SC - Stephen Smith, 19, homicide, Hampton Co, 9 Jul 2015 *new death investigation 2023*

evilwise

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Hampton community wants answers in fatal hit and run case

Investigators in Hampton County say it appears to have been a hit and run that killed 19-year-old Stephen Smith on Sandy Run Road near Joe Miley Road, when he was walking outside of his vehicle because he ran out of gas. Friends and family of Smith hope a suspect can be identified.
Updated full story, Mother of slain H.C. teen states possible "hate crime"

Stephen’s body was found on Sandy Run Road, near Crocketville on July 8, 2015. He was apparently walking to his home, on Joe Miley Road, after running out of gas on Highway 601. His death certificate states that he died due to severe blunt force trauma to his head, which investigators claim resulted after being struck by a vehicle during a hit-and-run incident.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me. He was struck in the head by a truck mirror? I just can’t see that happening, he would have got out of the way. The reports state that he was walking in the middle of the road and was found 2.7 miles away from his car,” said the heartbroken mother. “The way his body was laying in the road, with his arm dislocated and bent back behind his body, I just don’t believe that he was struck by the mirror of a vehicle.”

"One of the guys that supposedly did this, Stephen told his twin sister that he had ‘a fling’ with the boy. He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Stephen died on the eighth of July,” stated Smith. “It doesn’t matter what his sexual preferences were, he was still my son and he was not messing with anybody and was going to school to better himself.”

“I guarantee you that Stephen was not in that road. They took him from his car; everybody knew his car because he had the ugliest little ‘banana’ [car] in town,” Smith stated passionately. “These boys were coming from a baseball game and I think that they were right behind him, so when he had to pull over, they were right there,” she explained. “I just don’t believe my son would have been walking in the middle of the road like that. He would have seen headlights coming and got off the road. It just doesn’t make any sense,” she continued. “The worst part is that some of the individuals responsible were Stephen’s classmates.”

"I had to go to the Governor to take my case because I wasn’t getting anything done here,” stated Smith. “It’s not coming back to Hampton, the Governor will not let the State Police close the case, because if the case is closed it will come back to Hampton County. There are too many ‘big’ names involved for it to come back to Hampton. It is going to require a change of venue.”
Paul Murdaugh murder: The OTHER mysterious deaths linked to South Carolina legal dynasty | Daily Mail Online

In 2018, Paul's father Richard 'Alec' Murdaugh, the patriarch of the powerful Lowcountry family of prosecutors and attorneys, settled a wrongful death claim in the 'trip and fall' death of housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, 57.

And in 2015, gay teen Stephen Smith was found dead in the road with horrible injuries in an unsolved case the medical examiner ruled a hit-and-run -- a conclusion cops questioned after receiving tips linking Paul as a person of interest.

No Murdaugh has ever been charged or named as a suspect in the deaths of Stephen or Satterfield, but cops are probing whether their deaths or Mallory's may have driven someone to kill Paul and Maggie in an act of vengeance.​
 
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Hampton community wants answers in fatal hit and run case

Investigators in Hampton County say it appears to have been a hit and run that killed 19-year-old Stephen Smith on Sandy Run Road near Joe Miley Road, when he was walking outside of his vehicle because he ran out of gas. Friends and family of Smith hope a suspect can be identified.
Updated full story, Mother of slain H.C. teen states possible "hate crime"

Stephen’s body was found on Sandy Run Road, near Crocketville on July 8, 2015. He was apparently walking to his home, on Joe Miley Road, after running out of gas on Highway 601. His death certificate states that he died due to severe blunt force trauma to his head, which investigators claim resulted after being struck by a vehicle during a hit-and-run incident.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me. He was struck in the head by a truck mirror? I just can’t see that happening, he would have got out of the way. The reports state that he was walking in the middle of the road and was found 2.7 miles away from his car,” said the heartbroken mother. “The way his body was laying in the road, with his arm dislocated and bent back behind his body, I just don’t believe that he was struck by the mirror of a vehicle.”

"One of the guys that supposedly did this, Stephen told his twin sister that he had ‘a fling’ with the boy. He also told me that he and the boy had a deep sea fishing trip planned for July. Stephen died on the eighth of July,” stated Smith. “It doesn’t matter what his sexual preferences were, he was still my son and he was not messing with anybody and was going to school to better himself.”

