Her body was found seven days after the February 2019 boat crash. Stephen was found dead in the middle of a rural road outside of Hampton. The coroner searches through the victims clothing and located a vehicle key in the victims front left pocket. Proctor also wrote in his report that Greene was fired sometime between July 22 August 18 2019. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? That would be Stephen Smith, a gay teenager who was found dead in the street inHampton County. "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. 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. (Is Outer Banks a real place?). The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on social media. Murder, Money & Mystery: Were the Killings of a Mom and Son Connected to 3 Previous Deaths? Moore is called by Cpl. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. The case is being reexamined, partly because some Murdaugh family members were among those first on the scene. He tells them to meet him at the funeral home. Stephens family member didnt seem to believe this at the time. He said Stephen was harassed by Rednecks in a big truck with big mud tires.. Sandy Smith was told that if she wanted her sons case to be looked at by SLED, she would have to write a letter. 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 South Carolina Law Enforcement Division opened an investigation into Smith's death in June of 2021 after agents found information relating to . Thank you, God!. Alex's. Feb. 2, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, 57, falls at the Murdaugh family home on Moselle Road in Colleton County. SCHP: Allen tells Duncan and SCHP that they are not needed at the autopsy, according to SLED and HCSO. It looked like it was more staged, like possibly the body had been placed in the roadway.. 1:43 p.m. SLED: Agents leave MUSC and take evidence to their forensic laboratory. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. That's not even the end of the story. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. It was also clear from the report that there was tension between Presnell and SCHP. Stephens friends and family also disputed the autopsy report. 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. Here is a look at the events surrounding his indictments:June 7, 2021: Murdaugh calls police to report his wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, have been fatally shot near a dog kennel on their property.June 23, 2021: An investigation into the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith, 19, unsolved for six years, is reopened based on information . Ready to watch a new true crime docuseries thatll make your head spin? The forensic pathologist who. "And it's amazing to be a part of that and to see it. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 9 a.m. SCHP: Booker meets at Peeples Rhoden Funeral Home with Moore, Duncan, Rowell and Burke to examine the body. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. She stated they told the Sheriff and Coroner and that they didnt believe it to be a gunshot wound. Photo: Facebook. However, his mother, Sandy, told the the Hampton County Guardian, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2015. The gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle. Murdaugh Murders: Where is Buster Murdaugh now? A source close to the family also told FITSNews that the Beaches have not been questioned again since providing their statements and DNA. part of an apparent hit and run. 5:18 a.m. SCHP: Booker notifies Cpl. 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. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. At another point in the investigation, Proctor appeared frustrated that local sources were hesitant and scared to speak of the Murdaughs to police. 8:25 a.m. SLED: Tallon and Burke arrive at the scene. 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. "He wouldve called somebody.. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is now streaming on Netflix, telling the story of the wealthy Murdaugh family in South Carolina. To what historical information she possessed, I am unaware.. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? His right shoulder was partially dislocated. And while South Carolina investigators havent said what evidence prompted them to open the investigation into Smiths death, Proctor told Fox that the Murdaugh name came up during the investigation and that the family was not particularly cooperative. 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. The teens had been "grossly intoxicated," according to police, even though they were all underage and could not legally buy alcohol. Here's what we know. Washington tells him its been taken to the funeral home per the familys wishes at the time of the death notification.. Cops investigating the double murder have also reopened the case into a 2015 hit-and-run of teen Stephen Smith Murdaugh family housekeeper Gloria Sattlerfield dies Mallory Beach, 19, died in . Smith was released on bond and now faces six felony charges in the shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Is Mother and Son Murder Connected to Death of Woman in Drunken Boat Crash. Sandy says shes skeptical of the man claiming to be Stephens boyfriend. To be fair, police appeared to be pursuing other persons of interest as well and never named anyone as a suspect. 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. SLED agents noted minor injuries to victims left arm, left hand and head. Cuts and bruises dotted his right hand. The Smith case had originally been ruled a hit-and-run despite evidence from . Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP). His wallet was inside the car. So Moore calls Smalls again and gets voicemail. The19-year-old was found lying in the middle of the roadway with severe head traumain the early morning hours of July 8, 2015. It just doesnt make any sense. She tells police Stephen was going to school in Orangeburg and hung out at Bobcat Landing a lot recently. "She now has more people than she knows what to do with," says Andrews. Investigators theorized that the mirror of a semi-truck hit Stephens head. Allen informs Moore that it is a homicide, not a hit and run. 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. Sandy Smith, speaking to the Guardian shortly after her sons July 8, 2015, death, said that she thinks she knows who killed him. All victims have been submitted by law enforcement or the victims' families. 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. Perry Singleton and Chief Billy Jarrell, the SLED report said. CLICK HERE. How injury occurred: Subject was apparently hit by a motor vehicle possibly a truck. They call him back to tell him they didnt find anything. Stephen's twin sister, Stephanie Smith, remembered the moment the coroner called her home about Stephen's death. 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. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Hours later, a pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Dr. Erin Presnell ruled that Stephen was killed in a hit-and-run accident, a decision which was met with confusion and skepticism by investigators and those who knew Stephen. Now, police investigating the shooting deaths of. State police reopen hit-and-run death investigation from details gathered in Murdaugh case. Hes never said anything bad about Stephen. 