Murdaugh Claims He Was Not Involved In The Death Of The Hit-And-Run Teen

Updated on March 21, 2023 12:15 PM by Andrew Koschiev

In 2015, former lawyer Alex Murdaugh's son, Buster Murdaugh, was charged with murder for the death of a young man and is requesting the word be omitted from news coverage. The death of Stephen Smith, 19, who was found dead in Hampton County, South Carolina, on a country road, has not been connected to Buster Murdaugh, 26, who is 26. The discovery was made approximately 15 miles away from Murdaugh's home and 2 to 3 miles from Smith's car, which had run out of gasoline. During a statement issued Monday, he denied involvement with Stephen's death and expressed condolences to his family.

Buster Murdaugh's request to the media

(Image Credits:WLX-TV)

According to reports, Smith and Murdaugh attended the same high school in South Carolina, but this has not been confirmed. The media needs to stop publishing these rumors and defamatory remarks about me as soon as possible, Murdaugh said. During an autopsy conducted on July 8, 2015, pathologists from the University of South Carolina concluded that Smith was hit by a car. Their findings included a stretched brain stem, irregular abrasions, and bleeding from his lungs. Neither projectiles nor bullet fragments were found in his body, so gunfire was ruled out. Law enforcement may have viewed Smith's case as a possible murder because nonmedical investigators found he had a defensive wound, according to the Island Packet.

Smith's mom asks for a proper investigation

The publication cited an investigator's report, which also said no evidence of a vehicle striking him was found at the scene. Despite all evidence that Smith's death was caused by a hit-and-run, doctors disagreed that it was anything other than that. The mother of Smith now plans to exhume the body and conduct a private medical examination with the money raised through an online crowdfunding campaign. She wrote on her GoFundMe page, "We need an unbiased and accurate investigation of his body." After Margaret Murdaugh, 52, and her younger brother Paul, 22, were shot in June 2021, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division expanded its investigation to include Smith's death.

How did Murdaugh harass?

A more than a century-old law firm and elected officials were associated with the Murdaugh family name, as well as high-profile lawyers like current scion Alex Murdaugh, 54. As a result, he was shot dead on the family property along with his wife and son, the elder. In addition to the two murder counts, Murdaugh was found guilty of using two firearms charges. After his conviction, he filed an appeal and maintained his innocence. The next day, he was given a life sentence without parole. In addition to diverting attention from financial misdeeds, he allegedly stole from clients, according to prosecutors. In incident reports from Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Murdaugh said media members harass him by following him during road trips, parking outside his house, and taking pictures of him inside.