“I guarantee you that Stephen was not in that road. They took him from his car; everybody knew his car because he had the ugliest little ‘banana’ [car] in town,” Smith stated passionately. “These boys were coming from a baseball game and I think that they were right behind him, so when he had to pull over, they were right there,” she explained. “I just don’t believe my son would have been walking in the middle of the road like that. He would have seen headlights coming and got off the road. It just doesn’t make any sense,” she continued. “The worst part is that some of the individuals responsible were Stephen’s classmates.”

"I had to go to the Governor to take my case because I wasn’t getting anything done here,” stated Smith. “It’s not coming back to Hampton, the Governor will not let the State Police close the case, because if the case is closed it will come back to Hampton County. There are too many ‘big’ names involved for it to come back to Hampton. It is going to require a change of venue.”
Paul Murdaugh murder: The OTHER mysterious deaths linked to South Carolina legal dynasty | Daily Mail Online

In 2018, Paul's father Richard 'Alec' Murdaugh, the patriarch of the powerful Lowcountry family of prosecutors and attorneys, settled a wrongful death claim in the 'trip and fall' death of housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, 57.

And in 2015, gay teen Stephen Smith was found dead in the road with horrible injuries in an unsolved case the medical examiner ruled a hit-and-run -- a conclusion cops questioned after receiving tips linking Paul as a person of interest.

No Murdaugh has ever been charged or named as a suspect in the deaths of Stephen or Satterfield, but cops are probing whether their deaths or Mallory's may have driven someone to kill Paul and Maggie in an act of vengeance.​
So just to clarify… is there still an open investigation into his death? And by “Governor” does this mean it is led by SLED and the state Attorney General?
 
So just to clarify… is there still an open investigation into his death? And by “Governor” does this mean it is led by SLED and the state Attorney General?
Well this article is really just an interview with Stephen's mother who it seems, in my opinion, has been given a personal assurance by the governor that the case remains open and under investigation by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, who officially consider it a hit and run accident.

It's my belief that this case, the Beach girl's case, and the Murdaugh case need the attention of the FBI.
 
So his car was out of gas, he winds up the victim of a hit and run, his mother feels because he was gay he was targeted by classmates , if I'm reading correctly

Im a little confused by the mothers statement , Is she saying she felt he was murdered elsewhere, or that he was run down by someone intentionally?
 
Good Q - defamation laws do NOT apply to the deceased, so anyone who might want to claim anything about PM is now free to do so.

but it’s not even quite clear IMO that she’s making allegations against PM? As you point out Kell1, seems there are a number of different suggestions in her statements

1- a targeted murder by a man who was “stalking” Stephen - unclear whether someone who was EG interested in & rejected by him, or some homophobic beast looking to take out the hate in his heart on an innocent young man

2- a classmate that Stephen had dated / was dating - was PM even Stephen’s classmate? It looks like Stephen had finished high school in 2014 IIRC - no idea about PM. At first glance this theory might look crazy, but I’ve seen closeted guys (including adult men who IMO really should have grown into a better understanding of themselves) behave terribly toward guys they’ve been involved with. If one of Stephen’s classmates was romantically involved with him & struggling internally with it, this as a motive (esp if speculation JMO the classmate was 18/19-yo and driving around drunk at night) is sadly not too unlikely

3- a group of “classmates” who might’ve targeted Stephen based on knowing him to be gay w/o any implication of romantic involvement- just basically gay bashing. Again, sadly disgustingly & pathetically not all that unlikely IMO

4- also what LE said - Stephen left his car when it run out of gas at night, walked along the road, & was hit & run by the mirror on a passing truck. I disagree w what little I saw of Stephen’s mother’s claim that the evidence doesn’t support this - having been on both ends of mirror-hittings :confused: I can confirm that they don’t nec result in broken glass on the road or the victim. The mirror snaps inward, the glass is on the other side. The glass is likely to at least crack but not nec shatter, and even if does break enough to fall from the frame it’s likely to get caught in the frame as it’s folded into the vehicle, not spray out onto the road and/or victim. And the victim’s dislocated shoulder sounds like what could happen if he was thrown by the impact & landed on his arm, doesn’t it?

but there are other ??? about this mirror hit&run story …. was Stephen’s car out of gas or not? He was on his way home from work so likely not drunk or broke - why would he let his car run out of gas?? & This was back in 2015 so maybe cameras not everywhere like now … but was there ever any attempt made to locate the driver responsible for this hit & run?? Even if 100% accidental, goes w/o saying that no one had any right to run this young man down & leave him dead on the road like a raccoon! Clearly we haven’t seen the full story on this yet I know … but so far even by LE’s own admission it looks like maybe they were at best asleep on the job :mad:
 

Dear @evilwise,

Thank you sharing the news that the Stephen Smith death investigation will be opened.

