stephen smith murdoch hit and run

In September 2016, Stephens mother Sandy Smith wrote a letter to lawmakers and police agencies pleading for help and claiming corruption in the investigation. She also says shes received a book deal offer and even a Netflix movie opportunity about the case, but shes turned it all down. David Rowell, of the SCHP, who tells him that Hampton County Sheriff T.C. 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. To what historical information she possessed, I am unaware.. According to the autopsy, Greene was responsible for evidence transfer in the case. I think its a situation when you grow up and your family is kinda high-profile and you get away withsome things because of your family name, Proctor said in 2015. Of course, the fact SLED is interviewing Sandy Smith means it is taking seriously the suggestion that the Murdaugh family may have had something to do with the death of her son. Stephen Smith, a teenager from Hampton . Smith was found dead on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road near Joe Miley Road in Hampton. Six years later, Stephens case is still unsolved. 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. But Smith's family refuses to believe it was an accident. Cuts and bruises dotted his right hand. The notes reveal the timeline of investigative measures taken from the momentSmith's body was found July 8, 2015, through December of that year. Stephen died on the eighth of July. A spokesperson confirmed the investigation into the 2015 hit-and-run case, citing "the information gathered in the Murdaugh homicide investigation." Of course, the rumors began from there, with many speculating the Murdaugh family mightve killed Stephen. Paul had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was not incarcerated. He was bright and determined to make a better life for himself. The victims right arm was covered in blood and agents were unable to see any injuries.. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division opened an investigation into Smith's death in June of 2021 after agents found information relating to . It was still unclear at this time if this hole was caused by a projectile. 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. He was taken to a . HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The mother of a 19-year-old found dead in 2015 said the grand jury indictment of former Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh in the killings of his own wife and son gives her hope for justice for her son's case. Shes an investigative journalist from Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before making the switch to FITS. 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 . She is working writing an official letter to SLED. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? For six years, Smith. At the time of his death, Paul was awaiting trial after being charged with several felonies in connection to the deadly crash, including boating under the influence. Allen tells Duncan that the only injuries to the victim were around the head area.. SCHP: Duncan talks to Stephens family and they reject the ruling that Stephen would have been hit by a car. Murdaugh Murders: What happened to Gloria Satterfield? Tallon and Burke take photos and notes and make a sketch with measurements (see below). 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.. "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. Hemlepp tells PEOPLE: "I know there are people who know what happened to Stephen. 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. Proctor also wrote in his report that Greene was fired sometime between July 22 August 18, 2015. 8:25 a.m. SLED: Tallon and Burke arrive at the scene. 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. She tells police Stephen was going to school in Orangeburg and hung out at Bobcat Landing a lot recently. Six years later, Sandy Smith Stephens mother is still grappling with the pain of not knowing what happened to her son. 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 thought someone in the area covered up the crime. Todd Proctor, former. 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. July 10, 2015, SCHP: Stephens Clothes and iPhone sent to SLED, 5 p.m.: Stephens wake is held at the Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home chapel in Hampton on Mulberry Street East. Proctor made it clear in his reports that he didnt believe Stephens death was a hit-and-run. The key is turned over to HCSO personnel. 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. (WTOC/Provided) Initial reports indicated he died from blunt force trauma to the head. July 22, 2015, SCHP: Proctor visits Presnell at MUSC to get some sort of clarification on the Smith case. At nearly $29 million, Clark is set to have the third-largest cap hit in 2023 of any defensive end. The gas tank door was open and the gas cap was hanging on the side of the vehicle. Smalls said hell call right back but doesnt. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on social media. Then he was beat up, so the story just kept changing over and over," said Sandra Smith, Stephen's mother, this week. 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. They found engine oil in the vehicle but could not get the car to start. He instead calls Smalls to see if he can get the information. