No one's going to feel like they're being held accountable if we don't bring attention to it.". Randy Murdaugh was the second person to call my dad after the coroner," Stephanie told ABC. Stephen Smith's body was found along Sandy Run Road in Hampton County in July 2015. SCHP: Moore calls Presnell to try and understand what made her decide Stephen was killed in a hit and run. 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. The family of Stephen Smith wants more investigation into his death, which was declared a hit-and-run. In the letter, she said that they were told that the Murdaugh brothers were involved in her sons death. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. 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. His death was ruled a hit-and-run, but his mother Sandy Smith, who attended Sunday's unveiling, has long suspected he was murdered. 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 final autopsy report said that Stephens cause of death was blunt head trauma, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian vs. vehicle. Paul Murdaugh,Alex's son and Randy's nephew, pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges related to Mallory Beach's death. Murdaugh's. Stephen Smith was 19 when he was found dead on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015. Murder, Money & Mystery: Were the Killings of a Mom and Son Connected to 3 Previous Deaths? Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. 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. Sandy Smith told FITSNews that SLED is investigating her sons death as a homicide which is something she wishes they did six years ago. 3:57:43 a.m. Hampton County Communications: A man called 911 to report seeing a white male lying in the middle of Sandy Run Road. 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. We have got to keep the light on his story and to keep the fire underneath other people's behinds to get it solved. In January 2023, it was confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing. Nothing about this case from the very beginning pointed towards it being a hit and run.. He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Rowell calls later and tells him he could find no debris at all., Altman goes to the scene and calls him back stating he could find nothing.. They took him from his car; everybody knew his car because he had the ugliest little banana [car] in town. The vehicle doors were locked. "That no family, no community, no friends, no one had come to help her try to get a headstone. SLEDs inquiry into the Smith family does not mean its agents believe they had anything to do with the deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Alex's. there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run or a vehicle even being involved in it," he continued. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. They were very withdrawn with what they knew or thought.. Thank you, God!. She is working writing an official letter to SLED. 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. Not only is it believed he swept crimes committed by his family under the rug and has been involved in fraud, but hes also been accused of murder. They called me back and said they were looking into Stephens case because they have to see if my family is involved in the shooting of Paul and Maggie (Murdaugh), Sandy Smith said. Im just sitting here like why? It makes no sense, she said. Evidence in. After his autopsy, however, Smith's death was ruled a hit-and-run. According to court documents, Alex . The Murdaugh case also prompted police to open an investigation into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old found dead in the same county, less than 10 miles away. 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. 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. It was also clear from the report that there was tension between Presnell and SCHP. Stephens massive head wound along with the lack of other significant injuries on his body stumped investigators on scene. SCHP: Allen tells Duncan and SCHP that they are not needed at the autopsy, according to SLED and HCSO. 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. Rowell did not make a note of the Murdaugh tip in his written notes. 5:37 a.m. SCHP: Sgt. 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 . Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? 9:20 a.m. SLED: Agents then responded approximately 3 miles to the victims vehicle on the side of Bamberg Highway. 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. His wallet was inside the car. How injury occurred: Subject was apparently hit by a motor vehicle possibly a truck. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth? Her body was found seven days after the February 2019 boat crash. 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. As people of interest in the case come up and you try to get them to speak with you they shut down, Proctor explained. 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. RELATED|Boat Crash Lawsuit: Murdaughs Refuse To Settle, Withhold Financial Records From Victims Family. No other evidence was located at the scene, the SLED agent wrote. Additional counties and states will be added to this database as time and funding permit. To be fair, police appeared to be pursuing other persons of interest as well and never named anyone as a suspect. Families, entire communities are still reeling . To what historical information she possessed, I am unaware.. May be bigger ponds, lakes n oceans with bigger fish, but life sure is good when you're top of the food chain, in these swamps. 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. It was also reported that Alex and another family member took to Paul's rescue as legal counsel while he was detained. He would not let a car, let alone a truck, get close enough to hit him. Now, Stephen Smiths case is getting national attention and his mother Sandy finally has hope for a fair investigation that will lead to answers in her sons unsolved death. "[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. CLICK HERE. 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). 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. In the aftermath of her sons death, Sandy said shes learned that there are two different justice systems in the Palmetto State one for people like the Murdaughs and another for everyone else. 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. On June 22, 2021, SLED said it was . The former S.C. Highway Patrol trooper had recently told several media outlets that Stephen Smith's 2015 death was likely a murder staged to look like a hit-and-run. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. The case was mysteriously bounced from investigator to investigator without reasons or notification, Sandy Smith wrote in the letter. At first, when police arrived, they suspected his death was a result of a hit-and-run. He would have seen headlights coming and got off the road. "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. Stephen was not stupid, Stephens friend told FITSNews. Stephen Smith, a teenager from Hampton . 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. 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.. Whoever they are, she tells Duncan. This is about a child that deserves to be memorialized and commemorated, and a mother to have support that she hadn't had.". 9 a.m. SCHP: Booker meets at Peeples Rhoden Funeral Home with Moore, Duncan, Rowell and Burke to examine the body. It was still unclear at this time if this hole was caused by a projectile. He doesnt deserve people to think that.. Moore then Walked the scene and saw no evidence of any car parts or pieces and then had all units clear the scene.. CLICK HERE. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. He was in school for nursing at the time of his death. What a slap in the face.. Shortly after 1 p.m. SCHP: Duncan calls Stephen Smiths mother Sandy Smith. The victims right arm was covered in blood and agents were unable to see any injuries.. Files with the state highway patrol showed that a Murdaugh family member - a. The forensic pathologist who. Stephens family member didnt seem to believe this at the time. In June, SLED announced that they planned to exhume her body. "She now has more people than she knows what to do with," says Andrews. Stephens friends and family also disputed the autopsy report. July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County.No arrest is made in the case. 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.. 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. Hampton County Coroners Office: The first of 3 death certificates for Stephen Smith was issued by Washington to the family. "While the many questions about my son's death remain, this action gives me hope that we will get justice for my Stephen," she said. The boating incident also revived questions about the 2015 hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, who was found dead on a rural road about 10 miles from the Murdaugh family's home . Build your customFanSided TV email newsletter with news and analysis onNetflix and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. 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. 11:03 a.m. SCHP: Duncan travels to Hampton County and interviews a member of the Smith family at the DMV office (a substation for SCHP). Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh is the older brother of Alex Murdaugh, a member of the influential Hampton family. He said that Stephen was being harassed on the night of his death at Sniders Crossroads on the way to Walterboro, South Carolina. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Stephen Smith's body was found in the middle of a rural road, Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex, all members of the prominent Murdaugh family, Mallory Beach died after a boating accident in 2019, Murdaugh familys link to Stephen Smiths death probed in explosive 20/20 doc & teens twin speaks out, Murdaugh family latest - Mallory Beach's parents reveal harrowing moment they 'knew she was dead' in 20/20 documentary, I won a $1.6million lottery jackpot after listening to my mom's advice - here's how she helped me win my fortune, Shock discovery of 90 peoples' remains found in abandoned church linked to man charged with abusing rotting corpses, Terrifying moment skier George McQuinn is knocked unconscious in brutal crash and slides face-first across finish line, UKs bird flu 'patient zero' is distraught after being told he cannot keep ducks for a year, Endangered elephants scavenge for food in dump increasing fears for their welfare, Prince Andrew 'fears being left completely BROKE' as he fights sex allegations as 'private citizen', I woke up from a five-week Covid coma and met my baby son for the first time, Tell your stories of meeting The Queen as we prepare to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. 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