Sandy says shes skeptical of the man claiming to be Stephens boyfriend. State investigators have released scant information on the case including an 18-page redacted report with nearly 8 pages fully redacted. "[Stephen's mother] has said it was from a broken heart," Susanne Andrews, the founder of #StandingforStephen, a group that raised funds for the headstone, tells PEOPLE. Duncan does not include this in his casenotes. He also said SLED has not contacted Proctor to assist in their investigationat the time of the interview. She is working writing an official letter to SLED. Days after the shockingdouble homicideofPaul Murdaughand his motherMaggie Murdaugh, FITSNews published an exclusive report about three other deaths that have connections to the powerful South Carolina family. SLED is investigating every angle in the Murdaugh case something that Sandy wishes they would have done with Stephens death six years ago. 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 . (Assisted suicide explained). To be fair, police appeared to be pursuing other persons of interest as well and never named anyone as a suspect. His body was found in the middle of Sandy Run. She told FITSNews this week that SLED came to her house to tell her they were opening an investigation. The final autopsy report said that Stephens cause of death was blunt head trauma, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian vs. vehicle. Mandy also hosts the Murdaugh Murders podcast. More:Murdaughs killed in double homicide in Colleton County: What We Know Andrews, who helped raise more than $40,000 for the headstone and for a scholarship in Stephen's name, says she's thankful for all the worldwide support Sandy has received in her fight for answers. 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 FITSNews shes still clinging to hope even after Thursdays heart-wrenching news. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) received multiple tips in the aftermath of Smiths death linking his untimely demise to the Murdaugh family. Like the probe of the2019 boat crashthat killedMallory Beach, the 2015 investigation into Smiths death was chaotic from the beginning clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. Is Outer Banks based on a true story? 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. Todd Proctor, former South Carolina Highway Patrol investigator, told Fox News this week that it looked like Stephens body was placed in the middle of the road. They just throw their cases on a shelf to collect dust.. She said they were adamant it was a gunshot wound, so they mapped the scene and began to gather evidence as they would normally do.. 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.. Smalls said hell call right back but doesnt. It said the manner of death (which is either homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined) was still undetermined. Here's what we know. The South Carolina Highway Patrol received an anonymous tip connecting the Murdaugh family to the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith back in 2015, the New York Post reports. State police said information they gathered in the Murdaugh investigations also led them to review what was initially reported as the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith in Hampton . Proctor made it clear in his reports that he didnt believe Stephens death was a hit-and-run. Stephens massive head wound along with the lack of other significant injuries on his body stumped investigators on scene. The former S.C. Highway Patrol trooper had recently told several media outlets that Stephen Smith's 2015 death was likely a murder staged to look like a hit-and-run. Allen tells Duncan that the only injuries to the victim were around the head area.. In early June, a son and mother, both members of a. 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. To what historical information she possessed, I am unaware.. So why didnt they investigate Stephens death as a homicide? In a report (below) by Todd Proctor, a MAIT detective for SCHP, it was clear that investigators didnt agree with the pathologists conclusion to rule the death a hit and run. She tells police Stephen was going to school in Orangeburg and hung out at Bobcat Landing a lot recently. there was no evidence that pointed towards this being a hit and run or a vehicle even being involved in it," he continued. The driver reportedly told police he first thought Smithwas an animal, but took a second glance and noticed "a white male lying in the middle of the road.". She has been searching for answers ever since. 3 Stephen Smith's body was found in the middle of a rural road Credit: Facebook 3 Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex, all members of the prominent Murdaugh family Credit: Facebook Six years later, Stephens case is still unsolved. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Proctormade some significant assessments of the family. Shortly after 1 p.m. SCHP: Duncan calls Stephen Smiths mother Sandy Smith. 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. State police reopen hit-and-run death investigation from details gathered in Murdaugh case. Mother and son were gunned down on their 1,770-acre estate in the small town of Islandton. I just dont believe my son would have been walking in the middle of the road like that. Additional counties and states will be added to this database as time and funding permit. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Todd Proctor, former. Proctor wrote that Presnell spoke in a negative tone and basically called (him) a liar when he said that hed already spoken to Hampton County CoronerErnie Washington. But her dad was "a little iffy on accepting the offer. Stephens relative didnt believe the person who said they were dating Stephen and said the family was skeptical of him. 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. Smalls called him and told him that the autopsy showed Smiths death a result of a hit and run. SLED is simply looking at anyone who may have had a possible motive in the case including the survivors of a high-profile February 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-oldMallory Beach. CLICK HERE. He said another investigator had already had, from (his) understanding a heated conversation with her about this issue.. A mother knows her child, and my son would not do that," Sandy said. The worst part is that some of the individuals responsible were Stephens classmates.. She tells him that she and Tallon were called at 6:10 a.m. by HCSO and that they arrived on scene at 9 a.m. Burke said she didnt think Stephens injury looked like a gunshot wound. Stephen was beloved. It looked like it was more staged, like possibly the body had been placed in the roadway.. You go back to the Murdaugh name and their ties in that community, and that dont matter to me What weve done is take that investigation out of that and their reach I dont care what your name is and how much money you got., He then said Im not saying that the Murdaugh boy did it., But if were going to be throwing out names, Im not going to be withholding names, Proctor wrote. Sandy Smith told FITSNews that SLED is investigating her sons death as a homicide which is something she wishes they did six years ago. . 