In what marks the first time the 26-year-old has ever spoken out publicly about the murders, he recounted the moment that he learned that his mother and brother were dead. In 2015, Stephen Smith was killed in a hit-and-run accident, in which Buster Murdaugh was reportedly involved. The Murdaugh family is a prominent dynasty of lawyers from the Low Country in South Carolina, with Low Country referring to the distinct cultural and geographical region on the southeast coast of the state. Murdaugh Murders filmmakers Jenner FurstandJulia Willoughby Nason (previously of Hulus Fyre Fraud) report that theyve uncovered new crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh and are hoping Netflix commissions a second season so they can reveal them. Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh left to right. But I do believe that the truth is going to come out. As if this immense trail of bodies and financial crimes werent enough to capture the publics attention, this story has one final wait, what moment to really drive things home. However, when authorities reopened the case in June 2021 and looked into Buster's potential involvement, police were "never able to formally tie Buster Murdaugh to the case nor track down the original source of the rumors.". But despite the many attempts, Paul ended up being charged with the death of Mallory Beach. By waiting just a little bit longer than its peers, Netflix hopes that it can present the definitive version of the Murdaugh murders. Names and stories of the Murdaugh family surfaced six years ago regarding the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, a young gay man found dead in the middle of a lonely rural road with several deep gashes in his head, but investigators said they were never able to directly connect anyone in the family to the incident. Smith was a high school classmate of Murdaugh's son Buster . He, Paul, Maggie and his father would call each other and speak on the phone pretty much every day. 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. Evidence of his prolific financial misdeeds had now come to light. On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh familys boat with several of his friends on board. He said that he didnt want to hunt there and that neither he nor his father had never stayed a single night at Moselle after the murders. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For . During the investigation into their deaths, new information came to light. Under brief cross-examination, the prosecutor brought up that Mr Murdaugh had suggested his son went hunting at Moselle after his mother and brother were gunned down there. His father had gone to a detox facility around Christmas 2018 and Buster thought that handled it but they found pills a couple more times after that. She also went to the scene of the crime to take a look around. But why though? In prestige terms, it all translated into unparalleled authority for the Murdaughs, who were sometimes even above the law if the interviewees of the Netflix series are to be believed. Meanwhile, the prosecution has assembled its witnesses and pieces of evidence, including bodycam footage from the night of the murders, to prove Alex's alleged crimes. Did a powerful South Carolina attorney really murder his wife and son? 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. Like the probe of the 2019 boat crash, the 2015 investigation into Smith's death was chaotic from the beginning clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. Alex Murdaugh, 52, is a lawyer and the great-grandson of Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh, . Police found Smith dead on the side of the road in 2015, The New York Times reports. The charges against him had varying effects on Paul as per varying accounts of his friends. Over time, the Moselle property became the familys main home though they would spend much of the summer at the beach home in Edisto Beach. I just want to say I forgive you. The same month, Alex is disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. theyve uncovered new crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh, SLED elected to re-open Stephen Smiths case, Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 Review The Apostate, Unforgotten Series 5 Review: Bleak, Angry, But the Old Magic is Still There, Recently, Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand, Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence Is a Harrowing Watch. He hid a mystery blue item upstairs in the home and then left again, she said. In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. A member of the Ukrainian Parliament says Russias invasion of Ukraine began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. A cellphone video captured by Paul minutes before the murders also appears to place Mr Murdaugh at the murder scene. The Murdaughs also ran a big law firm in the area. Alex Murdaugh called 911 around 1:30 p.m. to report he had been shot at the side of Salkehatchie Road. The Murdaughs were members of a prominent South Carolina legal family that first made regional headlines in February 2019.. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? On June 7, 2021 at 10:06 p.m., Alex Murdaugh called 911 and reported he had discovered the dead bodies of his son Paul and his wife Maggie near the dog kennels at their hunting lodge. Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex, all members of the prominent Murdaugh family Credit: Facebook One theory posits that Stephen ran out of gas and decided to walk home when he was clipped by a semi truck, but Stephen's mother Sandy Smith discounted that hypothesis in the 20/20 documentary. Picking up from the accidental death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal traces the series of events that made the suspicious history of the powerful Murdaugh family of South Carolina national news. It is also believed that Buster was a close friend (and rumored boyfriend) of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old who was killed under mysterious circumstances in 2019. When asked about his fathers opioid abuse, Buster says he knew a little bit about the usage of pills and knew that Maggie and Paul had confronted him about finding pills at some time. It was last brought back to the KFC menu in April 2014. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is a new Netflix three-part documentary series on the titular Murdaugh Murders. He said he was not aware Paul ever got a replacement gun and did not see him using a Blackout that wasnt his. The case remains unsolved. And it seemed to be an intentional act, which we consider homicide, said Michael Duncan, a retired corporal who was part of the accident investigation team. His family claims local law enforcement did little to investigate. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21 to shed light on his father's loving treatment of his family. 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. Online following of Murdaugh saga:South Carolina murder saga attracts cult-like online following. The other passengers were Murdaughs girlfriend, Morgan Doughty; Beachs boyfriend, Anthony Cook; Anthonys cousin, Connor Cook; and Connors girlfriend, Miley Altman. He had blunt force trauma. Stephen Smith was studying to be a nurse at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, hoping to eventually become a doctor. So thats about it! Or at least no evidence as strong as the evidence in the other murders. What starts as a relatively straightforward case of Boating Under the Influence with a touch of manslaughter, quickly balloons into a sprawling catalogue of crimes including corruption, embezzlement, and outright murder. The damage to his body was limited to Smith's right side, "from his right eye socket to the back of his head and his right shoulder was dislocated," she said. "No car parts. While he said he wasnt often present for the confrontations, he said he believed his fathers response was usually apologetic. A coroner ultimately ruled Smith's death as accidental, involving a car that hit him. Busters name has also cropped up in connection with the mysterious death of Stephen Smith a 19-year-old gay teenager who was found dead at the side of a road in Hampton County in 2015. Satterfields death was accepted as an accidental trip and fall despite several suspicious circumstances. I just want answers." Witnesses interviewed as part of the original investigation into Smith's death repeatedly implicated Alex Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster, as having been involved in a relationship with. On June 22, roughly two weeks after the killings of Margaret and Paul Murdaugh, SLED reopened an investigation into the unsolved death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith. Following the deaths of Mallory Beach, Paul Murdaugh, and Maggie Murdaugh, SLED elected to re-open Stephen Smith's case. "Another rumor claims Buster Murdaugh and two other boys were responsible for [Smith's death]," said the outlet. Jurors have so heard four weeks of dramatic testimony from 61 prosecution witnesses covering a trove of circumstantial evidence, including cellphone and car data, a damning video allegedly placing Mr Murdaugh at the crime scene and apparent holes in his alibi for the time for the murders. Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. Death of Mallory Beach, Feb. 24, 2019. 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. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaughs name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Now, the case is being reexamined, including why some Murdaugh family members were among those first on scene. Murdaugh isn't the only one in the family who has been involved in a mysterious death. 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. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. 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. The recalled Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cups may contain pecans. His body was found about 15 miles from the Murdaugh's Moselle estate. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. Alex's voice could be heard in the background of a video with that of Paul and Maggie. Perhaps thats why Murdaugh apparently attempted suicide in a roundabout way. 1. Where Is Buster Murdaugh, Did He Kill Stephen Smith? The case of Stephen Smith a 19-year-old man from Hampton, S.C. who was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8, 2015. Buster testified that Paul later told him that his gun was apparently lost, stolen, taken and after that his brother would always use his. In one dramatic moment, Buster insisted that his father said they and not I during a police interview video which prompted speculation that the disgraced legal dynasty heir may have unwittingly slipped up and confessed to the murders. 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