances. Yet, the case was left classified as a hit and run. Or at least no evidence as strong as the evidence in the other murders. In 2015, teenager Stephen Smith, an openly gay classmate of Buster's, was found dead from blunt force . Did a powerful South Carolina attorney really murder his wife and son? Later, Gloria's sons also filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh after discovering that Murdaugh had claimed nearly half a million dollars for Gloria's death. All free. Evidence of his prolific financial misdeeds had now come to light. I just want answers." 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. ABC News 4 also reported that "case files indicated 10 of 18 people interviewed by Highway Patrol had mentioned [Buster] Murdaugh possibly being involved, with some indicating Stephen and Buster may have been in a relationship." Perhaps thats why Murdaugh apparently attempted suicide in a roundabout way. The killer shot Maggie multiple times with a 300 Blackout rifle believed to be a replacement rifle that Mr Murdaugh later bought for Paul to replace the one he lost. 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. Shreejit is a freelance features writer at Collider. DAILY. Shreejit has written for various film and TV websites including Film Companion. 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. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? Such are the circumstances with the story of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh. I know they were all talking to each other too.. 2. A cellphone video captured by Paul minutes before the murders also appears to place Mr Murdaugh at the murder scene. Jurors have previously seen a Snapchat video Paul sent to a friend less than one hour before the murders where he is wearing an entirely different outfit to the bodycam footage after the murders. Family members of a slain Hampton County teen have released a . RELATED: 10 Most Disturbing True Crime Documentaries (& Where To Stream Them). The case of Stephen Smith a 19-year-old man from Hampton, S.C. who was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8, 2015. 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. 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. 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. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. His body was found about 15 miles from the Murdaugh's Moselle estate. In the aftermath of Maggie and Pauls murders, Buster said that his father had been destroyed and heartbroken. Under brief cross-examination, the prosecutor brought up that Mr Murdaugh had suggested his son went hunting at Moselle after his mother and brother were gunned down there. Prosecutors claim that Mr Murdaugh wrapped the murder weapons in the jacket and intially hid them at his parents home. Entertainment; News & Politics; Sports; Health & Lifestyle; Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. They had friends in common and they didnt move in the same circles. On July 14, 2022, Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. "I hope they enjoy their day because we're going to enjoy ours. Jurors have so heard four weeks of dramatic testimony from 61 prosecution witnesses covering a trove of circumstantial evidence, including cellphone and car data, a damning video allegedly placing Mr Murdaugh at the crime scene and apparent holes in his alibi for the time for the murders. He said he was not aware Paul ever got a replacement gun and did not see him using a Blackout that wasnt his. 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. Murdaugh, 54, is accused of using two different guns to execute his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, June 7, 2021, on the family's Islandton hunting estate By Rebecca Rosenberg | Fox News Buster. Some cases are so explosive, however, that documentarians just cant wait to get their cameras on it. Entertainment; News & Politics; Sports; Health & Lifestyle; Science & Tech; toggle. The family believes he was murdered. One Christmas, he and Buster were given a 300 Blackout rifle each as presents. Copyright 2023 Radar Media Group LLC. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. But Buster Murdaugh's private life has already been shown to the public. And it seemed to be an intentional act, which we consider homicide, said Michael Duncan, a retired corporal who was part of the accident investigation team. 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 the new Netflix documentary about the Murdaugh murders, locals who knew the family and Smith said there was speculation that Buster and Smith had a secret relationship. Unlike several other witnesses and his father at the defence table Buster did not become emotional at any point during his testimony. Ultimately it was discovered that Murdaugh had embezzled funds from the firm, leading to his dismissal in September 2021. A coroner ultimately ruled Smith's death as accidental, involving a car that hit him. Satterfields next of kin was supposed to receive a substantial insurance settlement due to accidental death. He had blunt force trauma. Stephen Smith was openly gay. His mother referenced an earlier instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for help. In 2019, that all finally started to change thanks to the actions of one dipshit Murdaugh: Alex. The case was reopened when a coroner found that the medical report stated the reason behind Gloria's death to be a natural one, eliminating the need for an autopsy at the time. 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. There was no blood. 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. He, Paul, Maggie and his father would call each other and speak on the phone pretty much every day. His death was initially deemed a hit and run but the case remains unsolved. 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. But I do believe that the truth is going to come out. Several people came forward with rumors of a "fling" between Smith and Buster Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh with defence attorney Dick Harpootlian during his trial. Several friends and partners at Mr Murdaughs law firm PMPED were also there and they stayed for several hours before Buster, his father, girlfriend and uncle John Marvin went to Mr Murdaughs parents home in Almeda. 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. 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). Everyone knew that the Murdaughs were not to be messed with. He was a very sharp kid; As a young gay man, he was cautious and so he wouldnt have been walking down the road. See him using a Blackout that wasnt his, he and Buster Murdaugh & x27... Live 5 News Where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for.! 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