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open its own investigation into Stephen's death. On July 8, 2015 Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road with a 7.25-inch gaping hole on the right side of his forehead and no other major injuries. 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. 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. 5:18 a.m. SCHP: Booker notifies Cpl. Smith died on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015, in what was ruled a hit-and-run. SCHP: A man who describes himself as Stephens boyfriend (the family disputes this) was interviewed by Duncan and Rowell. No they dont they care about protecting themselves.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In the days after Stephen Smith was found dead on a Hampton County road, an autopsy was performed to determine the cause and manner of his death. 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. 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. He asks the funeral home director if he has the clothing Smith was wearing and is told it was in a paper bag with the body. "He had his cell phone, he was six miles from the house," she insisted. His loosely tied shoes were still on and his clothes appeared untouched. 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). Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Moore, of SCHP, gets a call from Cpl. CLICK HERE. It was determined that the wound in the victims head was not caused by a fired projectile., The pathologist stated that it appeared the victim was struck by a vehicle., Tallon contacted Singleton to tell him SCHP would need to be contacted to investigate, They collect the Gun Shot Residue (GSR) kit from MUSC, Cause of death: Blunt head trauma due to motor vehicle crash, 7.25-inch laceration on the right side of Stephens forehead along with bruises on both sides of his forehead, Right side of skull has multiple fractures, bruising and contusions, He has smalls cuts on the inside of his left arm, He has cuts and bruises on his right hand, He has cuts on his right arm, including a 6-inch irregular cut on inside of right arm, 12 3-inch aggregate of irregular to angulated abrasions on right arm, Smalls tells him that the doctor was ruling it a motor vehicle accident and they were turning it over to us., Moore then calls Singleton and asks for any notes or information he had.. All Rights Reserved. The Hampton County Coroner's office authorized the autopsy. Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of a country road 15 miles from the Murdaugh family's Islandton hunting lodge on July 8, 2015. Smith had a head wound consistent with being shot, the coroner explained in a report. Prior to leaving the scene, agents discussed their findings and completed a walkthrough with Inv. Like the probe of the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach, the 2015 investigation into Smiths death was chaotic from the beginning clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. 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. 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.. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, despite police reports . So why didnt they investigate Stephens death as a homicide? Frantic Families Trapped in Their Homes and Running Out of Food After Massive Snowstorm Cripples California, 3 Female Bodybuilders Say League Owner's Son Sexually Exploited Them While Their Careers Hung in the Balance, Innocent Michigan Man, 71, Walks Free After 2 Decades in Prison Thanks to True Crime Coverage of His Case, Lindsay Clancy: Timeline of Events in the Case of Massachusetts Mom Accused of Killing Her 3 Children, Abby Choi Case: Police Scour Landfill Searching for Dismembered Model's Missing Torso, Hands and Arms, 2 Missing Women Found Alive by Maine Game Wardens After Being Stuck in Their Car in Freezing Temperatures. 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. Stephen Smith was 19 when he died in what investigators called a hit-and-run in Hampton County in 2015 . Two Murdaughs also work for the prominent Hampton, S.C. law firm of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick(PMPED). 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. In the summer of 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of a rural highway in South Carolina. Stephen Smith was 19 when he died in what investigators called a hit-and-run in Hampton County in 2015. As I was leaving she stated that the report was preliminary and it was my job to figure out what struck him, not hers, Proctor wrote. Feb. 2, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, 57, falls at the Murdaugh family home on Moselle Road in Colleton County. Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. Sandy has been begging law enforcement officials for years to open an investigation into her sons unsolved death. 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 . We've made no secret about what our goal is. 6:08 a.m. SCHP: Moore is advised by Allen that MAIT is en route and that Allen is almost at the scene. Here's what we know. 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. Shortly after 1 p.m. SCHP: Duncan calls Stephen Smiths mother Sandy Smith. It was also reported that Alex and another family member took to Paul's rescue as legal counsel while he was detained. The family keeps his casket open so that people could see what they did to him. In the letter, she said that they were told that the Murdaugh brothers were involved in her sons death. HAMPTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A new headstone for Stephen Smith was unveiled at the Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County Sunday. It said the manner of death (which is either homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined) was still undetermined. Michael E. Duncan of the incident. 