Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead on a Hampton County road in July 2015. The medical examiner concluded that he had been struck by a vehicle, but the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) later said Highway Patrol case notes showed investigators did not believe his death was a hit-and-run. SLED opened its own investigation in 2021 and described it as a homicide investigation in 2023. The public record cited here does not identify who killed Smith or establish that a Murdaugh family member was involved.
What happened to Stephen Smith?
Smith was found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, South Carolina, on July 8, 2015. SLED crime-scene agents processed the scene after the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance. At the autopsy that day, medical examiner Dr. Erin Presnell concluded that Smith died after being struck by a motor vehicle. The county asked the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) to investigate.
Those are distinct steps: SLED agents assisted with crime-scene processing in 2015, but SLED says it was not asked to conduct a homicide investigation then. The initial medical examiner’s conclusion and the later account of Highway Patrol notes are also not the same thing. SLED’s account of the notes says SCHP investigators did not believe the death was a hit-and-run; the public summary does not provide a complete reconstruction of how Smith died. SLED’s March 22, 2023 release describes these investigative stages.
Why did SLED reopen the case?
SLED says it opened its own investigation on June 23, 2021, after agents received information and reviewed the SCHP investigative file. Its 2023 release does not detail all the information that prompted the opening. CBS News reported that the renewed investigation came after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh and linked SLED’s action to information gathered during that separate investigation. The agency’s public explanation, however, is that it received information and reviewed the Highway Patrol file.
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SLED’s later role should not be read backward into 2015: the agency says it was not asked to investigate Smith’s death at that time. Its crime-scene assistance and its 2021 opening of a homicide investigation were different actions.
What is established about a Murdaugh connection?
The Murdaugh scandal brought renewed attention to Smith’s death, but attention and timing are not evidence of responsibility. CBS News’ timeline recounts rumors and public statements about a possible connection; it also reports that Buster Murdaugh denied involvement. The sources cited here do not establish that any Murdaugh family member killed or helped kill Smith. Rumors should not be presented as findings, and a denial does not resolve the underlying investigation.
Alex Murdaugh’s separate criminal proceedings do not determine what happened to Smith. The Associated Press reported in June 2026 that Alex Murdaugh’s separate murder convictions had been overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court and that prosecutors planned a retrial. That development concerns another case and supplies no evidence about Smith’s death. For the public timeline of rumors and reported statements, see CBS News’ Stephen Smith timeline; for the separate proceedings, see the Associated Press timeline of the Alex Murdaugh cases.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the Stephen Smith case still open?
In its March 22, 2023 release, SLED said: “SLED’s investigation into the death of Mr. Smith was never closed – it remains a homicide investigation.” The agency called the investigation active and ongoing, said it had made progress, and assigned additional Low Country regional agents. It also asked people with information to contact SLED. This is the latest case-specific official update identified here; it does not establish the case’s status on October 8, 2026, or report a named suspect, charges, or a resolution.
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