Buster Murdaugh was allegedly involved in a relationship with Stephen Smith, an openly gay 19-year-old. Doctors prescribe Ozempic 'off label': Is that OK? Ultimately the 88 indictments for financial fraud amounted to around $9 million. Revelations that have come out since Murdaughs arrest, however, suggest that Alex may have been attempting to create a distraction to forestall the collapse of the house of cards that was his life. Buster Murdaugh, 26, was a high school classmate of Smith, who was described as a loving jokester by friends and family. The same month, Alex is disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Several people came forward with rumors of a "fling" between Smith and Buster Murdaugh. 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. July 15th 2022, 11:14 AM PDT. Very upset about various sporting events. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. He sounded odd and then he told me that my mom and brother were shot, he recalled. Several of these clients were deceased victims of vehicular accidents who Murdaugh sued on behalf of and then never delivered the winnings to their next of kin. 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. Naturally, many people began to wonder if Paul and Maggies murder was connected to the boating case. As viewers of Murdaugh Murders quickly discover, however, uncovering new crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh does not appear to be a difficult task. Smith was a high school classmate of Murdaughs son Buster (not the currently deceased one) and was found dead from blunt force trauma on the side of the road in 2015. Murdaugh, a well-known lawyer, found. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For . Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP) received. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Recently, Smith's family friend, Susanne Andrews, revealed "progress" has been made since Paul and Maggie's 2021 murders. I just want to say I forgive you. The Murdaugh family has many skeletons in their closet, some of which have emerged during Alex Murdaugh's murder trial. A one-stop-shop for all things video games. Sandy Smith, Stephanie Smith and myself, we have said all along, we would like to have justice for Stephen, the law firm said. After that, Buster Murdaugh's name kept coming up. Smith was found dead with deep gashes to his head in the middle of a dark Hampton County road on July 8, 2015. During the investigation into their deaths, new information came to light. By waiting just a little bit longer than its peers, Netflix hopes that it can present the definitive version of the Murdaugh murders. A family attorney later elaborated that Murdaugh had pulled over with car trouble before he was shot, possibly by someone in a passing pickup truck. But inconsistencies in the initial investigation have left many wondering why his death was never investigated as a homicide. Accident investigators agreed. Because of this, his other son Buster Murdaugh is also facing intense scrutiny. On June 25, Alex and his surviving son, "Buster," offered a $100,000 reward for the killer or killers. Police found Smith dead on the side of the road in 2015, The New York Times reports. He was a very sharp kid; As a young gay man, he was cautious and so he wouldnt have been walking down the road. Throughout the trial, Brooklynn White stood by the side of her boyfriend and continues to show her support. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. A special accident investigation team looked at the case and determined it was a homicide, but a pathologist disagreed, saying he likely died from being hit in the face by the mirror of a passing car. Long before any of the Murdaugh family's criminal activities came to light, a good friend of Buster's, Stephen Smith, passed away. July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. If Alex Murdaugh did indeed contribute to Gloria Satterfields death, it might not be the first time that a Murdaugh killed someone and got away with it. Murdaugh isn't the only one in the family who has been involved in a mysterious death. Before we continue on to all the death and human suffering, it might be helpful to know that, due to their Low Country origin, both Alex and Murdaugh are not pronounced how you probably think theyre pronounced. We know for a fact it was not a hit-and-run. In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. Smith was found dead just before 4:00 a.m. on July 8, 2015 in the middle of Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, South Carolina. 2. relationship between Stephen Smith and Buster Murdaugh, Source: YouTube/Law&Crime Network (video still). Addressing the missing clothing, Buster testified that his father had clothes a lot of places including the familys various homes adding that they never stayed at Moselle after that day. After regaining their balance and senses the six occupants of the boat regrouped to discover that one of their own, Mallory Beach was missing. The Mallory Beach incident led to Murdaughs legal career coming under scrutiny by SLED, other lawyers representing Murdaughs victims, and Murdaughs own law firm. However, the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh in June 2021 shocked the nation after the mother and son were fatally shot. Despite grieving the loss of her son, Sandy had a kind message for his son's killer or killers. One of the challenging things about fully understanding the scope of the Murdaugh story is comprehending its timeline. Stephen Smith died in 2015 and, the docuseries alleges, may have had a relationship with Alex Murdaugh's other son Buster. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? 