His suspicious death deserves the same amount of time and effort as PM and MM's does.

Hoping so much that SLED is able to identify and arrest someone for the death of Stephen Smith. Perhaps 2 people will be arrested. We shall see.
 
Well this article is really just an interview with Stephen's mother who it seems, in my opinion, has been given a personal assurance by the governor that the case remains open and under investigation by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, who officially consider it a hit and run accident.

It's my belief that this case, the Beach girl's case, and the Murdaugh case need the attention of the FBI.

I absolutely agree with your belief that the F.B.I. needs to be involved in both the cases!
 
It's likely my computer, but I had to go into "incognito search" on my computer to read the following article.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/south-carolina/article252299338.html

"The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on social media. In July 2015, the young man’s body was found in the middle of a Hampton County roadway with his head bashed in. Investigators reported he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, despite police reports showing no evidence that ever took place."
 
Ashley Banfield episode about Stephen :


Thank you for this, @KatzEye!

Ashley Banfield is a solid investigative reporter and I am so thankful that she is looking into this and conducting interviews on her new show!

She will keep Stephen Smith's case in the public discourse and this is so crucial!

The discussion is excellent in this video. I'm going to watch it again.
 
New interview with Stephen's twin sister, Stephanie.

Stephanie and her Mom, Sandra speak about Stephen and the investigation:

Stephen Smith's family remembers him 6 years after his death

"They told me that they were reopening his case with a different SLED agency, from the Midlands. Not the Lowcountry. So they are seeing it with brand new eyes," said Sandra.
 
Underneath the video:


Stephen Smith's family remembers him 6 years after his death

"CHARLESTON, SC (WCIV) — Sandra Smith has been asking authorities to take a closer look at Stephen Smith's death for the past six years.

Now, Sandra tells us she feels like her family is finally being heard.

On Tuesday, State Law Enforcement Division reopened the investigation into Stephen's death because of new information gathered from the double homicide of Paul and Margaret Murdaugh.

Stephen Smith's body was found on a rural Hampton County road on July 8, 2015.


"He was just my heart. He was my heart. Yeah. He was mamma's boy," said Sandra Smith, Stephen's mother.

Sandra Smith said her son was full of personality.

She shared with us what she misses most about Stephen.

"The way he used to sneak up behind me, then just tickle my neck and then we would chase each other so I could give him a kiss," said Sandra.

Stephanie Smith was Stephen's twin sister.

"I tend not to express my feelings about Stephen because I know it's just going to make me upset," said Stephanie.

Stephanie said her and Stephen shared a typical brother-sister relationship.

"I miss him yelling at me when I got on his nerves. I miss spending time with him. Just going grocery shopping was enough," said Stephanie.

Stephanie said she doesn't have to look far to see her brother.

"Looking at my child makes it difficult sometimes. Because she is the spitting image of what he wanted," said Stephanie.

On Tuesday, SLED told the family they reopened Stephen's case.

"They told me that they were reopening his case with a different SLED agency, from the Midlands. Not the Lowcountry. So they are seeing it with brand new eyes," said Sandra.

The news is a relief to Sandra and her family.

She hopes it will clear the confusion surrounding the night Stephen died.

"They said he was shot in the head. Then it turned out it was a hit and run. Then he was beat up. So the story just kept changing," said Sandra.

SLED said something they found during the Murdaugh investigation led them to reopen Stephen's case.

But what was Stephen's relationship with the Murdaugh family?

"The family did not realize there was a relationship. Until friends of Stephen's came to our house, the day Stephen died," said Sandra.

But Sandra said rumors never stopped.

"I didn't believe it. I told Stephanie you are going to hear all kinds of rumors because Stephen was gay," said Sandra.

With SLED's announcement, the family feels they are closer to the truth now than ever before. "We are asking that the evidence they have be processed morally, ethically and fairly. Despite who's name comes up in the investigation," said Connie Whitehead, Stephen's cousin.

Final answers will give the family something they struggle with daily: closure.

"Well, its not going to bring Stephen back. But I will have peace of mind to whoever did this is going to pay," said Sandra.

The family told us Highway Patrol investigative team has Stephen's phone and the FBI unlocked it in September of 2017.

We asked the FBI about this, and they told us they would not comment and are referring all inquiries to SLED."
 

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