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. 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 family was skeptical of Randy Murdaughs offer and thought it was weird. As SLED begins its probe into Stephens death, its important to look back on the 2015 investigation to see what went awry. The key located in the victims pocket was used to open the vehicle. A spokesperson confirmed the investigation into the 2015 hit-and-run case, citing "the information gathered in the Murdaugh homicide investigation." 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. SCHP: Moore calls Singleton again when Singleton doesnt call him back. August 18, 2015, SCHP: The coroner tells Proctor that he did not agree with the final autopsy results in the Stephen Smith case. She tells him they located Smiths car on US 601 and that the gas cap was off. The final autopsy report said that Stephens cause of death was blunt head trauma, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian vs. vehicle. Or "king's ransom" waiting to be found Stephen Smith Case Files: Why Was Hampton Teens Death Ruled A Hit And Run In 2015? Were not classifying this as anything other than a murder, Proctor said in an audio recording. The Murdaugh familys ties to the legal system sparked questions about whether the investigation into Mallory's death was done properly. Stephen Smith was 19 when he was found dead on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015. Currently, Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh. 10:30 a.m. SCHP: Moore notes that Washington told him that this is when Joel and Sandy Smith were notified of their sons death. To submit your loved one for . The key is turned over to HCSO personnel. The investigation was opened "based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh," a SLED spokesperson said. There's a bright light being shined on that county. 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. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? Death of Stephen Smith, July 8, 2015. 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. Also buried close by is Stephen's brother, who died as a baby. It said the manner of death (which is either homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined) was still undetermined. M.D. He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Murdaugh Murders: Family Releases Statement On $100,000 Reward, Latest Chapter Of Kathryn Dennis-Thomas Ravenel Custody Battle Features Change In Legal Lineup, #SC2018: Lindsey Graham Endorses Henry McMaster, 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, Washington points to wound on Smiths head and calls it a gunshot wound, showing Moore the entry point., Moore asked Greene if they were sure it was a homicide and their response was yes., Moore advises MAIT theyre no longer needed. Build your customFanSided TV email newsletter with news and analysis onNetflix and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. MAIT investigators cited multiple times in case notes and incidentreports obtained by Inside Edition Digital that Smith's death appeared to be a homicide and said the wound on his skull to be consistent with a gunshot wound. Duncan does not include this in his casenotes. Feb. 26, 2018: Satterfield dies from her injuries. "There was no evidence of this being a hit and run. Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. CLICK HERE. But Smith's family refuses to believe it was an accident. 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. Sadly, the latest update in the Stephen Smith case came back in 2021, but with Alex Murdaugh on trial and with the release ofMurdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, were crossing our fingers we hear more developments soon. 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. SCHP: Duncan talks to Stephens family and they reject the ruling that Stephen would have been hit by a car. He was bright and determined to make a better life for himself. 4:40 p.m. SCHP: Moore calls Washington and asks him if the hit-and-run was his ruling as well. 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. Cold Cases Database. 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. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. SCHP: Moore calls Presnell to try and understand what made her decide Stephen was killed in a hit and run. I guarantee you that Stephen was not in that road, she said. "[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. That did not happen to my friend. ", Hemlepp says SLED investigators have "been engaging in regular communication with Sandy.". In a report (below) by Todd Proctor, a MAIT detective for SCHP, it was clear that investigators didnt agree with the pathologists conclusion to rule the death a hit and run. But her dad was "a little iffy on accepting the offer. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. Stephens murder was ruled a hit-and-run with no one arrested for the crime, but in 2021, the case was reopened. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 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. 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 asked her why she stated that in the report and her answer was because he was found in the road, Proctor wrote. The Hampton County Coroner's Office said the 19-year-old was hit and killed back in 2015 by blunt-force trauma to the head. "I just couldn't believe it," she said. 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.. His name is going to be right there with everyone elses name and I dont care who knows it.. SLED is investigating every angle in the Murdaugh case something that Sandy wishes they would have done with Stephens death six years ago. This is about a child that deserves to be memorialized and commemorated, and a mother to have support that she hadn't had.". "When they told me hit and run I said that's impossible because Stephen wouldn't have been walking in the road to start with. He often had car troubles, but they had trouble imagining him walkingin the middle of the road, his family told Inside Edition Digital in an interview. 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. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open its own investigation into Stephen's death. 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). All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. (Center) Alex Murdaugh in Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. Shes an investigative journalist from Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before making the switch to FITS. 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. 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. Prior to leaving the scene, agents discussed their findings and completed a walkthrough with Inv. She also says shes received a book deal offer and even a Netflix movie opportunity about the case, but shes turned it all down. 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