Tag: South Carolina

The mummy of a 19-year-old who used to be mysteriously discovered lifeless on a South Carolina highway in 2015 says she intends to have his frame exhumed, with the announcement following state police officers reopening its investigation into his loss of life within the wake of the Alex Murdaugh murders.

Stephen Smith’s mom introduced her intent to exhume her son’s frame for additional exam in a GoFundMe account created previous this month.

“We want a brand new, independent take a look at his frame and a correct resolution of his reason for loss of life in response to details. There used to be no particles within the highway, and his accidents weren’t in step with a hit-and-run,” states the fundraising web page, which as of Sunday had raised just about greater than $46,000 over its preliminary purpose.

The verdict follows the South Carolina Legislation Enforcement Department (SLED) pronouncing in 2021 that it could reopen its investigation into Smith’s loss of life because of new data it had accumulated whilst investigating the double homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh that very same 12 months.

The mummy and son had been discovered fatally shot in June of 2021 on their Colleton County searching assets, no longer some distance from the place Smith’s frame used to be discovered six years previous in Hampton County. The circle of relatives’s outstanding patriarch, Alex Murdaugh, used to be convicted within the murders remaining month.

SLED, which failed to in an instant reply to HuffPost’s request for remark Sunday, declined to offer element about its determination when reached via CNN.

“SLED has made development within the loss of life investigation of Stephen Smith,” the company mentioned. “Alternatively this investigation stays lively and ongoing.”

Smith used to be discovered mendacity in a highway on July 8, 2015, with blunt power trauma to his head. He used to be roughly 3 miles from his automotive, which used to be discovered deserted with its gasoline tank open, government mentioned on the time.

First responders on the scene concept his head harm may well be from a conceivable gunshot wound, however the coroner’s workplace in the end dominated his loss of life a hit-and-run, regardless of a couple of investigators disregarding this idea, in keeping with copies in their testimony bought via Spartanburg station WSPA.

“I noticed no automobile particles, skid marks, or accidents in step with any individual being struck via a automobile,” wrote one investigator, in keeping with the station. “After consulting with the [Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team], we see no proof to signify the sufferer used to be struck via a automobile.”

For years after his loss of life, pointers additionally got here in that connected Smith to the Murdaugh circle of relatives, the Greenville Information reported.

Smith’s mom, Sandy Smith, didn’t in an instant reply to a request for remark.

Investigators like to mention the crime scene at a killing tells the tale despite the fact that nobody else does.

Within the double homicide trial of disgraced South Carolina legal professional Alex Murdaugh, his protection legal professionals need jurors to imagine the crime scene can’t inform them a lot concerning the deaths of his spouse and son as a result of state brokers did a deficient task investigating.

Murdaugh, 54, is accused of killing his spouse, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, at kennels close to their house on June 7, 2021, because the once-prominent legal professional’s occupation and funds have been crumbling. Murdaugh has denied any position within the deadly shootings. He faces 30 years to lifestyles if convicted.

Listed here are some key takeaways from the 61 prosecution and 11 protection witnesses known as up to now within the five-week trial, together with Murdaugh himself.

The protection has known as mavens who stated investigators didn’t mud for fingerprints, gather and check blood, or {photograph} proof with the angles or readability had to find out about it correctly later.

The primary officer arrived on the rural Colleton County property 20 mins after Murdaugh known as 911 when he returned house from visiting his ill mom. Nearly instantly, the native sheriff discovered he was once coping with somebody whose circle of relatives ruled the felony machine in neighboring Hampton County for generations and became the investigation over to the State Regulation Enforcement Department.

It took hours for brokers from around the state to get deep into the South Carolina Lowcountry. Right through that point, greater than a dozen friends and family walked across the scene, comforting Murdaugh. The our bodies of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh have been coated with a sheet, which will take in fluid, as an alternative of a tarp. Then the sheet wasn’t stored, which means conceivable hair or DNA from a killer may have been misplaced. Intermittent rain fell and the runoff from the kennel roof fell on Paul Murdaugh’s coated frame.

“It’s a criminal offense scene. You don’t need water dripping everywhere. However extra importantly, I believed it was once lovely disrespectful,” Murdaugh’s former regulation spouse Mark Ball testified.

When state brokers arrived, they despatched Murdaugh and his entourage to the house. Witnesses testified it hadn’t been looked for guns, bloody garments and different proof and even checked to look if a suspect was once hiding inside of.

Prosecutors have little direct proof of Murdaugh’s guilt. The guns used within the killings have now not been discovered. There’s no blood-spattered garments or surveillance video.

Prosecutor John Meadors instructed one of the vital mavens that the investigators did the most efficient they may underneath the instances.

“You’re being paid to return in right here and say they did a foul task,” Meadors stated.

He was once the 72nd witness of the five-week trial. However everybody perked up Thursday when Alex Murdaugh headed to the witness stand.

His protection staff wasted no time. Their first questions have been whether or not he killed his spouse or son.

“I didn’t kill Maggie, and I didn’t kill Paul. I might by no means harm Maggie, and I might by no means harm Paul — ever — underneath any instances,” Murdaugh stated.

Murdaugh admitted he lied for the 20 months when he instructed police, his circle of relatives and somebody else who requested that he was once now not on the kennels sooner than he discovered the our bodies of his spouse and son there. A video on his son’s iPhone, shot mins sooner than prosecutors suppose the killings took place, recorded Alex Murdaugh’s voice. It took state brokers greater than a 12 months to hack into the telephone and in finding it.

In cross-examination, Murdaugh admitted he stole from shoppers and his regulation company, most likely sealing his destiny for most of the 100 different fees he faces starting from robbery to insurance coverage fraud to tax evasion.

“I took cash that wasn’t mine. And I shouldn’t have completed it. I hate the truth that I did it. I’m embarrassed through it. I’m embarrassed for my son. I’m embarrassed for my circle of relatives,” Murdaugh stated.

Out of doors of Murdaugh and his circle of relatives, no possible witness has piqued the pastime of trial watchers like Curtis “Eddie” Smith.

“Cousin Eddie,” as many have taken to calling him, was once the individual Murdaugh stated he known as when he sought after somebody to kill him 3 months after the deaths of his spouse and son.

The deadly shot handiest grazed Murdaugh’s head. Smith instructed journalists that the gun fired as they wrestled over the weapon and if he had shot deliberately at Murdaugh, he wouldn’t have overlooked.

Smith and Murdaugh met a couple of decade in the past when Smith wanted a attorney for a employees’ reimbursement case. Investigators stated they ran a drug and cash laundering ring in conjunction with Smith cashing assessments to assist Murdaugh disguise cash he was once stealing from shoppers.

Finally, each prosecutors and protection legal professionals seem to have determined Smith may harm their circumstances up to assist them.

Protection legal professional Dick Harpootlian stated Smith had six other explanations for capturing Murdaugh “and another data you ask him about.”

However previous this month as prosecutors and Harpootlian mentioned with the pass judgement on whether or not Smith would testify, the feisty protection legal professional lamented Smith will not be known as.

“The cross-examination of Mr. Smith is one thing I’m having a look ahead to,” Harpootlian stated.