Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? M.D. It looked like it was more staged, like possibly the body had been placed in the roadway.. August 18, 2015, SCHP: The coroner tells Proctor that he did not agree with the final autopsy results in the Stephen Smith case. We've made no secret about what our goal is. Moore asks Burke if she can come to the funeral home the next morning., 5:50 a.m. SCHP: Moore calls Rowell and Payne and tells them to go back to the scene to locate and debris or anything out of the ordinary.. 3 Stephen Smith's body was found in the middle of a rural road Credit: Facebook 3 Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex, all members of the prominent Murdaugh family Credit: Facebook Todd Proctor, former. 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. Smith's body was found nearly three miles from where his car was left and case notes said that "the gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle.". Smalls said hell call right back but doesnt. 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). Stephens family member didnt seem to believe this at the time. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. 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Mandy Matneyis the news director at FITSNews. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Washington tells him its been taken to the funeral home per the familys wishes at the time of the death notification.. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. 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. MAIT takes photos of the body and Smiths clothes. 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. The coroner searches through the victims clothing and located a vehicle key in the victims front left pocket. "There was no evidence of this being a hit and run. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth? Duncan does not include this in his casenotes. Ready to watch a new true crime docuseries thatll make your head spin? The family has now offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. An official autopsy had ruled the death as a possible hit-and-run, yet some authorities refuted that report after making their own observations at the scene. The rumor thats going around Hampton that everybody keeps coming up to me and saying it was Murdaugh boys, she says. SCHP detectives noted the cars gas cap was unscrewed and hanging outside of the gas cap door. I asked her why she stated that in the report and her answer was because he was found in the road, Proctor wrote. 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. The forensic pathologist who. Stephen's twin sister, Stephanie Smith, remembered the moment the coroner called her home about Stephen's death. 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.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth? He was an openly gay young man in the small town of Hampton, South Carolina, which wasnt easy, but he made the best of it, his friends told FITSNews. Here's what we know. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. 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. The two were shot and killed in June 2021. After Paul and Maggie Murdaugh's murders, SLED announced that their investigation had led them to look into Stephen's death. 8:25 a.m. SLED: Tallon and Burke arrive at the scene. The key is turned over to HCSO personnel. Its also unclear if the MAIT team ever examined Stephens phone, which was tossed between agencies before it was finally unlocked by the FBI several years after his death. 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 . 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. 9 a.m. SCHP: Booker meets at Peeples Rhoden Funeral Home with Moore, Duncan, Rowell and Burke to examine the body. Stephen was not stupid, Stephens friend told FITSNews. The key located in the victims pocket was used to open the vehicle. Cr. 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. 6:30 p.m. SCHP: Booker and Duncan consult to formulate a plan of action.. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. Sandy Smith told FITSNews that SLED is investigating her sons death as a homicide which is something she wishes they did six years ago. 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. On July 22, 2015, Proctor visited Presnell at MUSC to get some sort of clarification on the Smith case. Michael Hemlepp, attorney for Smith's family, joins NewsNation's "Banfield."#Banfield #AlexMurdaugh Smith's death was attributed to severe head trauma and controversially ruled a hit and run at the time, which the family and some investigators have disputed, and official investigations into his . SLED is continuing to cast a wide net as it looks to exclude individuals in connection with the double homicidethat took place at the Murdaughs 1,700-acre hunting property located near Islandton, S.C. on the evening of June 7, 2021. They believed he was walking home when the incident occurred, the report said. She said Stephen had been recently cutting school, which was unusual for him. As any investigator, you go off of the evidence there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run, or a vehicle even being involved in it. Stephen Smith was 19 when he was found dead on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open its own investigation into Stephen's death. (Is Outer Banks a real place?). CLICK HERE. He gets voicemail. Even Dr. Erin Presnell, a pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), didnt give much information to police about what led her to decide a motor vehicle killed Stephen. That did not happen to my friend. Moore leaves his home and heads to Sandy Run Road. 6:08 a.m. SCHP: Moore is advised by Allen that MAIT is en route and that Allen is almost at the scene. 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. Earlier this week, FITSNews exclusively reported that South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith a Hampton County teenager whose death has been unsolved since 2015. 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. Stephen's mother and his twin sister speak out to Melvin . 