He doesnt deserve that. The vehicle was in park. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Rowell did not make a note of the Murdaugh tip in his written notes. 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. To submit your loved one for . The old way of doing business in Hampton does not exist anymore. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County.No arrest is made in the case. part of an apparent hit and run. SLED agents noted minor injuries to victims left arm, left hand and head. They took him from his car; everybody knew his car because he had the ugliest little banana [car] in town. A spokesperson confirmed the investigation into the 2015 hit-and-run case, citing "the information gathered in the Murdaugh homicide investigation." 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 . 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. She told me it was not her job to figure that out, it was mine., 6:14 p.m. SCHP: Brock notifies Booker that the victim did not have a gunshot wound according to the autopsy. Booker contacts Burns and Moore to gather further information. Paul Murdaugh,Alex's son and Randy's nephew, pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges related to Mallory Beach's death. According to the autopsy, Greene was responsible for evidence transfer in the case. 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.. FITSNews obtained all audio from the investigation file. Sandy says that Stephen was smart and a study person who was typically serious about school. As if all of the foregoing wasn't wild enough, apparently, information gathered from the Murdaugh double murder investigation has prompted law enforcement to reopen a case regarding the 2015 death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, despite police reports . 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. 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. 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. Like the probe of the2019 boat crashthat killedMallory Beach, the 2015 investigation into Smiths death was chaotic from the beginning clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. SLED's reopened investigation was first reported by FITSNews Tuesday evening. She said shortly after Stephens death that believes her son was beaten to death and the crime covered up. Of course, the rumors began from there, with many speculating the Murdaugh family mightve killed Stephen. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. Were not classifying this as anything other than a murder, Proctor said in an audio recording. 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. 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. Thank you, God!. Someone just left him in the middle of the road to die . "At that point, I hadbeen working highway patrol for 15 years, I've worked several hit and run collisions, and nothing about this case from the very beginning pointed towards it being a hit and run," Inv. 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. SLED opened the investigation based on information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby told FITSNews. For six years, Smith. 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. His death was officially ruled a hit-and-run, but deep gashes to his head suggested to some he was beaten to death. That's not even the end of the story. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Smalls called him and told him that the autopsy showed Smiths death a result of a hit and run. Stephens murder was ruled a hit-and-run with no one arrested for the crime, but in 2021, the case was reopened. The coroner stated that he had made contact with the pathologist, Dr. Presnell and she stated that she would be willing to change her report to read however he wanted it, Proctor wrote. The case was mysteriously bounced from investigator to investigator without reasons or notification, Sandy Smith wrote in the letter. 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. In July 2015, a 19 year old man named Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of the road in Hampton County, South Carolina. But eight years later, a new investigation says otherwise, with Smith as the subject of the new docuseries Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. 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 . Her body was found seven days after the February 2019 boat crash. 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. The three-part series chronicles the string of deaths that the family is connected to, including a teenager named Mallory Beach who tragically died in a boating accident. 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. Stephen's murder was ruled a hit-and-run with no one arrested for the crime, but in 2021, the case was reopened. 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. He was bright and determined to make a better life for himself. Stephen was beloved. "He wouldve called somebody.. He would have seen headlights coming and got off the road. Singleton took the wallet, according to the report. That did not happen to my friend. 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.. Duncan does not include this in his casenotes. She had no evidence other than that for the statement being put in the report., Proctor said that he explained to her that law enforcement officers had no evidence of this individual being struck by a vehicle.. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. Others in the community reached out to Sandy with rumors that a "Murdaugh boy" may be involved with her son's death. Alex's. Got a tip for a story? RELATED|Boat Crash Lawsuit: Murdaughs Refuse To Settle, Withhold Financial Records From Victims Family. Even after the eight-year veteran enhanced his postseason legend with another prolific stretch . In their search, investigators from SCHP, the Hampton County sheriffs office, and SLED found virtually no evidence no bullets, no gunshot residue, no tire marks, no debris from a vehicle. At the time, investigators said it appeared he was killed in a hit-and-run collision while walking. One of those deaths? She also says shes received a book deal offer and even a Netflix movie opportunity about the case, but shes turned it all down. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. So why didnt they investigate Stephens death as a homicide? Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. How injury occurred: Subject was apparently hit by a motor vehicle possibly a truck. SCHP: Allen tells Duncan and SCHP that they are not needed at the autopsy, according to SLED and HCSO. "That no family, no community, no friends, no one had come to help her try to get a headstone. 5:37 a.m. SCHP: Sgt. "He's on my side . One of the guys that supposedly did this, Stephen told his twin sister that he had a fling with the boy, she said. 