Regulation enforcement in South Carolina are eying two potential individuals of pursuits within the 2015 homicide of homosexual teenager Stephen Smith, who was discovered useless only a few miles from Alex Murdaugh’s former looking property.
Native information web site FitsNews has named the 2 individuals as Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, each 25, citing sources from the South Carolina Regulation Enforcement Division.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the SLED for touch upon the brand new revelations. Stephen Smith was discovered useless in the course of a two-lane Hampton County street on July 8, 2015. His automobile with the gasoline cap eliminated and his pockets nonetheless inside was discovered a brief distance away.
Based on the FitsNews report, Connelly and Wilson, who have been each youngsters on the time, lived in Hampton County when Smith was killed.
Stephen Smith (proper) and his mom Sandy (left). His household have lengthy believed he was murdered – as Stephen’s physique allegedly didn’t have any injures from the torso down, and no automobile components have been discovered on the scene.
The article, which was penned by the web site’s founder Will Forks, alleges that 5 months after Smith’s demise, Wilson’s stepfather, Darrell Williams, mentioned that he was advised by stepson that Connelly ‘struck and killed Stephen Smith.’
Williams in flip notified legislation enforcement. Later, Williams advised investigators that Wilson had moved out and he did not know the place he was dwelling.
When efforts to find him stalled, Williams mentioned that he was advised to name the police initially by Alex Murdaugh’s brother, Randy.
There has lengthy been hypothesis that Buster Murdaugh, Alex’s eldest son, was by some means concerned in Smith’s demise, together with allegations that the pair had a sexual relationship.
The deceased man was Buster’s tutor at school and the pair performed on the identical baseball crew for a time.
‘These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his demise are false. I unequivocally deny any involvement in his demise, and my coronary heart goes out to the Smith household,’ Buster mentioned in a press release earlier this month.
The FitsNews report goes on to say that on the time of Darrell Williams’ cellphone name to police, Wilson was dealing with tried homicide fees that have been later dropped by a decide who was described as ‘serving on the pleasure of the Murdaughs.’
As well as, inside 12 months of Smith’s demise, Connelly’s two motorized vehicle accident lawsuits, each of which have been dropped by ‘Murdaugh-friendly judges,’ in keeping with the web site.
On-line data present that Connelly has a prolonged legal report in South Carolina.
His fees vary from a number of visitors infractions, together with DUIs, home violence, looking with out a license, unlawfully killing an antlerless deer and buying alcohol as a minor.
A tribute for Smith, erected on the web site the place he was discovered useless in Hampton, South Carolina, in 2015
Police have been suspicious that he had been shot, however his demise was dominated a hit-and-run
Wilson has one cost since his tried homicide fees have been dropped, in 2017 he was accused of a boating offense.
There is no such thing as a present proof linking Stephen Smith’s demise to the Murdaugh household, the attorneys for the mom say.
State investigators, who’re additionally trying into Smith’s demise, have remained tight-lipped about taking up the case across the identical time police mentioned Murdaugh killed his spouse and son. He’s serving a life sentence for these killings.
However the lack of proof hasn’t stopped hypothesis. And that spotlight in flip helped Sandy Smith increase in lower than two weeks greater than $87,000 by way of Go Fund Me. Her aim was $15,000 — sufficient to pay to exhume her son’s physique and have a personal post-mortem.
‘It’s vital to me as a result of I really like my son and since I couldn’t defend him, I’m going to combat for him,’ Sandy Smith advised reporters Monday as her attorneys introduced the personal investigation.
The trooper who found Smith’s physique didn’t suppose it was a success and run, however the pathologist who did the post-mortem theorized Smith was hit within the head by the aspect mirror of a passing truck that didn’t cease.
Buster Murdaugh and his girlfriend Brooklynn White stroll into Colleton County Courthouse in South Carolina in February for his father’s double homicide trial
Maggie Murdaugh is seen along with her husband Alex and sons Buster (proper) and Paul (left)
Within the assertion Monday, shared by Alex Murdaugh’s trial lawyer Jim Griffin, Buster referred to as the claims as ‘baseless’
Police mentioned it appeared he ran out of gasoline and was strolling for assist, however legal professional Eric Bland, who’s representing the Smith household, mentioned Smith didn’t make any calls on his cellphone and his sneakers, which have been tied loosely, have been nonetheless on his ft. Folks hit by automobiles are sometimes discovered with out their sneakers from the drive of the wreck.
Smith’s household thinks his accidents, together with head accidents and a dislocated arm bent behind him, point out he was overwhelmed to demise and dropped on the freeway.
There have been no skid marks on the street or particles like damaged glass or mirror components discovered close by, mentioned Ronnie Richter, one other lawyer for the Smiths.
State brokers took over the case in 2021, although they’ve by no means mentioned why they determined to try this or whether or not it’s linked to data discovered through the investigation into the demise of Alex Murdaugh’s spouse and son.
Troopers sometimes examine visitors deaths in South Carolina, the place state brokers sometimes examine different crimes.
State Regulation Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel reached out to Smith’s new attorneys to ask if they may share any new data they discover by way of the post-mortem or some other investigation, company spokesperson Renée Wunderlich mentioned.
‘We do imagine it was a homicide,” Keel advised The State newspaper earlier this month. ‘We don’t imagine it was a hit-and-run.’
Investigators suppose individuals could be extra prepared to speak now that the homicide trial is completed, mentioned the Smith household legal professional Bland.
Step one for the personal investigation will probably be getting permission from a decide to exhume Stephen Smith’s physique. The backing of state brokers would seemingly assist that request.
Bland additionally hopes the personal investigators can collect and analyze cellphone knowledge from Smith and the individuals he was speaking with to reconstruct who he was hanging out with and what he was doing not excellent earlier than his physique was discovered but in addition within the weeks earlier than his demise.
‘Stephen needed to stay a secret life. Being younger and homosexual within the Lowcountry was not a simple factor to do,’ Bland mentioned.
Smith and Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster, went to the identical highschool, resulting in rumors that the Murdaugh household was concerned in his demise.
Richter went out of his manner this week to say they haven’t any proof Buster Murdaugh was concerned in something with Smith.