Alex is currently defending himself in court against charges that he murdered his wife, Maggie, and their youngest son, Paul. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. Stephen Smith's family reacts to Murdaugh indictment in killings of wife, son. Stephanie Whiteside, Paige Lobdell, Rich McHugh. In the new Netflix documentary about the Murdaugh murders, locals who knew the family and Smith said there was speculation that Buster and Smith had a secret relationship. Everyone survived apart from Mallory Beach, 19, whose body washed up on shore around a week later. Death of Mallory Beach, Feb. 24, 2019. In fact, it was one of the first files I ever received related to this story, Folks said. Then he and his girlfriend Brooklynn grabbed some stuff and drove down to Moselle, reaching the property in the early hours of 8 June. Police determined it was a hit and run. The patriarch is currently on trial for the 2021 murders of his wife Margaret and younger son Paul, but the disgraced attorney has also allegedly engaged in various financial crimes. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. ALL FREE. 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. Prosecutors claim that Mr Murdaugh wrapped the murder weapons in the jacket and intially hid them at his parents home. The case remains unsolved. Judge Clifton Newman is said to have issued multiple warnings to several members of the Murdaugh family about their behaviour in court and they were told to move to the back of the courtroom. Now, the case is being reexamined, including why some Murdaugh family members were among those first on scene. Naturally, many people began to wonder if Paul and Maggies murder was connected to the boating case. In April 2019, Paul was charged with three felonies over Beachs death including boating under the influence and was facing up to 25 years in prison. Other than that, police found no other marks on his body. The teenager was found with blunt force trauma to his head, which appeared to first responders as a possible gunshot wound. 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. Meanwhile, Mr Murdaugh appeared to smile at his son at several points. All free. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on . The five county area that serves as the 14th district was the Murdaughs political dominion for nearly a century. Ultimately the 88 indictments for financial fraud amounted to around $9 million. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? The Murdaugh family were undoubtedly the biggest names in small Hampton County where everyone knew everyone a point reiterated quite a few times throughout the Netflix docuseries in a possible attempt to justify the numerous perspectives that were available on the central events being discussed. In the bodycam footage, the disgraced attorney is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts. The slayings of Maggie and Paul opened up another unsolved death from 2015that of Stephen Smith, a gay teenager whose body was found dead on a remote road in Hampton County. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) certainly did. The charges against him had varying effects on Paul as per varying accounts of his friends. Some cases are so explosive, however, that documentarians just cant wait to get their cameras on it. The final state witness SLED Agent Peter Rudofski laid out a detailed timeline of both the final movements of the two victims and the movements of their accused killer. The latest Netflix docuseries focuses on the series of events that led to the fall of the Murdaugh family legacy, starting from the death of Mallory Beach. The nights that followed witnessed the search for Mallory. What Stephens life was like, what I will say, is know of no evidence that would support any kind of relationship between Stephen and Buster, said Michael Hemlepp, attorney for the Smith family. I have faith in that, Im optimistic in that. The fall from grace began for the respected and somewhat feared Murdaughs when on a fateful February night in 2019, the actions of Paul Murdaugh, the younger son of Alex Murdaugh, leads to the death of Mallory Beach. But Buster Murdaugh's private life has already been shown to the public. The death was never reported to the coroner, and no autopsy was conducted. In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found in the middle of a rural road. Murdaugh had hoped his surviving son, Buster, could collect a $ . Then people started asking questions about Stephen Smiths case. Yet, the case was left classified as a hit and run. Smith was found laying in the middle of the road by a bystander around 4:20 AM on July 8, 2015. He had blunt force trauma. 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. Murdoch testimony could be sharp dagger for Fox News: Expert, East Palestine residents report unusual symptoms, John Oliver on new AI tech: Stupid in ways we cant predict, Why TikTok is being banned on govt phones in US and beyond, COVID-19 origins drawing further scrutiny in Washington, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In 2015, Stephen Smith was killed in a hit-and-run accident, in which Buster Murdaugh was reportedly involved. Later, Connor's father was also contacted by Alex in an act of intimidation. Everyone knew that the Murdaughs were not to be messed with. There was clearly a Murdaugh tie into the death of Stephen Smith, because if you read the investigatory reports from his death back in 2015, the Murdaugh name is mentioned dozens of times. Bank of Dave: What Happened in Real Life? This marks the first time the 26-year-old has ever spoken publicly about the murders of his mother and brother or about his fathers string of alleged crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. Or at least no evidence as strong as the evidence in the other murders. 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). "SLED has . Satterfields next of kin was supposed to receive a substantial insurance settlement due to accidental death. As previously stated: though this story begins in 2019, Alex Murdaugh has been breaking the law for far longer. At 2:20 the next morning, the boat driven by the allegedly intoxicated Murdaugh slammed into a piling in Archers Creek (5). Alex Murdaughs only surviving son Buster gave stoic testimony as his father looked on smiling in the South Carolina courtroom where he is on trial for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. But Mallory Beach's death was a tragedy waiting to happen at the hands of Paul, who was known for his violent behavior under the influence of alcohol. Recently, Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand for the defense and testified that his father was destroyed by the deaths of Paul and Maggie. His car was three miles away. