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. Duncan said the Murdaugh family name came up in the initial accident investigation but didnt go anywhere. But from day one, his mother said otherwise, believing her son was murdered. He certainly knew the area. Jurors have previously seen a Snapchat video Paul sent to a friend less than one hour before the murders where he is wearing an entirely different outfit to the bodycam footage after the murders. Paul is the platonic ideal of the spoiled rich boy archetype and the police arriving on the scene of the accident certainly treated him as such. We know for a fact it was not a hit-and-run. Entertainment; News & Politics; Sports; Health & Lifestyle; Science & Tech; toggle. Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? SLED agents say that family guns were used to kill both victims, with Paul shot twice with a shotgun that was loaded with buckshot and steel birdshot. One of the cases now being re-examined is the death of Stephen Smith, 19, whose body was found on a rural road in 2015. Simply put: the Alex Murdaugh story is a lot like a lot. The three men would often go hunting together on the 1,700-acre estate, he said. A blue tarp and a blue rainjacket was found in a search of the home, with the jacket covered in gunshot residue particles. Two days later, he announced he had quit his law firm and was entering a rehabilitation program for treatment of opioid addiction. Buster testified that Paul later told him that his gun was apparently lost, stolen, taken and after that his brother would always use his. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is a new Netflix three-part documentary series on the titular Murdaugh Murders. His mother hired a private investigator to look into the matter. Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. The Murdaughs 57-year-old housekeeper died in a hospital three weeks after injuries suffered at their home, having never regained consciousness. In court, Alex admitted to lying about his alibi on the night of the murder but denied any involvement in the deaths. 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. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. I do believe that were going to get answers. One of the challenging things about fully understanding the scope of the Murdaugh story is comprehending its timeline. He was found guilty of duping people of millions of dollars, and was accused of misappropriating funds to the tune of $9 million by his former partners at his law firm. Durch Klicken auf Alle akzeptieren erklren Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass Yahoo und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten und Technologien wie Cookies nutzen, um personalisierte Anzeigen und Inhalte zu zeigen, zur Messung von Anzeigen und Inhalten, um mehr ber die Zielgruppe zu erfahren sowie fr die Entwicklung von Produkten. She said since the case has been reopened, there have been offers of a book deal and a Netflix movie but all shes interested in is justice. Yet, the case was left classified as a hit and run. Family members of a slain Hampton County teen have released a . 8. The former lawyer Murdaugh currently faces a grand total of 106 grand jury criminal charges! Sandy Smith holds a photo of her son Stephen Smith. While police were still searching for Mallory Beach, Alex arrived at the hospital and went room to room to speak with the survivors. This is when most folks outside of South Carolina became aware of the Murdaugh name and its wisely where Murdaugh Murders elects to begin its story. Alex Murdaugh was trying desperately to save his son's name. Gloria Satterfield was the Murdaugh familys longtime housekeeper. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21 to shed light on his father's loving treatment of his family. While Mallory's friends Miley, Morgan, Anthony, Connor, and Paul all survived, Mallory never made it out of the water. Several friends and partners at Mr Murdaughs law firm PMPED were also there and they stayed for several hours before Buster, his father, girlfriend and uncle John Marvin went to Mr Murdaughs parents home in Almeda. 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. With the increased scrutiny on Alex Murdaugh following the murder of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, Satterfields murder is now the subject of a fresh criminal investigation. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. The case remains unsolved. Buster has experienced grief unlike anyone else; both his mother and brother were murdered. Eight days after the accident, Mallory Beach's body was finally found. They have not made any statement about it since. Amidst this ruckus, on September 4, 2021, Alex called 911, claiming that he was shot in the head while changing a tire on the side of the road. The five county area that serves as the 14th district was the Murdaughs political dominion for nearly a century. That's the day that his father, Alex Murdaugh said he came home and found his wife, Maggie, 52, and their son, Paul, 22, gunned down on . Later, Connor's father was also contacted by Alex in an act of intimidation. As viewers of Murdaugh Murders quickly discover, however, uncovering new crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh does not appear to be a difficult task. Very upset about various sporting events. They returned hours later and all showered at the Moselle home, he said casting doubts on testimony from the Murdaugh housekeeper Blanca Simpson that she noticed unusual things in the home on 8 June including a light puddle of water, a towel, a pair of khaki pants and a t-shirt on the ground. Cpl. Now Paul, just 22 years old and facing three felony counts, was dead. 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. But Murdaugh conspired with two fellow attorneys to have the insurance payout diverted to Murdaughs account. 1. The first was that of a high school student, Stephen Smith, back in 2015. Buster testified that he helped pack his father a bag of clothes from his closet to take with them. