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Stephen Smith: Body of teen found dead near Murdaugh family home exhumed for autopsy after 8 years

Stephen Smith's body was removed from Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County for his second autopsy

ISLANDTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: The body of Stephen Smith, a teenager who was found dead near the Murdaugh family home in 2015, was exhumed on March 31 nearly eight years after his demise. His remains will now be re-examined in an independent autopsy, sources close to the investigation told WCIV, abc4 news reported. The development comes a month after Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The late teenager’s death was initially ruled as hit and run but the case was reopened in June 2021 after it garnered renewed interest amid Alex Murdaugh’s double-homicide investigation. The former attorney’s surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, also came under scrutiny after it was revealed that he was Stephen Smith’s classmate in high school. On March 23, investigators revealed that Smith’s death was officially being investigated as a homicide. Shortly after, Sandy Smith launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the exhumation of her slain son’s body. As of Monday morning, the fundraiser raised over $118,000. 

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Stephen Smith’s body was removed from Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County as part of the exhumation process, reported the Daily Mail. Eric Bland, the attorney representing the Smith family, also mentioned that the 19-year-old was placed back in his final resting place following the second autopsy. “My partner, Ronnie Richter, and I, as attorneys for Sandy Smith, and on behalf of Steven Smith, would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Exhumation, Transporting Stephen, protecting and guarding Stephen while he was being re-examined, and the second autopsy being done, transporting him back and then putting him back to his final resting place this past weekend,” the lawyer wrote on Twitter.

“A tremendous amount of planning went into this past weekend by a lot of people including the funeral home, coroner, DHEC, the excavators, doctors Dupre, Schultz and Haney and at least 12 SLED Officers. The biggest thanks goes to SLED Chief Mark Keel because without him this could not have gone on without a hitch,” he added. Bland concluded his statement by saying, “I now believe that Stephen can really rest at ease because SLED and our team are going to do everything possible to find out just how he died.”

Sandy Smith linked Buster Murdaugh to Stephen Smith’s death in 2016 letter

Sandy Smith allegedly mentioned Buster Murdaugh’s name in connection to her son Stephen Smith’s mysterious death in a 2016 letter sent to the FBI and published by FitsNews last month. She even alleged that Buster Murdaugh had a secret relationship with her son and accused local authorities of “covering up critical evidence” to protect Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son.

“The first call my family received after the murder was from authorities notifying us of Stephen’s death. The second came very quickly the same morning from solicitor Randolph Murdaugh,” Sandy Smith wrote, revealing that Randolph Murdaugh showed sudden interest in the case and wanted to help the Smith family.

“He called my ex-husband’s cell phone as we waited in the police station for a positive identification. He said he heard of the case and was interested in working pro bono as a liaison between the family and investigators,” she continued. Although the Smith family was confused about Randolph Murdaugh’s offer, they accepted his help only to be ditched by him in the following weeks, the NY Post reported. Sandy Smith’s letter also suggested that several teenagers approached Stephen Smith’s twin sister, Stephanie, allegedly claiming that Buster and Paul Murdaugh were responsible for the teen’s suspicious death.

‘Vicious rumors’

Amid the growing speculation about Buster Murdaugh’s involvement in Stephen Smith’s murder, the former issued an official statement denying the rumors. “I have tried my best to ignore the vicious rumors about my involvement in Stephen Smith’s tragic death that continue to be published in the media as I grieve over the brutal murders of my murder and brother,” he said.

“I haven’t spoken up until now because I want to live in private while I cope with their deaths and my father’s incarceration. Before, during and since my father’s trial, I have been targeted and harassed by the media and the followers of this story. This has gone on far too long,” Buster Murdaugh continued.

He strongly denied his involvement in Stephen Smith’s death and stated, “These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false. I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family.” 

Are Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly involved in Stephen Smith’s death?

Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, two 25-year-old men who were previously mentioned in Stephen Smith’s case, have also been placed under scrutiny amid the recent investigation, FitsNews revealed in a case file. The duo who were teenagers at the time of Smith’s death and reportedly lived a few miles from where the latter’s body was found near the Murdaughs’ Moselle estate.

Wilson’s stepfather, Darrell Williams, tipped investigators about the case nearly five months after Stephen Smith was found dead. He said that Wilson allegedly told him that Connelly was driving a vehicle that “struck and killed Stephen Smith.” Williams later claimed to pass the information to investigators on Randolph Murdaugh’s insistence. Patrick Wilson was reportedly facing attempted murder charges for another incident at the time of his confession, the outlet noted. However, a Hampton historian told the publication that his charges were dropped by a solicitor who “served at the pleasure of the Murdaughs.”

Shawn Connelly also faced several legal troubles in South Carolina and was previously charged over multiple traffic infractions, DUIs, purchasing alcohol as a minor, hunting without a license, unlawfully killing an antler-less deer, and domestic violence, online records reportedly showed. Nearly one year after Stephen Smith’s death, Randy Murdaugh allegedly filed two motor vehicle accident lawsuits against Connelly on behalf of his clients. However, both the cases were allegedly dismissed by Murdaugh-friendly judges, the publication reported.

‘Justice is coming’

On April 1, a day after Stephen Smith’s body was exhumed, Smith's family attorney Eric Bland said he felt good about the progress made in the case. “Sitting here today and reflecting upon the two weeks since my partner Ronnie and I took on representing Sandy Smith on behalf of Steven Smith, I am feeling really good about the progress we have made and what is coming,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Justice is coming and I don’t think anything’s going to be able to stop it. If anyone deserves justice, it is Stephen, but nothing that we have accomplished so far could’ve been done without all of you who have supported this cause, Chief Keel at SLED and some well-meaning people in the media and the MMP crew,” Bland concluded.