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, During calm testimony, Buster appeared to water down but not refute some key points in the prosecutions case, including the police interview where his father appeared to unwittingly confess to the murders, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, also known as SLED, told NewsNation they have made progress in the death investigation of Stephen Smith, however, the investigation is active and ongoing. Buster Murdaugh was allegedly involved in a relationship with Stephen Smith, an openly gay 19-year-old. Nobody knows. Alex Murdaugh called 911 around 1:30 p.m. to report he had been shot at the side of Salkehatchie Road. In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. He had a sister. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaugh's name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Distractify is a registered trademark. In all honesty, the events that unfold tend to prove the point. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? . However, not a penny showed up at the doors of Gloria's family. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is a new Netflix three-part documentary series on the titular Murdaugh Murders. Murdaugh, a well-known lawyer, found. In fact, even though the trial of Alex Murdaugh is ongoing and fresh revelations about his crimes are being uncovered almost daily, one could argue that Netflix is getting into the Murdaugh game late with its three-episode series, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. While Mallory's friends Miley, Morgan, Anthony, Connor, and Paul all survived, Mallory never made it out of the water. Throughout the weeks-long trial, Buster and several other family members have put on a united front, supporting Mr Murdaugh in court every day. Such are the circumstances with the story of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh. Busters testimony also called into question the significance of the multiple outfits Mr Murdaugh was seen wearing on the day of the murders with no bloodied clothing ever found. Though Alex Murdaugh and other Murdaugh family members began committing crimes in 2014 or earlier, the inciting incident for their ultimate downfall begins in 2019. Sandy Smith, Stephen's mother, released a statement Thursday after a Colleton County Grand Jury indicted Alex Murdaugh on two counts of murder and two gun charges in connection with the shooting deaths of his wife and son. 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. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaughs name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Buster who has attended the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, every day since the start of the high-profile trial in a show of support for his father was the first witness called to the stand by the defence on Tuesday morning. Alex Murdaugh with defence attorney Dick Harpootlian during his trial. His testimony marked the first major witness for the defence, which began its case on Friday afternoon. 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. There was no blood. The mystery surrounding the fatal shootings at the home of a prominent South Carolina family connects to the deaths of three people and a roadside shooting. The boat was driven by Paul Murdaugh, then 19. The first one was that of Stephen Smith, who was found dead on the side of a road in 2015. Alex Murdaugh was trying desperately to save his son's name. Additionally, the teenager had injuries to his left hand and arm. The coroner declared the death a hit-and-run collision. Two days later, he announced he had quit his law firm and was entering a rehabilitation program for treatment of opioid addiction. The series was released without a lot of promotion on Sunday even as the double-murder trial of Richard "Alex" Murdaugh continues in Walterboro, South Carolina. I just want answers." He suffered what police described as a superficial gunshot wound to the head.. Recently, Smith's family friend, Susanne Andrews, revealed "progress" has been made since Paul and Maggie's 2021 murders. It definitely was not a hit and run. According to Live 5 News, the Murdaugh family is mentioned several times in the investigative files of Stephen Smith, who died by hit-and-run in July 2015. It turns out that Alex Murdaugh had a nasty habit of winning financial settlements on behalf of his clients and then just keeping the money. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. 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 . 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. He said he was not aware Paul ever got a replacement gun and did not see him using a Blackout that wasnt his. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division re-opened the case in June 2021, shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh based on information discovered during that initial investigation. Copyright 2023 Radar Media Group LLC. After that, Buster Murdaugh's name kept coming up. Did Buster Murdaugh kill Stephen Smith, and his own brother Paul Murdaugh? Before the beginning of the murder trial on January 23, 2023, a lot more charges were brought against Alex Murdaugh as a result of the financial fraud he had continuously committed over the years. July 8, 2015. Moselle crime scene: What will Murdaugh jury see? 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). Prosecutors claim that Mr Murdaugh shot dead Maggie and Paul by the dog kennels of the familys sprawling estate in Islandton, in order to distract from his string of alleged scandals and financial crimes. People said that Smith and Murdaugh were dating, which made the circumstances of his death even more controversial. Sources told FITS News that when Buster was then asked to move to the back of the courtroom, he allegedly kicked over a water bottle in anger. I know they were all talking to each other too.. SLED Special Agent Jeff Croft testified that Mr Murdaugh said: I did him so bad.. Maybe it was simply incompetence. 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. His car was discovered three miles away with the gas cap off. Death of Gloria Satterfield, Feb. 26, 2018. 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