The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on . Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is a new Netflix three-part documentary series on the titular Murdaugh Murders. Alex Murdaugh is currently standing trial for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, and is pleading not guilty with the support of his surviving son Buster. Stephen would not have been in the roadway," said his mother Sandy. He died of blunt force trauma to the head, but there were no signs to. By July 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted with several charged including two counts of murder. Gloria Satterfield was the Murdaugh familys longtime housekeeper. 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. SLED agents say that family guns were used to kill both victims, with Paul shot twice with a shotgun that was loaded with buckshot and steel birdshot. Two days later, he announced he had quit his law firm and was entering a rehabilitation program for treatment of opioid addiction. The 26-year-old told the court how he lived with his family Maggie, Paul and Mr Murdaugh in Beaufort before they moved to Hampton County in 2000. There was clearly a Murdaugh tie into the death of Stephen Smith, because if you read the investigatory reports from his death back in 2015, the Murdaugh name is mentioned dozens of times. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. He, Paul, Maggie and his father would call each other and speak on the phone pretty much every day. In the year and a half since, no new details have come to light but SLED reports it has "made progress" and the case remains "active and . The Mallory Beach incident led to Murdaughs legal career coming under scrutiny by SLED, other lawyers representing Murdaughs victims, and Murdaughs own law firm. The group was returning from an oyster roast that Paul had planned. In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. . Ten days later, SLED uncovered that Curtis Edward Smith, an associate of Murdaugh and his oxycodone dealer, had been hired by Murdaugh to kill him. Here is everything you need to know about the true story. The families of 19-year-old Stephen Smith who was rumored to be in a secret relationship with Alex's oldest son, Buster, and Murdaugh family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield are still waiting . However, not a penny showed up at the doors of Gloria's family. Although many in Hampton County claim the existence of a deeper connection between Stephen's death and the Murdaughs, there is not much evidence to back it up. Long before any of the Murdaugh family's criminal activities came to light, a good friend of Buster's, Stephen Smith, passed away. On July 8, 2015, the body of a 19-year-old named Stephen Smith was found with a fatal head wound on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina, which is part of the jurisdiction that had been run. In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. Meanwhile an attorney named Justin Bamberg began investigating Murdaughs finances on behalf of eight people who claim Murdaugh victimized them. This is when most folks outside of South Carolina became aware of the Murdaugh name and its wisely where Murdaugh Murders elects to begin its story. The guns a shotgun and a rifle have never been found. On July 14, 2022, Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. After news of Stephen Smiths death came out, some speculated that Buster Murdaugh and Stephen Smith had some sort of relationship. Nobody knows. A coroner ultimately ruled Smith's death as accidental, involving a car that hit him. As per the testimony and interviews of Paul's friends, who became surviving victims of the accident that took Mallory Beach's life, Paul drove the boat that they were riding on into the Archers Creek bridge. 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. Playing Vandy is always fun because it gives the truest depiction of what it's like to play in the ACC every week Among the timeline was newly-obtained car data which placed Mr Murdaughs car at the spot where his wifes phone was later found dumped before he quickly sped away from the scene. In court, Alex admitted to lying about his alibi on the night of the murder but denied any involvement in the deaths. 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. Evidence was not gathered and testimonies were not recorded properly. In following with family tradition, Buster. "Where theres smoke, theres fire," Andrews said on Buster and the Murdaugh family name being mentioned more than 40 times in the investigation. He said that there were no instances he could think of when his father disappeared for periods of time appearing to cast doubts on the states suggestion that he disposed of evidence in the aftermath of the murders. He asked if I wanted to go hunting out there again after the murders and suggested I could, said Buster. One of the challenging things about fully understanding the scope of the Murdaugh story is comprehending its timeline. Busters name has also cropped up in connection with the mysterious death of Stephen Smith a 19-year-old gay teenager who was found dead at the side of a road in Hampton County in 2015. According to Sandy Smith, Randy Murdaugh called the family following Stephen Smiths death, offering to help however he could. By October of that year, SLED had indicated that none other than Alex Murdaugh was a person of interest in the case. . His death was initially deemed a hit and run but the case remains unsolved. Daily. Prosecutors claim that Mr Murdaugh shot dead Maggie and Paul by the dog kennels of the familys sprawling estate in Islandton, in order to distract from his string of alleged scandals and financial crimes. 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On June 7, 2021 at 10:06 p.m., Alex Murdaugh called 911 and reported he had discovered the dead bodies of his son Paul and his wife Maggie near the dog kennels at their hunting lodge. 