She tells him they located Smiths car on US 601 and that the gas cap was off. Stephen Smith, 19, died on a rural road in Hampton County, S.C., in 2015 in a controversial homicide that was officially ruled a hit-and-run. But her dad was "a little iffy on accepting the offer. 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. David Rowell, of the SCHP, who tells him that Hampton County Sheriff T.C. All Rights Reserved. On July 8, 2015 Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road with a 7.25-inch gaping hole on the right side of his forehead and no other major injuries. 4:07 a.m. HCSO: Michael Bridges, of the Hampton County Sheriffs Office, responds to scene first (although there are conflicting reports about what time he arrived). In the letter, she said that they were told that the Murdaugh brothers were involved in her sons death. Got a tip for a story? 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.. Two Murdaughs also work for the prominent Hampton, S.C. law firm of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick(PMPED). Proctor also wrote in his report that Greene was fired sometime between July 22 August 18, 2015. . It looked like it was more staged, like possibly the body had been placed in the roadway.. Then, the coroner ruled the death a shooting homicide forcing investigators to search the rural road carved between a tree line and a corn field. Investigators found Smiths car three miles away on the side of Bamberg Highway. Murdaugh's. 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. 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. His phone and keys were still in his pocket. He was found dead in mysterious circumstances in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8, 2015. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As I was leaving she stated that the report was preliminary and it was my job to figure out what struck him, not hers, Proctor wrote. At another point in the investigation, Proctor appeared frustrated that local sources were hesitant and scared to speak of the Murdaughs to police. In 2019, a boat operated by Paul Murdaugh crashed against a bridge pylon, killing 19-year-old Mallory Beach and seriously injuring two other passengers. I guarantee you that Stephen was not in that road, she said. According to the autopsy, Greene was responsible for evidence transfer in the case. (Is Outer Banks a real place?). 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. Smith, 19, of Hampton, was found dead in the middle of a rural road in Hampton County in 2015, three miles from where his car had run out of gas, investigators said, WIS, The Augusta Chronicle,. It was also reported that Alex and another family member took to Paul's rescue as legal counsel while he was detained. The official cause of death at the time was that Smith, 19, died from a hit and run. Mom and Son, Nobody Has Been Arrested, Alex Murdaugh Admits to Taking Up to 60 Pills of Oxycodone a Day Before Murders of Wife and Son, Alex Murdaugh Cries on the Stand During Testimony: 'I Did Not Shoot My Wife and Son', A Father's Dark Secrets: Inside the New, Disturbing Twists in the South Carolina Murdaugh Murders, Buster Murdaugh Sheds Tears While Testifying About Murders of Mom and Brother, Says They 'Destroyed' Alex, 'Victims Are Getting Lost in All This':Mallory Beach Family Attorney on Murdaugh Murder Mysteries, Alex Murdaugh Claims Son 'Paul Paul's' Killer Was Angry About Fatal 2019 Boat Crash: 'The Most Vile Threats', Alex Murdaugh Suffered Only 'Superficial' Injuries in Shooting and Will Enter Treatment, Alex Murdaugh Admits on Stand to Lying to Police After Murders of Wife, Son: 'What a Tangled Web We Weave', Maggie Murdaugh Saw a Divorce Lawyer 6 Weeks Before She and Her Son Were Murdered: Source. Rumors and speculation have surrounded Stephen Smith's death on July 8, 2015, when the 19-year-old's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County with deep gashes to the head just. His car was discovered three miles away with the gas cap off. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Paul had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was not incarcerated. The Murdaugh family has loomed large in the Lowcountry for nearly a century with three generations of its members serving as solicitor (South Carolinas version of a district attorney) over a five-county region between 1920 and 2007. The case was mysteriously bounced from investigator to investigator without reasons or notification, Sandy Smith wrote in the letter. HAMPTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A new headstone for Stephen Smith was unveiled at the Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County Sunday. It would repeatedly get to a certain point, then the assigned investigator would bow out, perhaps not wanting to take on Solicitor Murdaugh.. FITSNews obtained all audio from the investigation file. It was still unclear at this time if this hole was caused by a projectile. July 10, 2015, SCHP: Stephens Clothes and iPhone sent to SLED, 5 p.m.: Stephens wake is held at the Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home chapel in Hampton on Mulberry Street East. 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. The gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Rowell did not make a note of the Murdaugh tip in his written notes. He said he would take Stephens case free of charge. 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. Im just sitting here like why? It makes no sense, she said. Cr. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. "There was no evidence of this being a hit and run. "Stephen's getting his final resting place honored and recognized," says Andrews. Mandy Matneyis the news director at FITSNews. 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. SCHP: Allen tells Duncan and SCHP that they are not needed at the autopsy, according to SLED and HCSO. Stephen's death is one of several mysterious or accidental deaths that have swirled around the Murdaugh family in recent years. (wrongful death lawsuit updates). Mother and son were gunned down on their 1,770-acre estate in the small town of Islandton. However, his mother, Sandy, told the the Hampton County Guardian, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2015. Someone just left him in the middle of the road to die . Tallon notes the weather was cloudy and 92 degrees. Proctor also wrote in his report that Greene was fired sometime between July 22 August 18 2019. Stephen was classmates with the eldest Murdaugh son, Buster, and witnesses at the time of the initial investigation suggested they might have had a relationship. Even after the eight-year veteran enhanced his postseason legend with another prolific stretch . 5:18 a.m. SCHP: Booker notifies Cpl. Sandy Smith, speaking to the Guardian shortly after her sons July 8, 2015, death, said that she thinks she knows who killed him. Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh is the older brother of Alex Murdaugh, a member of the influential Hampton family. It doesnt matter what his sexual preferences were, he was still my son and he was not messing with anybody and was going to school to better himself.. "I know that they're working hard and that this is not a cold case," he says. His head was misshapen by blunt force. His wallet was inside the car. 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. Murdaugh Murders: Where is Buster Murdaugh now? Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of the road outside of Hampton with a gaping head wound, his skull partially crushed and his shoulder dislocated. 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. SCHP: Moore instructs Rowell to go back to the scene and make sure the body had been marked and to start looking for debris in both directions. These boys were coming from a baseball game and I think that they were right behind him, so when he had to pull over, they were right there. She has been searching for answers ever since. Proctor wrote that Presnell spoke in a negative tone and basically called (him) a liar when he said that hed already spoken to Hampton County CoronerErnie Washington. "[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. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is now streaming on Netflix, telling the story of the wealthy Murdaugh family in South Carolina. There is no way that would happen to him. Michael E. Duncan of the incident. So they can play that card like they care about everyone else. ", Hemlepp says SLED investigators have "been engaging in regular communication with Sandy.". 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. We've made no secret about what our goal is. At the time, her death was classified as an accidental slip and fall, but authorities have reopened the investigation. Six years later, Stephens case is still unsolved. SCHP: Moore writes I turned the clothing over to Duncan and after a discussion by all parties as to why this did not appear to be related to a motor vehicle.. Here's what we know. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP). Stephen died on the eighth of July. 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. Proctor then spoke with Kelly 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. So Moore calls Smalls again and gets voicemail. SLED's reopened investigation was first reported by FITSNews Tuesday evening. "She now has more people than she knows what to do with," says Andrews. 6:08 a.m. SCHP: Moore is advised by Allen that MAIT is en route and that Allen is almost at the scene. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth? At nearly $29 million, Clark is set to have the third-largest cap hit in 2023 of any defensive end. This decision to rule his death a hit-and-run appeared to skew the investigation by SCHPs Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) who typically investigate accidents, not murders. 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