Stephen Smith's body exhumed, new evidence found after second autopsy turns out 'successful'
ISLANDTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Stephen Smith's second autopsy has revealed new evidence and the chief deputy of the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Department has collected more information on the victim's homicide in South Carolina after the victim's body was exhumed.
Smith's previous autopsy ruled his death as a hit-and-run. He was found dead on July 8, 2015, on Sandy Run Road, Hampton County, in South Carolina. However, following disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh's conviction of the double murder, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) declared on March 22 that Smith's death was being reinvestigated, according to Daily Mail.
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Following the Murdaugh trial, Smith's mother Sandy Smith publicly spoke about the family's skepticism relating to the initial investigation and the events surrounding the death. Eric Bland, the Smith family attorney was told by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) that in connection to Smith's death, an unidentified "piece of evidence" was uncovered during their investigation into the murder of Murdaugh's wife Maggie and younger son Paul.
'Hopefully getting the Smith family some answers'
Talking to News Nation, Kenneth Kinsey of the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Department said the second autopsy performed had been a success and added, "I am expecting that the final report will tell us a little bit more. I do know it was a success, they say they did collect evidence, it was very good documentation and everybody was upbeat about the information that was collected. That is not always the situation when you exhume someone after so many years."
The body of Stephen Smith was exhumed after eight years, and investigators performed a second autopsy with the hope of gathering evidence as to how he died. @TVAshleigh talks to Kenneth Kinsey of the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department about what they found. pic.twitter.com/iD54uZqRju
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) April 4, 2023
When Kinsey was asked whether any significant discovery could be made from the body exhumed eight years after the death, he said, "Well, I don't want to take it the wrong way but I am very very excited about the report coming. The pathologist was very upbeat and said they had everything they needed to do a proper examination of Mr Smith."
"So, I didn't hear anything negative about that and they were saying it was a very good situation for the Smith family and the investigation. So, I have got my fingers crossed and I am looking forward to hopefully getting the Smith family some answers," he added, according to News Nation.
