She tells him they located Smiths car on US 601 and that the gas cap was off. Im tired of them putting Stephen on the back burner, Sandy Smith told FITSNews. "He wouldve called somebody.. Photo: Facebook. SCHP: Duncan talks to Stephens family and they reject the ruling that Stephen would have been hit by a car. Michael Hemlepp, attorney for Smith's family, joins NewsNation's "Banfield."#Banfield #AlexMurdaugh A spokesperson confirmed the investigation into the 2015 hit-and-run case, citing "the information gathered in the Murdaugh homicide investigation." Then, the coroner ruled the death a shooting homicide forcing investigators to search the rural road carved between a tree line and a corn field. After receiving a search warrant, agents searched the area and the vehicle, the SLED report said. Stephen Smith, 19, died on a rural road in Hampton County, S.C., in 2015 in a controversial homicide that was officially ruled a hit-and-run. 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. A source close to the family also told FITSNews that the Beaches have not been questioned again since providing their statements and DNA. 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. Currently, Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh. His right shoulder was partially dislocated. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. Im telling you man to man I didnt kill him.. 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. 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 . In 2019, a boat operated by Paul Murdaugh crashed against a bridge pylon, killing 19-year-old Mallory Beach and seriously injuring two other passengers. His death was investigated by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety He doesnt deserve that. In early June, a son and mother, both members of a. Maybe there's even manufactured evidence in this case. The death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith was originally ruled a hit-and-run in 2015 when his body was found in the middle of a road 15 miles from the Murdaugh hunting cabin. His car was discovered three miles away with the gas cap off. She stated they told the Sheriff and Coroner and that they didnt believe it to be a gunshot wound. What I ended up finding [was] there were a lot of people who didnt want to assist or communicate with us, he said. Murder, Money & Mystery: Were the Killings of a Mom and Son Connected to 3 Previous Deaths? The battery was functional, however the vehicle would not start., 9:40 a.m. SLED: Agents leave the scene of the car after doing a walk-through with Singleton and Jarrell. Hampton, S.C. (WIS) - New details in the investigation of 19-year-old Stephen Smith's death in 2015 show that while initial reports from S.C. Highway Patrol indicate his death was caused by a. Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. New details in the investigation of 19-year-old Stephen Smith's death in 2015 show that while initial reports from S.C. Highway Patrol indicate his death was caused by a hit-and-run car crash . "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 beloved. The key located in the victims pocket was used to open the vehicle. No homicide investigation was ever opened, and no referral was ever made to the agency in the case. Alex Murdaugh, Paul's father and . Tallon notes the weather was cloudy and 92 degrees. The coroners report on Smiths death said he was most likely hit in the head by the mirror of a passing tractor trailer truck as he walked along the dark, two-lane road after he ran out of gas. The worst part is that some of the individuals responsible were Stephens classmates.. I wouldn't put shit by wealthy, corrupt, powerful, relatively young or barely "mature", highly intelligent men, privileged in every way. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open its own investigation into Stephen's death. To submit your loved one for . 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. Proctor also wrote in his report that Greene was fired sometime between July 22 August 18, 2015. 6:30 p.m. SCHP: Booker and Duncan consult to formulate a plan of action.. Smith was found dead on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road near Joe Miley Road in Hampton. 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. The Murdaughs, as big and powerful and rich as everyone thinks they are theyre going to go on living their lives like nothing (happened), Proctor said. "She now has more people than she knows what to do with," says Andrews. there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run or a vehicle even being involved in it," he continued. He said another investigator had already had, from (his) understanding a heated conversation with her about this issue.. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on social media. Moore instructs him to immediately stop their preparations on the body and cover him up. Moore tells Rowell to go get the clothing. The Hampton County Coroner's office authorized the autopsy. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, despite police reports . Death of Stephen Smith, July 8, 2015. Washington tells him its been taken to the funeral home per the familys wishes at the time of the death notification.. He stated he would have to go with the doctors ruling, Moore wrote. 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. June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh, 53, calls 911 and reports he found his wife Margaret, 52, and son Paul, then 22, shot dead outside of their home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of . The Murdaugh family (/ m r d k / MUR-dok) is an American legal family in the Low Country region of South Carolina.From 1920 to 2006, three members of the family consecutively served as solicitor (i.e., district attorney), in charge of prosecuting all criminal cases in the state's 14th circuit district, leading locals to call the five-county district, "Murdaugh Country". Smith had a head wound consistent with being shot, the coroner explained in a report. More:Murdaughs killed in double homicide in Colleton County: What We Know We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Six years later, Sandy Smith Stephens mother is still grappling with the pain of not knowing what happened to her son. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is now streaming on Netflix, telling the story of the wealthy Murdaugh family in South Carolina. Here is a look at the events surrounding his indictments:June 7, 2021: Murdaugh calls police to report his wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, have been fatally shot near a dog kennel on their property.June 23, 2021: An investigation into the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith, 19, unsolved for six years, is reopened based on information . The teens had been "grossly intoxicated," according to police, even though they were all underage and could not legally buy alcohol. The timeline (below) shows a sketch of how officials came to the decision to rule the death a hit and run and how that decision appeared to confuse nearly everyone involved. SLED's reopened investigation was first reported by FITSNews Tuesday evening. ", Hemlepp says SLED investigators have "been engaging in regular communication with Sandy.". 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. Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team, told Fox News in an exclusivetelevisioninterview, Maggie Murdaugh's Cellphone Was Found Near Roadside Away From Crime Scene, Sources Reportedly Say, SLED Will Investigate Stephen Smith 2015 Death, Citing Emerging Details in Paul and Maggie Murdaugh Killings, New Redacted Report on Murdaugh Homicide Case Released. His phone and keys were still in his pocket. 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. Stephen Smith was 19 when he died in what investigators called a hit-and-run in Hampton County in 2015. Ive been waiting on this day for 2,174 days, she said. part of an apparent hit and run. Since the murders of Paul Murdaugh, 22, and Maggie Murdaugh 52, the State Law Enforcement Division, the agency that has been investigating the homicides, announced that it will now be investigating the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Stephen's murder was ruled a hit-and-run with no one arrested for the crime, but in 2021, the case was reopened. Singleton tells Moore he wasnt at his desk and would call him back in 30 minutes. His wallet was inside the car. Investigators theorized that the mirror of a semi-truck hit Stephens head. They took him from his car; everybody knew his car because he had the ugliest little banana [car] in town. In the 20/20 documentary, Stephanie claimed shortly after the coroner called regarding her brothers death, her father received another call. "When they told me hit and run I said that's impossible because Stephen wouldn't have been walking in the road to start with. South Carolina state investigators have opened an investigation into a fatal 2015 hit-and-run case based on information gleaned from the investigation into the murders of two members of a prominent South Carolina family. There's a bright light being shined on that county. RELATED | Murdaugh Murders: The Latest On The Boat Crash Lawsuit And Obstruction Of Justice Investigation. Keep in mind, this isyearsbefore Paul Murdaugh was charged with three felonies in the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach. 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