8. Consequentially, Alex was forced to resign from the law firm, which is now known as Parker Law Group. Buster Murdaugh Girlfriend Stood by His Side Throughout Murdaugh's Trial. Sandy Smith, Stephanie Smith and myself, we have said all along, we would like to have justice for Stephen, the law firm said. The following week, state police said Murdaugh had confessed to hiring someone to kill him so his surviving son could collect life insurance. Mr Murdaugh, 54, is facing life in prison for the murders of his wife and son. Coming as the defences first major witness, Buster played into their strategy to present Mr Murdaugh as a loving family man who could never have killed his wife and son in such a brutal fashion which saw Pauls brains shot outside of his skull. Smith was found laying in the middle of the road by a bystander around 4:20 . In September 2021, the state police opened an investigation into her death. I just want answers." In fact, even though the trial of Alex Murdaugh is ongoing and fresh revelations about his crimes are being uncovered almost daily, one could argue that Netflix is getting into the Murdaugh game late with its three-episode series, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. The U.S. There was also a belief among the high school teachers that Buster used to regularly get his schoolwork done by Stephen. The 26-year-old testified that his fathers demeanour was normal and no different from how he had been earlier in the day. Days later, Alex confessed to scheming his own suicide with the help of an associate, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested Alex's associate, Curtis Edward Smith, for his attempt to assist in a suicide schemed by Alex himself to help his son, Buster, claim $10 million from the insurance company. Three miles away, Stephen Smiths body was found, in the middle of the road with no skid marks or other physical evidence that a car had hit him. Murdaugh Murders does an excellent job of telling this massive tale but it still might be helpful to run through the real life story of Alex Murdaugh, the Murdaugh family, and the many people they hurt. The three men would often go hunting together on the 1,700-acre estate, he said. Cpl. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Often, Alex did not pass on the money that he won from financial settlements to the kin of the deceased after suing the insurance companies. On a remote country road sometime around 3:00 a.m. Stephen was killed. Entertainment; News & Politics; Sports; Health & Lifestyle; Science & Tech; toggle. He was a very sharp kid; As a young gay man, he was cautious and so he wouldnt have been walking down the road. What follows is our best attempt at capturing all of it. Netflix's Murdaugh Mysteries: A Southern Scandal unpacks the many crimes of Alex Murdaugh. Really? Despite being increasingly intoxicated, Paul Murdaugh insisted on driving the boat. The judge has warned that he and other family members could be removed from court altogether if there are any further wrong moves. 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. And it seemed to be an intentional act, which we consider homicide, said Michael Duncan, a retired corporal who was part of the accident investigation team. While Mallory's friends Miley, Morgan, Anthony, Connor, and Paul all survived, Mallory never made it out of the water. Alex Murdaugh, the patriarch of a powerful and wealthy South Carolina legal family whose wife and son were mysteriously murdered in June, has now been shot. Everyone survived apart from Mallory Beach, 19, whose body washed up on shore around a week later. Before the beginning of the murder trial on January 23, 2023, a lot more charges were brought against Alex Murdaugh as a result of the financial fraud he had continuously committed over the years. His own car was parked several miles away. Buster the eldest and now only surviving son of Maggie and Mr Murdaugh has stood by his father throughout the growing number of allegations against him. 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. In 2015, Smith was mysteriously found dead in the middle of the road, and his death was ruled a hit-and-run, even though other evidence shows that he could have died by gunshot or some other attack. 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. Questions have also been raised about this outfit as multiple law enforcement officials testified that Mr Murdaugh and his clothing were clean despite his claims he touched the bloody bodies of his wife and son to check for signs of life. The teenager was found with blunt force trauma to his head, which appeared to first responders as a possible gunshot wound. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. She asked the FBI, the governor and others to keep investigating but the case went nowhere until Mallory Beach was killed on the Murdaugh boat four years later. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it was opening an investigation into the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, . In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found in the middle of a rural road. Alex's voice could be heard in the background of a video with that of Paul and Maggie. Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. The Murdaugh family is a prominent dynasty of lawyers from the Low Country in South Carolina, with Low Country referring to the distinct cultural and geographical region on the southeast coast of the state. Celebrity news. The same month, Alex is disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. 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. At the time of the murders, Mr Murdaugh claims he was spending up to $60,000 a week to feed a 20-year opioid addiction. No coroner was notified of Satterfields death. All three episodes of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal are available to stream on Netflix now. His car was three miles away. We know for a fact it was not a hit-and-run. In April 2019, Paul was charged with three felonies over Beachs death including boating under the influence and was facing up to 25 years in prison. Buster told the court that he had heard his father repeatedly say those five words on the night of the murders. This is in line with Alex Murdaugh's history of financial crimes. He had a cell phone, he could have called somebody for help, Bland said. But the more devastating reality behind this unfortunate incident is that another rescue attempt was going on at the same time. As viewers of Murdaugh Murders quickly discover, however, uncovering new crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh does not appear to be a difficult task. Following the deaths of Mallory Beach, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh, SLED elected to re-open Stephen Smith's case. Murdaugh admitted that the events had been an assisted suicide scheme so that his son Buster would still receive $10 million upon his death. . Moselle crime scene: What will Murdaugh jury see? 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. Deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, June 7, 2021. Police found Smith dead on the side of the road in 2015, The New York Times reports. Home > News & Politics > News. I am still in EB because when you get here we have to talk. 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