Stephen Smith’s physique to be exhumed

The physique of a youthful South Carolina man who died mysteriously just a few miles from the infamous Murdaugh family’s dwelling is prepared to be exhumed, his family has talked about.

Stephen Smith’s family launched Friday that they’ll exhume his physique for an neutral autopsy after his July 8, 2015, dying acquired renewed consideration all through Alex Murdaugh’s trial, WYFF reported.

The switch comes higher than seven years after Smith, 19, was found ineffective on Sandy Run Road open air Hampton County, not faraway from the Moselle property the place Alex Murdaugh gunned down his partner and son six years later.

At the time, his dying was dominated a hit-and-run, nonetheless authorities reopened the investigation into Smith’s dying in June 2021 based totally on information uncovered via the investigation into the taking footage deaths of Murdaugh’s partner Maggie and son Paul earlier that month.

Authorities have in no way publicly disclosed whether or not or not there was a hyperlink between Smith’s dying and the Murdaugh family, nonetheless some witnesses have speculated about potential foul play involving Smith’s classmate, Buster, the eldest Murdaugh son.

Smith’s mother Sandy shared on a GoFundMe internet web page that she had raised enough funds to exhume her son’s physique, WYFF reported. The GoFundMe initially aimed to carry $15,000. As of Friday morning, it had raked in further than $40,000.

“Our family is so very grateful to all of you who came together to help us in our fight for justice for Stephen. I could not have imagined when we began this fundraiser that it would take off the way that it did. Thank you for not allowing Stephen’s story to be swept under a rug,” Sandy Smith wrote in an substitute on Thursday.

After Murdaugh was sentenced to 2 consecutive life phrases for killing Maggie and Paul earlier this month, Sandy talked about she was relieved to see the licensed scion behind bars.

“That jury done excellent. They seen through the lies and a Murdaugh is finally brought down,” she instructed The Post.

“Now that this case is back over, they can get on Stephen’s case full-time.”