In the video, sent at 7.56pm on 7 June 2021, Mr Murdaugh is seen in trousers, loafers and a blue button-down shirt on the grounds of the estate. Meanwhile, he said his father did not appear overly anxious about the case and the family was supportive of Paul as they believed he wasnt driving the boat that weekend. 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. Years before Maggie and Paul. 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. Gov. During calm, controlled testimony, he appeared to water down but not refute some key points in the prosecutions case, including his fathers behaviour on the day of the murders, the clothes he was wearing and the police interview where he appeared to unwittingly confess to killing his wife and son. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP) received. Personally, I think there was some type of pressure or just lack of investigation upon other agencies to do anything, he told NewsNation. I just want answers." Additionally, the teenager had injuries to his left hand and arm. On the call, Alex reported that he had arrived at his house and found the bodies of his wife and son. 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. Stephen Smith was studying to be a nurse at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, hoping to eventually become a doctor. "No car parts. Alex Murdaugh, 52, is a lawyer and the great-grandson of Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh, . But why though? Throughout the trial, Busters own apparently bad behaviour has also been on display inside the courtroom. The documentary also includes mention of the hit-and-run death of Stephen Smith, a former friend and classmate of Buster's, which remains unsolved. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on . 2. 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. Buster said Mr Murdaugh told him he was going to visit his mother Busters grandmother at his parents home in Almeda, something he said was quite typical for him to do. Buster Murdaugh Girlfriend Stood by His Side Throughout Murdaugh's Trial. 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. Rumors have swirled about a possible relationship between Stephen Smith and Buster Murdaugh. The boat crashed into some rocks and threw the passengers overboard. ALL FREE. Like several other Alex Murdaugh documentaries before it, Murdaugh Murders brings up the curious case of Stephen Smith. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21 to shed light on his father's loving treatment of his family. Playing Vandy is always fun because it gives the truest depiction of what it's like to play in the ACC every week Recently, Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand for the defense and testified that his father was destroyed by the deaths of Paul and Maggie. Officials still don't know who or what killed 19-year-old Stephen Smith six years ago but his death has been widely associated with the Murdaugh family. Thanks to what came next, however, the death of Mallory Beach was merely the opening salvo of a larger story. 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. She asked the FBI, the governor and others to keep investigating but the case went nowhere until Mallory Beach was killed on the Murdaugh boat four years later. The same month, Alex is disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. We would normally make phone calls while we were riding in the car it was very normal for him to call, Buster said. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, During calm testimony, Buster appeared to water down but not refute some key points in the prosecutions case, including the police interview where his father appeared to unwittingly confess to the murders, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Ronnie Richter: She literally helped raise Alex Murdaugh's sons, Paul and Buster. A member of the Ukrainian Parliament says Russias invasion of Ukraine began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. Accident investigators agreed. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. Moreover, the lapses in the immediate investigation by the local investigators, the Department of Natural Resources, exposed the workings of a powerful network that the Murdaughs had woven over years. The recalled Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cups may contain pecans. It also showed that he stayed just 21 minutes at his parents home that night less than half the 45 minutes to an hour he claimed to police. The killer shot Maggie multiple times with a 300 Blackout rifle believed to be a replacement rifle that Mr Murdaugh later bought for Paul to replace the one he lost. The Murdaughs were members of a prominent South Carolina legal family that first made regional headlines in February 2019.. Trump was once a supporter of DeSantis, but he has criticized the Florida governor as he has become his chief rival for the nomination. The following week, state police said Murdaugh had confessed to hiring someone to kill him so his surviving son could collect life insurance. His mother referenced an earlier instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for help. Days later on 3 June 2021 four days before he allegedly killed his wife and son Mr Murdaugh sent a voicemail to then-Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte asking him for $600,000. Buster Murdaugh, 26, was a high school classmate of Smith, who was described as a loving jokester by friends and family. Crime scene photos show shell casings on the floor of the dog feed house. The defense called Buster Murdaugh on February 21 to shed light on his father's loving treatment of his family. Despite being visibly hammered and underage, Paul was not given a field sobriety test, taken to jail for booking, or even handcuffed. After Smith's body was discovered, authorities fielded tips from the community. On a remote country road sometime around 3:00 a.m. Stephen was killed. 