New findings have emerged in the unsolved death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old gay man whose body was found on a rural road in South Carolina in 2015. His mother, Sandy Smith, has long believed that his death was not an accident and has been working with a team of lawyers and experts to investigate further. The case gained renewed attention following the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, and there have been persistent rumors linking the Murdaugh family to Stephen's death. The investigation has raised questions about the initial ruling of a hit and run, with evidence suggesting foul play and a possible cover-up.
Forensic pathologist Michelle DuPre claims that South Carolina teenager Stephen Smith, who had ties to the Murdaugh family, died from a "single blow to the forehead" and not from a hit-and-run as previously believed. DuPre speculates that Smith was killed in the roadway due to the location and size of the fracture in his skull. She dismisses rumors that Smith was beaten with a baseball bat and denies that his body was dumped at the scene. Smith's case was reclassified as a homicide in 2021 after new evidence emerged during the investigation into the shooting deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Smith's mother has long sought a second opinion on her son's death.
The family of Mallory Beach, a teenager killed in a boat crash involving the Murdaugh family, has reached a $15 million settlement with convenience store company Parker's Kitchen. The lawsuit alleged that Paul Murdaugh, who was drunk at the time of the crash, used his brother's ID to purchase alcohol from the store. Paul Murdaugh and his mother were later shot and killed, and his father, attorney Alex Murdaugh, was found guilty of their murders. The settlement cancels the civil trial and the remaining claims against Alex Murdaugh will be handled by the court's receiver. The Beach family has not settled a separate civil conspiracy lawsuit against Parker and others.
The pathologist who oversaw the exhumation and autopsy of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old who was found dead in 2015, has determined the cause and manner of death, according to a report. Smith's mother hired a team to investigate her son's death, which South Carolina authorities have called a homicide. The investigation gained renewed attention after the Murdaugh family's recent tragedy, and rumors have swirled for years that the family was somehow involved. The private investigation is being bankrolled by a GoFundMe drive that raised more than $120,000.
The body of Stephen Smith, a South Carolina man who died in 2015, was exhumed for a second autopsy over the weekend as part of a homicide investigation. Smith's death was initially classified as a hit-and-run, but new information prompted the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to reexamine the case. The investigation was opened while probing the Murdaugh family murder case, which drew attention to other deaths linked to the family. Smith was a classmate of Buster Murdaugh, Paul Murdaugh’s older brother, but lawyers for Smith's family said Buster Murdaugh "has nothing to do" with the investigation.
The body of Stephen Smith, who was found dead near the South Carolina property of the Murdaugh family in 2015, has been exhumed as officials re-open the investigation into his death. While officials initially said Smith was hit by a car, they have since said they are treating his death as a homicide. Smith's mother believes her son was murdered and hired lawyers to pay for the investigation. The Murdaugh family has been the subject of speculation in the small town, but no charges have been brought against anyone in the family.
A woman who purchased a piece of Murdaugh family memorabilia at an estate auction offered to give it to Buster, the eldest son of Alex Murdaugh, as a keepsake reminder of the good times he shared with his younger brother Paul. Buster accepted the kind offer, and the family's attorney expressed gratitude for the woman's gesture.
A woman who attended the Murdaugh family estate auction in Pembroke, Georgia, was surprised to find hundreds of never-before-seen family photos on a camera bag she won in a bid. The photos included images of Alex Murdaugh, his wife Maggie, and their family on vacations and hunting trips. The woman, who has experienced domestic violence, wants to tell Maggie's story and honor her as the forgotten victim in the tragic double murder case.
Christy Murdaugh, wife of Alex Murdaugh's brother Randy, collected some of her family's belongings from an auction house in Georgia before they were sold. The items were from the Murdaughs' hunting estate in South Carolina and included monogrammed pillows and lamps with turtle shell bases. The auction attracted a large crowd, with some attendees interested in purchasing Christmas gifts related to Alex Murdaugh's recent double murder trial. The Murdaugh family's 1,700-acre property in Islandton, South Carolina, also sold for $3.9 million on the same day. Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son and is facing another trial for alleged financial crimes.
An estimated 3,000 people attended an auction of items from the Murdaugh family's Moselle estate, which was facilitated by Liberty Auctions in Pembroke, Georgia. The auction drew about three times the normal crowd, and items sold included furniture, dishes, home decor, and hunting clothes. The Moselle property was also sold this week for $3.9 million. Alex Murdaugh, a prominent lawyer in South Carolina, was recently convicted of killing his wife and younger son and is appealing his murder conviction. The Murdaugh family has been involved in several other incidents, including the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, which was recently ruled a homicide.
An auction of items from the Murdaugh family's hunting property in South Carolina, where Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son, was held in Georgia and saw "frenzy buying" with some items selling for eye-catching sums, including a Yeti cup for $400, a beer koozie for $500, mounted antlers for $10,000, and a furniture set for $30,000. Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the murders and is appealing the conviction. He has also been charged for other alleged financial crimes for which he has yet to face trial.
Items belonging to the Murdaugh family, including the infamous "alibi couch," were auctioned off in Georgia. The couch set was purchased for $36,000 by Phillip Jennings III, who also bought several beds, tackle boxes, and duck decoys that belonged to the family. Other items sold included mounted long horns, lamps adorned with tortoise shells, and hunting gear. The proceeds from the auction and the sale of the Moselle estate will go to creditors with claims against the family, relatives of Mallory Beach and other passengers from Paul Murdaugh’s fatal 2019 boat crash, Murdaugh’s legal fees, and surviving son Buster Murdaugh, among others.
Items from the Murdaugh family's South Carolina home, including $30,000 sofas and $5,000 turtle lamps, were sold at auction. The family has been in the news following the unsolved murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. The auction included luxury furniture and home decor items, with some selling for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
The Moselle estate, where the Murdaugh family murders took place, has been sold to two buyers for $2.6 million. The 1,700-acre property includes a home, hunting land, woods, and a dog kennel. Alex Murdaugh, a prominent attorney in the area, was charged and found guilty of murdering his wife and son on the property in June 2021. The property has attracted sightseers following the trial, and items from the estate were set to be sold at an auction in Georgia.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has assigned additional agents to investigate the mysterious 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a high school classmate of Buster Murdaugh, in the wake of Alex Murdaugh's conviction. Smith's death was initially ruled a hit-and-run, but investigators have challenged that determination. The Murdaugh family name has come up in connection with the case, but none of them have been charged. Smith's mother plans to use crowdfunding to petition for an independent autopsy, and attorney Eric Bland is helping with the case.