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. Or "king's ransom" waiting to be found Stephen Smith Case Files: Why Was Hampton Teens Death Ruled A Hit And Run In 2015? They just dont care about the poor people who cant afford to hire a big-time attorney or private investigators, Sandy said. 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. August 18, 2015, SCHP: The coroner tells Proctor that he did not agree with the final autopsy results in the Stephen Smith case. "I just couldn't believe it," she said. The teens had been "grossly intoxicated," according to police, even though they were all underage and could not legally buy alcohol. 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. Investigators had said at the time that it appeared Smith was hit by a . Sunday's vigil was held just days after news broke that disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was indicted by a grand jury on murder charges in connection with the June 2021 deaths of his wife Maggie, 52, and 22-year-old son Paul. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Moore tells him to make sure that the coroner and HCSO are also ruling it a homicide. 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. 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. That would be Stephen Smith, a gay teenager who was found dead in the street inHampton County. Stephen's mother and his twin sister speak out to Melvin . CLICK HERE. 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. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open its own investigation into Stephen's death. She just wants to know who was responsible for murdering her child. 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. The case is being reexamined, partly because some Murdaugh family members were among those first on the scene. CLICK HERE. Now, police investigating the shooting deaths of. Paul had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was not incarcerated. But a former state trooper who worked on Smith's case told Fox News last week that he still believes Smith's death might have been a homicide,and not a vehicle collision like the autopsy report said. In early June, a son and mother, both members of a. In the letter, she said that they were told that the Murdaugh brothers were involved in her sons death. Smith's body was found on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road, near Hampton. Sandy mentions that a man at Bi-Lo was giving Stephen trouble, but they became friends. Photo: Facebook. Also buried close by is Stephen's brother, who died as a baby. 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.. She tells him they located Smiths car on US 601 and that the gas cap was off. She stated they told the Sheriff and Coroner and that they didnt believe it to be a gunshot wound. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. 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. "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. He was in school for nursing at the time of his death. Stephen's twin sister, Stephanie Smith, remembered the moment the coroner called her home about Stephen's death. Death of Stephen Smith, July 8, 2015. 4:30 a.m. Tuesday: Sandy Smith, mother of Stephen Smith, who was found dead on a rural Hampton County road in 2015, is feeling vindicated, finally, for her instincts. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division spokesman Tommy Crosby said earlier this week that SLED was opening its own investigation into Smiths death not a reopening of another agencys probe but rather bringing a fresh set of eyes onto the case. (Is Outer Banks a real place?). There is no way that would happen to him. Stephens friends and family also disputed the autopsy report. For more than two decades, she had served as the family housekeeper and nanny. No they dont they care about protecting themselves.. The victim was covered with a sheet., A hole in the skull was located above the victims right eye, SLED agents wrote. She said Stephen had been recently cutting school, which was unusual for him. The victims right arm was covered in blood and agents were unable to see any injuries.. He said another investigator had already had, from (his) understanding a heated conversation with her about this issue.. 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. No homicide investigation was ever opened, and no referral was ever made to the agency in the case. SLED is investigating every angle in the Murdaugh case something that Sandy wishes they would have done with Stephens death six years ago. 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. Stephens family member didnt seem to believe this at the time. Smith was released on bond and now faces six felony charges in the shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Moore tells him to go to the scene and sit there between 3 and 5 a.m. to document what type of traffic was moving at that time in the morning. No one's going to feel like they're being held accountable if we don't bring attention to it.". Allen tells Duncan that the only injuries to the victim were around the head area.. "And it's amazing to be a part of that and to see it. He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Murdaugh will face three charges in the shooting, but with several ongoing investigations and. At the time, her death was classified as an accidental slip and fall, but authorities have reopened the investigation. 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. It was also clear from the report that there was tension between Presnell and SCHP. The late Stephen Smith with his mother . Kacen Bayless/AP At the time, police said Smith had a massive head wound and they. Here's what we know. I asked her why she stated that in the report and her answer was because he was found in the road, Proctor wrote. Last Sunday afternoon, family and friends of Stephen Smith, a South Carolina teen who died under mysterious circumstances in 2015, traveled to the Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County, S.C. According to court documents, Alex . 11:29 a.m. SLED: Tallon and Burke attend autopsy at MUSC. Cold Cases Database. 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. 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. Moore is called by Cpl. He said he would take Stephens case free of charge. She had no evidence other than that for the statement being put in the report., Proctor said that he explained to her that law enforcement officers had no evidence of this individual being struck by a vehicle.. The man says that Stephen was harassed in his town and said people screwed with Stephens car battery. Austin North height: How tall is the Outer Banks actor? MAIT is a division of the South Carolina HighwayPatrol unit that initially responded to the scene.
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