More than ever, people want to know the reasons for Stephen Smith’s death

An independent autopsy of the dead 18-year-old Stephen Murdaugh, a former classmate of Stephen Smith, using a South Carolina Highway Patrol case file

The family of a teenager who was found dead eight years ago on a road near a hunting estate of disgraced South Carolina attorneyAlex Murdaugh will exhume his body for an independent autopsy.

Stephen Smith, a nursing student who was found dead in the middle of a South Carolina road, has been the subject of a homicide investigation by the law enforcement division.

The family of Smith has raised more than $84,000 through a website to pay for an exhumation and private autopsy of his body, which will be used to determine Smith’s cause of death.

AlexMurdaugh was found guilty of the murders of his wife and son in 2021.He was sentenced to two life terms in state prison. Murdaugh admitted to lying to the police, but insisted that he did not kill the pair.

“Based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Paul andMaggie Murdaugh, we will look into the death of Smith as a potential cause of death,” stated a spokeswoman at the time.

The former lawyer admitted on the stand at his trial that he had committed financial crimes, some of which were implicated in the two murders.

During interviews in the case file from the initial South Carolina Highway Patrol investigation – released by the patrol to CNN – the Murdaugh name is mentioned dozens of times by both witnesses and investigators, including the name of Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster.

In one interview of a witness, Todd Proctor said thatBuster was on their radar. The Murdaughs know that.” But why he was on their radar is unclear. The case hasn’t resulted in charges against him or anyone else.

Buster Murdaugh, a former classmate of Smith’s, released a statement Monday – his first on the matter – denying any involvement in Smith’s death and “requesting that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumors about me.”

While the SLED report said that Smith appeared to have been hit by a vehicle, the responding officer noted that there was no debris, skid marks, or injuries that were consistent with someone being struck by a vehicle.

According to the investigators’ notes in the case file, Stephen would not have been walking in the middle of the road because he was very scared.

His vehicle was found about three miles away, that report said, with the gas tank door open and the gas cap hanging out on the side of the car. A report states the car wouldn’t start, though the battery was functional.

The SLED/CFT-State Investigation into the May 15, 2015, Josephson’s “Flavourless” Death Revisited

Bland told reporters in a virtual news conference that their job was not to find out who did it. We are not doing a criminal case, what we are really trying to do is give a mother answers.

Bland said the probe will look at Smith’s life and his relationships in the days before his death. Bland said anything learned would be shared with law enforcement.

Mark Keel, Chief of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, told The State newspaper that they believe it was a murder. We don’t think it was a hit-and-run.

SLED issued its update as Smith’s mother, Sandy, is taking new actions to learn more about his death in July of 2015. That includes arranging for an exhumation and private autopsy. About $90,000 has been raised for her effort.

“One of the guys that supposedly did this, Stephen told his twin sister that he had ‘a fling’ with the boy,” Smith said. “He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Stephen passed away on the eighth of July.

Smith’s death and Murdaugh’s murder: The highway patrol did not investigate Smith, but did investigate homicides with the SLED

The highway patrol investigated Smith’s death, not the SLED, which helps local agencies investigate homicides.

An attorney for Smith’s family toldNPR that they do not believe the case ever elevated to the full authority of SLED. “It has now.”

This phase of the Smith case is playing out against the backdrop of the Murdaugh murders, which took place about 8 miles from where Smith’s body was found.

With Murdaugh’s murder trial now over, Smith’s attorneys say, SLED is able to focus more resources on solving the 2015 case. The agency is also asking anyone with relevant information to call 803-737-9000 and ask for Investigative Services.