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Later, Gloria's sons also filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh after discovering that Murdaugh had claimed nearly half a million dollars for Gloria's death. July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. Smith was found dead just before 4:00 a.m. on July 8, 2015 in the middle of Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, South Carolina. He hid a mystery blue item upstairs in the home and then left again, she said. Fury of the Gods Brings Back the "Shazamily": Inside DC's New Superhero Adventure, Scream 6's Brutal NYC Trip: "You Can't Trust Anyone" This Time, Cocaine Bear Is Not Just About a Killer "Coked-Up" Bear, It's Also an "Underdog Story", How Marvel's Wastelanders Podcast Created an Exciting Story with No Visual Safety Net, Murdaugh Murders Explained: The Real Life Story Behind the Netflix Series. The True Story Behind Netflix's 'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal', 10 Most Disturbing True Crime Documentaries (& Where To Stream Them), Paul's mobile clearly suggested that Alex was with Maggie and Paul, Alex was forced to resign from the law firm, suicide schemed by Alex himself to help his son, Buster, claim $10 million from the insurance company, Days after the death of Paul and Maggie, the investigation into the death of Stephen was reopened, The case was reopened when a coroner found that the medical report stated the reason behind Gloria's death to be a natural one. This marks the first time the 26-year-old has ever spoken publicly about the murders of his mother and brother or about his fathers string of alleged crimes. All three episodes of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal are available to stream on Netflix now. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaughs name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Rumors have swirled about a possible relationship between Stephen Smith and Buster Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh called 911 around 10 p.m. to say he had arrived at the familys Islandton home and found his wife and 22-year-old son fatally shot in the driveway. Several people came forward with rumors of a "fling" between Smith and Buster Murdaugh. Blanca Simpson, who worked as the Murdaugh family housekeeper for several years and did their laundry, testified that she never saw the clothing Mr Murdaugh was wearing on the morning of the murders again after that day. In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith died after he was hit by his car and the driver didn't stop. Murdaugh sounds like Murr-dock, while Alex sounds like Aleck. I hope we can all agree that this is an egregious case of Alec stolen valor. The first one was that of Stephen Smith, who was found dead on the side of a road in 2015. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. Thats right: Alex Murdaugh (ALLEGEDLY) murdered his estranged wife and youngest son. Alex's trial began on January 23, 2023. By October of that year, SLED had indicated that none other than Alex Murdaugh was a person of interest in the case. Worst of all, with at least one of those deceased clients, its suspected that Murdaugh may have assisted with their death. Sandy Smith, Stephen's mother, released a statement Thursday after a Colleton County Grand Jury indicted Alex Murdaugh on two counts of murder and two gun charges in connection with the shooting deaths of his wife and son. In the video, sent at 7.56pm on 7 June 2021, Mr Murdaugh is seen in trousers, loafers and a blue button-down shirt on the grounds of the estate. OF ALL THINGS, why why why would that be one of the very few scintilla of information to be released, other than the big one: ----> The Public was not in Danger. Is Chinas threat akin to rise of Nazi Germany? Smith's injuries suggested a more nefarious cause of death. Buster said that Mr Murdaugh called him that night and asked him if he was sitting down. During the investigation into their deaths, new information came to light. Celebrity news. There was no blood. That tip went nowhere. SLED opening Stephen Smith death investigation based on information gathered in Murdaugh double-homicide case The initial South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) reports released on the. Gov. Online following of Murdaugh saga:South Carolina murder saga attracts cult-like online following. The first to appear at the scene was Alex, who called 911 to report the shocking homicide. Throughout the trial, Busters own apparently bad behaviour has also been on display inside the courtroom. The killer shot Maggie multiple times with a 300 Blackout rifle believed to be a replacement rifle that Mr Murdaugh later bought for Paul to replace the one he lost. The five county area that serves as the 14th district was the Murdaughs political dominion for nearly a century. He was found dead in mysterious circumstances in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8, 2015. The documentary also includes mention of the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith, a former friend and classmate of Buster's, which remains unsolved. The coroner said each was shot multiple times with a different weapon; time of death is thought to have been between 9 and 9:30 p.m. Really? On a remote country road sometime around 3:00 a.m. Stephen was killed. Netflix's Murdaugh Mysteries: A Southern Scandal unpacks the many crimes of Alex Murdaugh. Buster testified that Paul later told him that his gun was apparently lost, stolen, taken and after that his brother would always use his. Thanks to what came next, however, the death of Mallory Beach was merely the opening salvo of a larger story. Because of this, his other son Buster Murdaugh