Slain teen Stephen Smith’s physique exhumed for post-mortem: report
South Carolina investigators have reportedly exhumed the physique of Stephen Smith, as authorities have reopened their investigation into the homosexual teenager’s mysterious homicide in 2015.
Smith’s physique was exhumed on Friday for an unbiased post-mortem, sources near the investigation told WCIV.
The 19-year-old was discovered useless on the facet of a highway in Hampton County in July 2015. An unique post-mortem dominated his dying as a attainable hit and run accident. After almost eight years, Smith’s dying was officially ruled a homicide final month.
Curiosity in Smith’s dying has been renewed for the reason that double-murder conviction of Alex Murdaugh earlier this month. Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster, has been linked to Smith and the 2 attended highschool collectively.
Smith’s mom, Sandy, launched a profitable fundraiser final month to conduct an unbiased exhumation and unbiased post-mortem on her son. She linked Buster to her son’s dying in a letter sent to federal investigators the place she accused native legislation enforcement of botching her son’s dying investigation.
Nonetheless, South Carolina authorities have reportedly zeroed in on two 25-year-olds Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, each of whom have been initially implicated in Smith’s dying case, Fitsnews revealed in a case file Thursday.
The duo have been youngsters on the time and lived only a few miles from the place the Smith’s mangled physique was discovered — not removed from the 1,700-acre Moselle property where Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife Maggie and son Paul six years later.
Wilson’s stepfather tipped investigators off to the boys’ involvement within the dying about 5 months after Smith was killed on the encouragement of Alex Murdaugh’s older brother, Randy Murdaugh.
Wilson allegedly informed his stepdad that Connelly — who has a protracted historical past of visitors infractions and DUIs — was driving a automobile that “struck and killed Stephen Smith.” His father then handed the data on to authorities at Randy Murdaugh’s insistence.
On the time of Wilson’s confession, he was going through tried homicide expenses for an incident that was not instantly clear. These expenses have been dropped shortly after by a solicitor who “served on the pleasure of the Murdaughs,” one Hampton historian informed the outlet.
Inside one yr of Smith’s dying, Randy Murdaugh filed two motorized vehicle accident lawsuits in opposition to Connelly on behalf of shoppers, each of which have been dismissed by Murdaugh-friendly judges.
Regardless of the confession, neither man was intensely scoured by the unique investigative crew. Police, who initially stated the dying “gave the impression to be a murder,” finally dominated Smith was a sufferer of a hit-and-run.
Police haven’t publicly excluded the Murdaughs from their investigation — nevertheless one legislation enforcement supply informed FitsNews they’ve proof the authorized household is harmless of all ties.
Police stated final week they “quickly” put Buster Murdaugh on their radar as a part of the reopened investigation following rumors that he killed Smith to be able to conceal a secret love affair between the 2 baseball teammates.
Buster has “unequivocally” denied “vicious rumors” that he was concerned within the homicide as he continues to grieve the lack of his mom and brother and offers with the imprisonment of his killer father.