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.. Smith was found dead just before 4:00 a.m. EDT on July 8, 2015. Gloria Satterfield, who worked for the Murdaugh family for more than 20 years, died at the Murdaugh home in February 2018. Smith was released on bond and now faces six felony charges in the shooting of Alex Murdaugh. He said another investigator had already had, from (his) understanding a heated conversation with her about this issue.. Names and stories of the Murdaugh family surfaced six years ago regarding the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, a young gay man found dead in the middle of a lonely rural road with several deep gashes in his head, but investigators said they were never able to directly connect anyone in the family to the incident. 4:15 p.m. SCHP: Sgt. Smith, 19, of Hampton, was found dead in the middle of a rural road in Hampton County in 2015, three miles from where his car had run out of gas, investigators said, WIS, The Augusta Chronicle,. They just throw their cases on a shelf to collect dust.. That would be Stephen Smith, a gay teenager who was found dead in the street inHampton County. The man says that Stephen was harassed in his town and said people screwed with Stephens car battery. His head was misshapen by blunt force. That did not happen to my friend. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP). Moore then Walked the scene and saw no evidence of any car parts or pieces and then had all units clear the scene.. Even Dr. Erin Presnell, a pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), didnt give much information to police about what led her to decide a motor vehicle killed Stephen. The late Stephen Smith with his mother . They were very withdrawn with what they knew or thought.. part of an apparent hit and run. On July 8, 2015 Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road with a 7.25-inch gaping hole on the right side of his forehead and no other major injuries. State investigators have released scant information on the case including an 18-page redacted report with nearly 8 pages fully redacted. Thank you, God!. Investigation files revealed (part one). 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. Similar to the homicide case, SLED has revealed little information to the public since confirming it is reopening the case to the family,Inside Edition Digital previously reported. The victim was covered with a sheet., A hole in the skull was located above the victims right eye, SLED agents wrote. RELATED|Boat Crash Lawsuit: Murdaughs Refuse To Settle, Withhold Financial Records From Victims Family. Smith's case had gone cold in the months following his July 2015 death, which was officially ruled a vehicular hit-and-run despite strong objections from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Detectives speculated a truck had side-swiped him with a rearview mirror as Smith walked along the dark road, according to incident reports. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) - In 2015, Stephen Smith was found dead with a head injury on a rural Hampton County road. there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run or a vehicle even being involved in it," he continued. 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. 5:37 a.m. SCHP: Sgt. In June, SLED announced that they planned to exhume her body. The final autopsy report said that Stephens cause of death was blunt head trauma, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian vs. vehicle. "That no family, no community, no friends, no one had come to help her try to get a headstone. They believed he was walking home when the incident occurred, the report said. The Murdaugh familys ties to the legal system sparked questions about whether the investigation into Mallory's death was done properly. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Michael Hemlepp, attorney for Smith's family, joins NewsNation's "Banfield."#Banfield #AlexMurdaugh 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. His phone and keys were still in his pocket. The family member says that Stephen was recently acting secretive and started coming home late. Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. What I ended up finding [was] there were a lot of people who didnt want to assist or communicate with us, he said. 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. Sandy told Duncan that she heard rumors about the Murdaugh boys had something to do with Stephens death. 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.. Withdrawn with what they knew or thought.. part of an apparent hit and Run 18-page report. On Moselle Road in Colleton County the S.C. highway Patrol ( SCHP ) house, she! Letter, she said that Stephens cause of death was a hit-and-run in Hampton,. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open investigation... Mother is still grappling with the latest crime coverage course, the rumors began there... # x27 ; s what we know blood and agents were unable see... Questions about whether the investigation into Stephen 's death was a hit-and-run in County. 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