is also facing intense scrutiny. After that, Buster Murdaugh's name kept coming up. It was updated with the events of the week of Sept. 12, 2021: Alex Murdaughs alleged confession that he hired someone to shoot him, and the opening of an investigation into Gloria Satterfields death. The case remains unsolved. I spoke to my mom every day multiple times everr day and my dad and my brother too, he said. Sandy Smith said her ex-husband died of a broken heart. An investigator for the South Carolina Highway Patrol says that he thinks Stephen Smith's body was staged the night of his death in July 2015. Everyone knew that the Murdaughs were not to be messed with. And as Murdaugh Murders recounts, Alex curiously arrived on the scene before the EMTs did and loudly declared that Satterfield blamed the dogs for her fall (in the seconds between her falling and losing consciousness presumably). His car was discovered three miles away with the gas cap off. Alex Murdaugh called 911 around 1:30 p.m. to report he had been shot at the side of Salkehatchie Road. A cellphone video captured by Paul minutes before the murders also appears to place Mr Murdaugh at the murder scene. His mother referenced an earlier instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for help. In the new Netflix documentary about the Murdaugh murders, locals who knew the family and Smith said there was speculation that Buster and Smith had a secret relationship. relationship between Stephen Smith and Buster Murdaugh, Source: YouTube/Law&Crime Network (video still). In the bodycam footage, the disgraced attorney is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Death of Mallory Beach, Feb. 24, 2019. Stephen Smith was studying to be a nurse at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, hoping to eventually become a doctor. After Smith's body was discovered, authorities fielded tips from the community. The scandalous saga of the Murdaugh family, one that has already gained much attention, thanks to its twists and turns that will leave the even hardcore true crime follower a little bamboozled, breathes life to this age-old proverb. Initially, Smith's death was ruled a hit-and-run by the coroner; however, the Smith family and Highway Patrol Investigators rejected the claim and noted that "no vehicle debris, skid marks, or injuries consistent with someone being struck by a vehicle" were found in the initial investigation. Then people started asking questions about Stephen Smiths case. His car was found down a dark rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina with the gas cap off. Curtis "Eddie" Smith, who allegedly received about $2m from Murdaugh in the apparent fake-suicide scheme, was charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for his . Three members of the family had served as district attorneys since 1920. The first one was that of Stephen Smith, . The family believes he was murdered. It turns out that Alex Murdaugh had a nasty habit of winning financial settlements on behalf of his clients and then just keeping the money. After HBO Max's Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty and ID's The Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty, Netflix has decided to wet its paws with the twisted story of Alex Murdaugh and his family that has attracted the world's attention to Hampton County in South Carolina. The firm built its success in the early 2000s due to a state law that made it easier for plaintiffs to forum shop. What is known is that Alex Murdaugh and his brother Randy came to the scene of Stephen Smiths death, going through the crime tape. While SLED (and documentaries the world over) delve into the circumstances of Smiths death, there is currently no public-facing evidence for the Murdaugh familys involvement in his murder. There are conflicting reports of what . The case was reopened when a coroner found that the medical report stated the reason behind Gloria's death to be a natural one, eliminating the need for an autopsy at the time. Family members of a slain Hampton County teen have released a . No tire marks or no debris from a vehicle found on scene after several . While Mallory's friends Miley, Morgan, Anthony, Connor, and Paul all survived, Mallory never made it out of the water. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Did a powerful South Carolina attorney really murder his wife and son? Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex, all members of the prominent Murdaugh family Credit: Facebook One theory posits that Stephen ran out of gas and decided to walk home when he was clipped by a semi truck, but Stephen's mother Sandy Smith discounted that hypothesis in the 20/20 documentary. Sources told FITS News that when Buster was then asked to move to the back of the courtroom, he allegedly kicked over a water bottle in anger. Several friends and partners at Mr Murdaughs law firm PMPED were also there and they stayed for several hours before Buster, his father, girlfriend and uncle John Marvin went to Mr Murdaughs parents home in Almeda. Days later on 3 June 2021 four days before he allegedly killed his wife and son Mr Murdaugh sent a voicemail to then-Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte asking him for $600,000. In the aftermath of Maggie and Pauls murders, Buster said that his father had been destroyed and heartbroken. He determined the placement of the body in the road and the injuries Smith suffered did not appear to be a hit-and-run. The investigation into their deaths, new information came to light shot the... Their death had been destroyed and heartbroken 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods often came up connection... 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