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. No other evidence was located at the scene, the SLED agent wrote. 4:15 p.m. SCHP: Sgt. In the documentary, Randy said, I knew who Stephen Smith was and I knew his family.". Sandy and Todd Proctor, two former South Carolina Highway Patrol detectives who investigated Stephen's death, could not find proof to back up claims about the Murdaughs' connection to the case. 8:02 p.m. SCHP: Moore talks to Booker and explained the scenario to him. They decide to meet at the funeral home at 9 a.m. the next day and to ask SLED to meet them there. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? They call him back to tell him they didnt find anything. Moore is called by Cpl. Cuts and bruises dotted his right hand. 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. "That no family, no community, no friends, no one had come to help her try to get a headstone. Got a tip for a story? In August 2015, the coroner told Proctor that he did not agree with the final autopsy results in the Stephen Smith case. Investigators had said at the time that it appeared Smith was hit by a . Even after the eight-year veteran enhanced his postseason legend with another prolific stretch . The pathologist also states in the report, that in light of historical information along with the autopsy, these conclusions were made, Proctor wrote. Murder, Money & Mystery: Were the Killings of a Mom and Son Connected to 3 Previous Deaths? 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. He said another investigator had already had, from (his) understanding a heated conversation with her about this issue.. The battery was functional, however the vehicle would not start., 9:40 a.m. SLED: Agents leave the scene of the car after doing a walk-through with Singleton and Jarrell. Moore asks about any other injuries on Smith, and Presnell tells him only a partial dislocated right shoulder., He asks Presnell if she found any glass fragments or any other evidence of a motor vehicle and she stated no., I then asked her why she was ruling it as a motor vehicle accident and what she thought caused the head injury, he wrote. SCHP: Duncan talks to Stephens family and they reject the ruling that Stephen would have been hit by a car. The driver reportedly told police he first thought Smithwas an animal, but took a second glance and noticed "a white male lying in the middle of the road.". Yes. 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. Then he was beat up, so the story just kept changing over and over," said Sandra Smith, Stephen's mother, this week. RELATED | Murdaugh Murders: The Latest On The Boat Crash Lawsuit And Obstruction Of Justice Investigation. SLED is simply looking at anyone who may have had a possible motive in the case including the survivors of a high-profile February 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-oldMallory Beach. To what historical information she possessed, I am unaware.. Im tired of them putting Stephen on the back burner, Sandy Smith told FITSNews. State investigators have released scant information on the case including an 18-page redacted report with nearly 8 pages fully redacted. I guarantee you that Stephen was not in that road, she said. Murdaugh Murders: Where is Buster Murdaugh now? 5:37 a.m. SCHP: Sgt. According to the autopsy, Greene was responsible for evidence transfer in the case. SCHP: A man who describes himself as Stephens boyfriend (the family disputes this) was interviewed by Duncan and Rowell. The case was mysteriously bounced from investigator to investigator without reasons or notification, Sandy Smith wrote in the letter. Stephen was sharp and hyper-aware of his surroundings.A toxicology report showed that Stephen was completely sober at the time of his death. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! 12:30 p.m. MUSC autopsy report: Dr. Erin Presnell begins the autopsy on Stephen. This is about a child that deserves to be memorialized and commemorated, and a mother to have support that she hadn't had.". It said the manner of death (which is either homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined) was still undetermined. The gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle. 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 Coroner Ernie Washington. The teens had been "grossly intoxicated," according to police, even though they were all underage and could not legally buy alcohol. "Stephen's getting his final resting place honored and recognized," says Andrews. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. "He had his cell phone, he was six miles from the house," she insisted. She also says shes received a book deal offer and even a Netflix movie opportunity about the case, but shes turned it all down. The victims right arm was covered in blood and agents were unable to see any injuries.. "My hope is that she finds answers that will give her a little bit of peace," she adds. He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? Feb. 2, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, 57, falls at the Murdaugh family home on Moselle Road in Colleton County. Proctor told Fox News that was she said was true. His car was discovered three miles away with the gas cap off. That would be Stephen Smith, a gay teenager who was found dead in the street inHampton County. there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run or a vehicle even being involved in it," he continued. Stay tuned for part two of the investigation file. The South Carolina Highway Patrol received an anonymous tip connecting the Murdaugh family to the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith back in 2015, the New York Post reports. Maybe there's even manufactured evidence in this case. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, despite police reports . For more on the ever-evolving Murdaugh case, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday. Netflix 2023. 