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. No coroner was notified of Satterfields death. 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. Mallory Beach's death brought enough bad PR to the Murdaughs to bring them under scrutiny, but a greater tragedy was waiting to strike them. Two days later, he announced he had quit his law firm and was entering a rehabilitation program for treatment of opioid addiction. Murdaugh isn't the only one in the family who has been involved in a mysterious death. His family claims local law enforcement did little to investigate. Coming as the defences first major witness, Buster played into their strategy to present Mr Murdaugh as a loving family man who could never have killed his wife and son in such a brutal fashion which saw Pauls brains shot outside of his skull. The first was that of a high school student, Stephen Smith, back in 2015. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Copyright 2023 Radar Media Group LLC. Buster said that his father had called him at 9.10pm on 7 June 2021 just 20 minutes after he allegedly shot and killed Maggie and Paul at the dog kennels of the familys estate in Islandton. Daily. We think he was dumped there on the road. Despite being increasingly intoxicated, Paul Murdaugh insisted on driving the boat. 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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Thats the question that the prosecution must answer in the State of South Carolina v. Richard Alexander Murdaugh trial that is currently underway. Did Buster Murdaugh kill Stephen Smith, . South Carolina investigators say they are picking up steam in the reopened investigation into the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith who reportedly was close with Alex Murdaugh's oldest son, RadarOnline.com has learned. 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. 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. The young teenager was openly gay and was rumored to be involved in a romantic relationship with Paul Murdaugh's elder brother, Buster. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. He had a large gash on his head, a police report read, and a wound over his eyebrow. Death of Mallory Beach, Feb. 24, 2019. From 1920 through 2006, three members of the family served uninterrupted terms as the solicitor (which is known in most jurisdictions of the U.S. as a district attorney) of South Carolinas 14th district. The charges against him had varying effects on Paul as per varying accounts of his friends. As the multiple Murdaugh cases have played out in the small community, rumors have spread. 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. While SLED (and documentaries the world over) delve into the circumstances of Smiths death, there is currently no public-facing evidence for the Murdaugh familys involvement in his murder. Justin Bieber has canceled the remaining dates of his Justice world tour after postponing many shows last year for health reasons. Long before any of the Murdaugh family's criminal activities came to light, a good friend of Buster's, Stephen Smith, passed away. CELEBRITY NEWS. But Buster Murdaugh's private life has already been shown to the public. Meanwhile, Mr Murdaugh appeared to smile at his son at several points. On Sept. 4, 2021, Murdaugh called 911 to report that he had been shot in the head while he was changing a tire on the side of the road. Cpl. If any one genre takes the cake for him, it is none other than good ol' fashioned horror. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. However, Buster was also notably spotted hugging his aunt Marian Proctor Maggies sister in court after she testified against his father, including detailing his drug use, an alleged affair years before the murders, and his odd behaviour in the wake of the 7 June 2021 murders. As previously mentioned, Alex Murdaughs murder trial is ongoing. A blue tarp and a blue rainjacket was found in a search of the home, with the jacket covered in gunshot residue particles. Alex Murdaugh was trying desperately to save his son's name. . Prosecutors claim that Mr Murdaugh wrapped the murder weapons in the jacket and intially hid them at his parents home. Bombshell testimony from his mothers carer Muschelle Shelly Smith previously disputed Mr Murdaughs alibi, saying that he showed up at his sick mothers house for only 20 minutes that night before telling her to tell authorities he was there double the length of time. As bleak as this whole state of affairs was, it still might have faded away into history as an unfortunate case of hyper local corruption. Here is everything you need to know about the true story. They had friends in common and they didnt move in the same circles. All Rights Reserved. Perhaps thats why Murdaugh apparently attempted suicide in a roundabout way. Doctors prescribe Ozempic 'off label': Is that OK? The other passengers were Murdaughs girlfriend, Morgan Doughty; Beachs boyfriend, Anthony Cook; Anthonys cousin, Connor Cook; and Connors girlfriend, Miley Altman. In the aftermath of Maggie and Pauls murders, Buster said that his father had been destroyed and heartbroken. Eric Bland, an attorney involved in several cases connected to Alex Murdaugh, said the scene didnt fit with what Smiths family knew about him. He sounded odd and then he told me that my mom and brother were shot, he recalled. Smith was found laying in the middle of the road by a bystander around 4:20 AM on July 8, 2015. Mr Murdaugh, 54, is facing life in prison for the murders of his wife and son. Smith 's body was discovered, authorities fielded tips from the community call, Buster said that his father #. Instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately his... The death of Mallory Beach, Feb. 24, 2019 the charges against him had varying on. 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