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) certainly did. Congressman says yes. Initially, Smith's death was ruled a hit-and-run by the coroner; however, the Smith family and Highway Patrol Investigators rejected the claim and noted that "no vehicle debris, skid marks, or injuries consistent with someone being struck by a vehicle" were found in the initial investigation. SLED Special Agent Jeff Croft testified that Mr Murdaugh said: I did him so bad.. At the core of all the events was the name of Alex Murdaugh, who's currently on trial for the murder of his own wife and son, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Before we continue on to all the death and human suffering, it might be helpful to know that, due to their Low Country origin, both Alex and Murdaugh are not pronounced how you probably think theyre pronounced. In 2015, 19-year-old Stephen Smith died after he was hit by his car and the driver didn't stop. The Murdaughs also ran a big law firm in the area. 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. They had friends in common and they didnt move in the same circles. But Buster Murdaugh's private life has already been shown to the public. He died of blunt force trauma to the head, but there were no signs to. While this was a tragic enough story to begin with, what elevated it in the public eye was the influential players involved. 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. I know they were all talking to each other too.. The 26-year-old told the court how he lived with his family Maggie, Paul and Mr Murdaugh in Beaufort before they moved to Hampton County in 2000. There was no blood. Prosecutors claim that Mr Murdaugh wrapped the murder weapons in the jacket and intially hid them at his parents home. On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh familys boat with several of his friends on board. He was also being sued by the family of Mallory Beach, who was killed in a 2019 boat crash. Playing Vandy is always fun because it gives the truest depiction of what it's like to play in the ACC every week Buster's 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. 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. Mike DeWine said he was impressed with the magnitude of the cleanup efforts he witnessed and by the hard work people are doing. He asked if I wanted to go hunting out there again after the murders and suggested I could, said Buster. Questions have also been raised about this outfit as multiple law enforcement officials testified that Mr Murdaugh and his clothing were clean despite his claims he touched the bloody bodies of his wife and son to check for signs of life. The judge has warned that he and other family members could be removed from court altogether if there are any further wrong moves. In the aftermath of Maggie and Pauls murders, Buster said that his father had been destroyed and heartbroken. What started out as an unfortunate accident at the hands of the scion of the powerful Murdaugh family, turned out to be just an isolated dot in a line of deaths and financial frauds. Based in Cleveland, Ohio. Murdaugh, 54, is accused of using two different guns to execute his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, June 7, 2021, on the family's Islandton hunting estate By Rebecca Rosenberg | Fox News Buster. Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh, Buster's father, is facing charges with the murders of his wife, Maggie, and his . In this episode, we take a trip to Hampton South Carolina, home to the Murdaugh family, and explore the mysterious death of a young man named Stephen Smith. 'Murdaugh Murders': Buster Murdaugh was accused of allegedly killing classmate and rumored boyfriend Stephen Smith in 2015 By Aayush Sharma Published on : 00:17 PST, Feb 22, 2023 Stephen Smith and Alex Murdaugh in stills from 'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal' (Netflix) 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. In the aftermath of the murders, Buster said that he was with his father almost all day every day for a good while and kept a close eye on him. The case was ruled a hit and run and no arrests were ever made. July 8, 2015. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Here is everything you need to know about the true story. [12] I don't hate you. A classmate of Alex's elder son Buster, Stephen was rumored to have been in a gay relationship with Buster, a pill that was, allegedly, too bitter for the Murdaughs to digest. The coroner said each was shot multiple times with a different weapon; time of death is thought to have been between 9 and 9:30 p.m. The charges were dropped after his murder. His son, wife, and housekeeper were all dead. But despite the many attempts, Paul ended up being charged with the death of Mallory Beach. Mr Murdaugh was also sued by the Beach family, with prosecutors saying that the lawsuit was picking up pace in the days before the murders, and that the disgraced attorneys finances were about to be exposed because of it. Reporter Will Folks with FitsNews told NewsNation Buster Murdaugh's name often came up in connection with the Stephen Smith case. Death of Stephen Smith, July 8, 2015. On June 25, Alex and his surviving son, "Buster," offered a $100,000 reward for the killer or killers. . People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The two were shot and killed in June 2021. They graduated high school together. He said they did them so bad, he said. On July 14, 2022, Alex Murdaugh is indicted on two counts of murder. After regaining their balance and senses the six occupants of the boat regrouped to discover that one of their own, Mallory Beach was missing. All Rights Reserved. Currently, Murdaugh is on trial for murder for the deaths of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh. A passerby in a car called in a 911 report, and by dawn the local highway patrol was conducting an investigation, collecting evidence, trying to piece together what might have happened. On the call, Alex reported that he had arrived at his house and found the bodies of his wife and son. No tire marks or no debris from a vehicle found on scene after several . Other than that, police found no other marks on his body. The charges against him had varying effects on Paul as per varying accounts of his friends. 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