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). Officially, Smiths death was classified as a hit and run. It said the manner of death (which is either homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined) was still undetermined, The pathologist also states in the report, that in light of historical information along with the autopsy, these conclusions were made, Proctor wrote. 2. 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. It has been apparent from the first week of the investigation that authorities are covering up critical evidence and we no longer know who to trust, Smith wrote. Murdaugh Murders: What happened to Gloria Satterfield? A source close to the family also told FITSNews that the Beaches have not been questioned again since providing their statements and DNA. Then it turned out it was a hit and run. Stephens friends and family also disputed the autopsy report. Singleton tells Moore he wasnt at his desk and would call him back in 30 minutes. 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. The coroners report on Smiths death said he was most likely hit in the head by the mirror of a passing tractor trailer truck as he walked along the dark, two-lane road after he ran out of gas. Smith was released on bond and now faces six felony charges in the shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Murdaugh's. Allen tells Duncan that the only injuries to the victim were around the head area.. "Sandy and I both believe that this was a murder. A man driving on the road that evening called police just before 5 a.m.to report a person lying in the roadside,according to police reports. Rowell did not make a note of the Murdaugh tip in his written notes. State police said information they gathered in the Murdaugh investigations also led them to review what was initially reported as the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith in Hampton . 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. Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, werefound shot to death June 7 at their familys hunting lodge in Colleton County, South Carolina, as CrimeOnline has previously reported. Michael E. Duncan of the incident. Keep in mind, this isyearsbefore Paul Murdaugh was charged with three felonies in the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach. His wallet was inside the car. . In early June, a son and mother, both members of a. His death was ruled a hit-and-run, but his mother Sandy Smith, who attended Sunday's unveiling, has long suspected he was murdered. At another point in the investigation, Proctor appeared frustrated that local sources were hesitant and scared to speak of the Murdaughs to police. The official cause of death at the time was that Smith, 19, died from a hit and run. 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. His death was officially ruled a hit-and-run, but deep gashes to his head suggested to some he was beaten to death. All Rights Reserved. 9:20 a.m. SLED: Agents then responded approximately 3 miles to the victims vehicle on the side of Bamberg Highway. 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. One of those deaths? Feb. 26, 2018: Satterfield dies from her injuries. She tells him that she and Tallon were called at 6:10 a.m. by HCSO and that they arrived on scene at 9 a.m. Burke said she didnt think Stephens injury looked like a gunshot wound. 8:53 a.m. SLED: Burke meets with Moore at Peeples Rhoden Funeral Home in Hampton to provide documentation from the original crime scene and to transfer evidence. She told FITSNews this week that SLED came to her house to tell her they were opening an investigation. It began June 7, when the pretty, college-sweetheart wife and son of Alex Murdaugh, a prominent and powerful lawyer who knows everyone in town, were brutally gunned down at their hunting lodge in . She said there appeared to be missing evidence in the case such as the DNA under Stephens fingernails, the clothes he was wearing, and the rape kit. 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. 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. A wooden memorial erected for Stephen Nicholas Smith, 19, who was found dead on a country road in 2015. Im telling you man to man I didnt kill him.. After receiving a search warrant, agents searched the area and the vehicle, the SLED report said. SLED agents noted minor injuries to victims left arm, left hand and head. 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. His loosely tied shoes were still on and his clothes appeared untouched. Got a tip for a story? She tells him they located Smiths car on US 601 and that the gas cap was off. Years before Maggie and Paul were killed, there was another murder in South Carolina that also might have ties to the Murdaugh family. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Since the murders of Paul Murdaugh, 22, and Maggie Murdaugh 52, the State Law Enforcement Division, the agency that has been investigating the homicides, announced that it will now be investigating the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The final autopsy report said that Stephens cause of death was blunt head trauma, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian vs. vehicle. (Center) Alex Murdaugh in Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. His death was investigated by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety It just doesnt make any sense. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ive been waiting on this day for 2,174 days, Sandy told FITSNews. They just throw their cases on a shelf to collect dust.. In January 2023, it was confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing. Murdaugh will face three charges in the shooting, but with several ongoing investigations and. Investigators bid to solve last weeks double homicide draws fresh scrutiny on 2015 cold case . One theory posits that Stephen ran out of gas and decided to walk home when he was clipped by a semi truck, but Stephen's mother Sandy Smith discounted that hypothesis in the 20/20 documentary. is not perfect, but the information is straight from the 100+ page case file.
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