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. Investigators bid to solve last weeks double homicide draws fresh scrutiny on 2015 cold case . Hampton County Coroners Office: The first of 3 death certificates for Stephen Smith was issued by Washington to the family. The spokesperson did not say what information SLED had gathered that led the agency to open its own investigation into Stephen's death. The Smith case had originally been ruled a hit-and-run despite evidence from . It was also reported that Alex and another family member took to Paul's rescue as legal counsel while he was detained. That's not even the end of the story. Smith had a head wound consistent with being shot, the coroner explained in a report. Shes an investigative journalist from Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before making the switch to FITS. She had no evidence other than that for the statement being put in the report., Proctor said that he explained to her that law enforcement officers had no evidence of this individual being struck by a vehicle.. No one's going to feel like they're being held accountable if we don't bring attention to it.". She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. Yes. The Murdaugh familys ties to the legal system sparked questions about whether the investigation into Mallory's death was done properly. MAIT takes photos of the body and Smiths clothes. 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. 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. Michael E. Duncan of the incident. At the time, investigators said it appeared he was killed in a hit-and-run collision while walking. According to the autopsy, Greene was responsible for evidence transfer in the case. Stephens friends and family also disputed the autopsy report. SCHP: Moore calls Mitch Altman and tells him to go to the scene and see if he can find any debris. According to our sources, all of the boat crash survivors and Beachs family members voluntarily submitted to questioning and volunteered to provide their DNA as a part of the double homicide investigation. Prior to leaving the scene, agents discussed their findings and completed a walkthrough with Inv. The killings also led the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to open an investigation into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old man whose body was found in a road 10 miles from. 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. 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He offers to give the officers his phone and take a lie detector test. Earlier this week, FITSNews exclusively reported that South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith a Hampton County teenager whose death has been unsolved since 2015. Sandy told Duncan that she heard rumors about the Murdaugh boys had something to do with Stephens death. Source: YouTube/Law&Crime Network (video still) Buster Murdaugh This will be a 3-part series revealing the case file. Then it turned out it was a hit and run. At the time of his death, Smith was a 19-year-old Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College student who was studying to become a nurse. Cr. He was taken to a . All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. However, his mother, Sandy, told the the Hampton County Guardian, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2015. 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. "My hope is that she finds answers that will give her a little bit of peace," she adds. 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 . And now a retired South Carolina state trooper, who led the investigation into Smiths death, told Fox News he had long suspected the case to have been a murder. SLEDs inquiry into the Smith family does not mean its agents believe they had anything to do with the deaths of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh called 911 Saturday and said he had been shot as he stood at the side of a road in Hampton County, South Carolina, according to a statement from the state police. "He had his cell phone, he was six miles from the house," she insisted. Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Officials couldnt nail down a cause or manner of death. His death was investigated by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Rowell did not make a note of the Murdaugh tip in his written notes. 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. Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, werefound shot to death June 7 at their familys hunting lodge in Colleton County, South Carolina, as CrimeOnline has previously reported. Singleton tells Moore he wasnt at his desk and would call him back in 30 minutes. Sandy has been begging law enforcement officials for years to open an investigation into her sons unsolved death. RELATED|Boat Crash Lawsuit: Murdaughs Refuse To Settle, Withhold Financial Records From Victims Family. 9:20 a.m. SLED: Agents then responded approximately 3 miles to the victims vehicle on the side of Bamberg Highway. Paul Murdaugh,Alex's son and Randy's nephew, pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges related to Mallory Beach's death. Feb. 2, 2018: Gloria Satterfield, 57, falls at the Murdaugh family home on Moselle Road in Colleton County. Murdaugh Murders: Family Releases Statement On $100,000 Reward, Latest Chapter Of Kathryn Dennis-Thomas Ravenel Custody Battle Features Change In Legal Lineup, #SC2018: Lindsey Graham Endorses Henry McMaster, Mark Powells Palmetto Past & Present: Lost Confederate Gold, Ron Paul: The Anti-War Movement Roars Back To Life, LIVE FEED Murdaugh Murders Trial: Day Twenty-Six, Washington points to wound on Smiths head and calls it a gunshot wound, showing Moore the entry point., Moore asked Greene if they were sure it was a homicide and their response was yes., Moore advises MAIT theyre no longer needed. His name is going to be right there with everyone elses name and I dont care who knows it.. Smith was found dead just before 4:00 a.m. EDT on July 8, 2015. Murdaugh's. This is about a child that deserves to be memorialized and commemorated, and a mother to have support that she hadn't had.". Got a technical question or a glitch to report? 11:29 a.m. SLED: Tallon and Burke attend autopsy at MUSC. The key is turned over to HCSO personnel. She just wants to know who was responsible for murdering her child. Randy Murdaugh was the second person to call my dad after the coroner," Stephanie told ABC. 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. Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths, Murdaugh Murders: Did Alex Murdaugh hire someone to kill him? The family keeps his casket open so that people could see what they did to him. Murdaugh, 54, has repeatedly denied any role in the deaths, saying he was visiting his mother and ailing father and discovered his son and wife slain when he returned to their estate. SCHP: Moore calls Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home and speaks with a funeral home director. In their search, investigators from SCHP, the Hampton County sheriffs office, and SLED found virtually no evidence no bullets, no gunshot residue, no tire marks, no debris from a vehicle. 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. "Stephen's getting his final resting place honored and recognized," says Andrews. How injury occurred: Subject was apparently hit by a motor vehicle possibly a truck. No they dont they care about protecting themselves.. 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. Smith's body was found on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road, near Hampton. The key located in the victims pocket was used to open the vehicle. For more on the ever-evolving Murdaugh case, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday. "As any investigator [does],you go off of the evidence. While reporters from all over the nation contacted her last week about her sons story, she just wants the official call from law enforcement telling her they reopened the case. "Sandy and I both believe that this was a murder. Tallon and Burke take photos and notes and make a sketch with measurements (see below). Allen informs Moore that it is a homicide, not a hit and run. His death was officially ruled a hit-and-run, but deep gashes to his head suggested to some he was beaten to death. 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. HAMPTON, S.C. 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