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. In all honesty, the events that unfold tend to prove the point. In what marks the first time the 26-year-old has ever spoken out publicly about the murders, he recounted the moment that he learned that his mother and brother were dead. On Sept. 4, 2021, Murdaugh called 911 to report that he had been shot in the head while he was changing a tire on the side of the road. He said he was not aware Paul ever got a replacement gun and did not see him using a Blackout that wasnt his. On June 22, roughly two weeks after the killings of Margaret and Paul Murdaugh, SLED reopened an investigation into the unsolved death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaughs name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Based in Cleveland, Ohio. What started out as an unfortunate accident at the hands of the scion of the powerful Murdaugh family, turned out to be just an isolated dot in a line of deaths and financial frauds. Buster refuted this testimony, saying that his father said they did him so bad after listening to the footage in court. Sandy then took it upon herself to look into what happened to her son. He determined the placement of the body in the road and the injuries Smith suffered did not appear to be a hit-and-run. 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. Shooting of Alex Murdaugh, Sept. 4, 2021. Buster's name was also linked to one of the other deaths examined in Murdaugh Murders: that of 19-year-old Stephen Smith in 2015. Did a powerful South Carolina attorney really murder his wife and son? He said they did them so bad, he said. Thanks to what came next, however, the death of Mallory Beach was merely the opening salvo of a larger story. On the evening of Feb. 23, the 19-year-old Beach was among six friends who boarded a 17-foot boat at the Murdaugh familys river house on Chechessee Creek (3) for a 25-mile run to an oyster roast on Paukie Island (4). Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh, Buster's father, is facing charges with the murders of his wife, Maggie, and his . Rather soon after the double murder, Law Enforcement announced that they were RE-opening the Stephen Smith case. 3-6. However, this was proved false when a video found on Paul's mobile clearly suggested that Alex was with Maggie and Paul just moments before the time of their deaths. The body of Stephen Smith, a friend and classmate of Buster Murdaugh, was found on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina. In early June, a son and mother, both members of a. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. In September 2021, the state police opened an investigation into her death. Buster testified that he never saw a gun loaded with both types of ammunition and didnt know anyone who would do that. 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. What's more, in 2015, he lost a close friend, Stephen Smith, in a . Now, police investigating the shooting deaths of. Meanwhile, the prosecution has assembled its witnesses and pieces of evidence, including bodycam footage from the night of the murders, to prove Alex's alleged crimes. Buster has experienced grief unlike anyone else; both his mother and brother were murdered. Never miss a story sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Death of Gloria Satterfield, Feb. 26, 2018. The documentary also includes mention of the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith, a former friend and classmate of Buster's, which remains unsolved. Currently, Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh. In an eerie fashion, the docuseries also explores the other deaths scattered over the years that were connected with the Murdaughs. Moreover, the lapses in the immediate investigation by the local investigators, the Department of Natural Resources, exposed the workings of a powerful network that the Murdaughs had woven over years. On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh familys boat with several of his friends on board. "SLED has . On July 8, 2015 the body of 19-year-old Smith was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, S.C. Later, coroner Ernie Washington declared Smith had died from "blunt force trauma to the head," likely from the mirror on a passing vehicle, via Live 5 News. The family also operates the law firm Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick, now known as The Parker Law Group. In one dramatic moment, Buster insisted that his father said they and not I during a police interview video which prompted speculation that the disgraced legal dynasty heir may have unwittingly slipped up and confessed to the murders. Buster told the court that he had heard his father repeatedly say those five words on the night of the murders. Meanwhile an attorney named Justin Bamberg began investigating Murdaughs finances on behalf of eight people who claim Murdaugh victimized them. No tire marks or no debris from a vehicle found on scene after several . South Carolina investigators say they are picking up steam in the reopened investigation into the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith who reportedly was close with Alex Murdaugh's oldest son, RadarOnline.com has learned. Initially, Smith's death was ruled a hit-and-run by the coroner; however, the Smith family and Highway Patrol Investigators rejected the claim and noted that "no vehicle debris, skid marks, or injuries consistent with someone being struck by a vehicle" were found in the initial investigation. (NewsNation) As Alex Murdaugh heads to trial for the murder of his wife and son, there is another mysterious case that has led investigators back to the Murdaugh family. Gloria Satterfield was the Murdaugh familys longtime housekeeper. "Where theres smoke, theres fire," Andrews said on Buster and the Murdaugh family name being mentioned more than 40 times in the investigation. ALL FREE. But the real break in Smiths case came after the double murder of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Paul Murdaugh could not make it to the first day of trial in relation to Mallory's death as he was brutally murdered, along with his mother Maggie, on June 7, 2021. Perhaps by the end of it, Netflix will feel compelled to order Murdaugh Murders season 2. In 2015, Stephen Smith was killed in a hit-and-run accident, in which Buster Murdaugh was reportedly involved. He Was Called to Testify in Alex Murdaugh's Trial. The Murdaugh family law firm, The Parker Law Group, previously Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED), specializes in personal injury litigation. Meanwhile, he said his father did not appear overly anxious about the case and the family was supportive of Paul as they believed he wasnt driving the boat that weekend. Six years later, state police opened their own investigation because of information they had gathered in the aftermath of the Murdaugh deaths. A coroner ultimately ruled Smith's death as accidental, involving a car that hit him. Mallory Beach's death brought enough bad PR to the Murdaughs to bring them under scrutiny, but a greater tragedy was waiting to strike them. Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. Alex Murdaugh was again charged with various crimes for leading the conspiracy. The cause of . They graduated high school together. Alex Murdaugh was trying desperately to save his son's name. If any one genre takes the cake for him, it is none other than good ol' fashioned horror. "No car parts. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaugh's name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. In July 2015, Stephen Smith's death on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County was ruled a homicide and then a hit-and-run before finally being closed as an "accidental death." There were no tire or skid marks at the scene or blood on Smith's clothes. Witnesses interviewed as part of the original investigation into Smith's death repeatedly implicated Alex Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster, as having been involved in a relationship with. 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. Curtis "Eddie" Smith, who allegedly received about $2m from Murdaugh in the apparent fake-suicide scheme, was charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for his . . Alex Murdaugh, 52, is a lawyer and the great-grandson of Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh, . Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex, all members of the prominent Murdaugh family Credit: Facebook One theory posits that Stephen ran out of gas and decided to walk home when he was clipped by a semi truck, but Stephen's mother Sandy Smith discounted that hypothesis in the 20/20 documentary. Ron DeSantis explained his feud with Disney in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, saying the corporation helps advance the lefts woke agenda.. Why? After HBO Max's Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty and ID's The Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty, Netflix has decided to wet its paws with the twisted story of Alex Murdaugh and his family that has attracted the world's attention to Hampton County in South Carolina. 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. The nights that followed witnessed the search for Mallory. Alex Murdaugh Ordered To Deal With Civil Lawsuit Accusing Him Of Ripping $4 Million Off His Late Housekeeper Gloria's Estate After Murder Trial Wraps Up, Alex Murdaugh Accused Of Cheating On Late Wife Maggie Before Gruesome Murders But Jury Won't Hear About Alleged Affairs, Sources Claim, Alex Murdaugh Murder Trial Update: Jurors Will Visit Moselle Ranch Crime Scene Where His Wife & Son Were Shot To Death. Days later on 3 June 2021 four days before he allegedly killed his wife and son Mr Murdaugh sent a voicemail to then-Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte asking him for $600,000. On Friday, jurors were shown a bombshell voicemail message revealing that Maggie and Paul found bags of pills in the accused killers bag just one month before their murders. His mother referenced an earlier instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for help. In court on the week of 6 February, Buster appeared to flip the bird at attorney Mark Tinsley as he took the witness stand about the boat crash lawsuit that he brought against Mr Murdaugh. In 2015, teenager Stephen Smith, an openly gay classmate of Buster's, was found dead from blunt force . His body was found about 15 miles from the Murdaugh's Moselle estate. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. On Feb. 23, 2019, a group of South Carolina teenagers decided to spend the Saturday night drinking. Stephen Smith's family reacts to Murdaugh indictment in killings of wife, son. I am still in EB because when you get here we have to talk. Such are the circumstances with the story of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh. 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 . In July 2022, SLED informed Alex's younger brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, that they have decided to charge Alex for the double homicide of his wife and son. Other than that, police found no other marks on his body. Stephen Smiths father died three months after his son. His car was found down a dark rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina with the gas cap off. However, his law firm has since disputed that, putting out a statement denying it ever happened. 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. "There has to be something to it, whether indirectly or directly there has to be some kind of tie to that.". Copyright 2023 Distractify. He had a large gash on his head, a police report read, and a wound over his eyebrow. It definitely was not a hit and run. Life became particularly messy for Alex soon afterward as a row of financial crimes that he committed also came to the forefront. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21 to shed light on his father's loving treatment of his family. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? His testimony marked the first major witness for the defence, which began its case on Friday afternoon. And as Murdaugh Murders recounts, Alex curiously arrived on the scene before the EMTs did and loudly declared that Satterfield blamed the dogs for her fall (in the seconds between her falling and losing consciousness presumably). A cellphone video captured by Paul minutes before the murders also appears to place Mr Murdaugh at the murder scene. 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