The Stephen Smith case is the open South Carolina homicide investigation into the July 2015 death of a 19-year-old whose body was found on a rural Hampton County road, originally ruled a hit-and-run and reclassified as a homicide by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in March 2023. As of mid-2025, SLED has named two persons of interest, a grand jury has been impaneled, and no one has been charged.
What Was Found on Sandy Run Road
In the early morning hours of July 8, 2015, a passing motorist found Stephen Smith’s body lying in the middle of Sandy Run Road. His green Chevrolet was discovered a few miles away on the side of the road, door unlocked, gas cap open, wallet still inside. It looked like he had run out of fuel and started walking in the dark.
Smith had a deep wound to his right temple. The initial incident report noted the possibility of a gunshot. Little else at the scene fit a vehicle collision. A responding officer documented no skid marks, no broken glass, no vehicle debris, and no injuries elsewhere on Smith’s body consistent with being struck by a car. His loosely tied shoes were still on his feet. “After consulting with MAIT, we see no evidence to suggest the victim was struck by a vehicle,” the officer wrote.
The county coroner who arrived told officers he believed it was a murder. An autopsy performed at the Medical University of South Carolina nonetheless concluded Smith died of blunt head trauma from a motor vehicle crash. The South Carolina Highway Patrol accepted that conclusion and ruled the death a hit-and-run. That ruling stood for six years.
How the Murdaugh Investigation Reopened the Case
On June 7, 2021, Alex Murdaugh reported finding his wife Maggie and their son Paul shot to death at the family’s hunting estate in Colleton County. Two weeks later, on June 22, 2021, SLED announced it was opening an investigation into Stephen Smith’s death “based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.”1SLED. SLED Provides Details in Stephen Smith Homicide Investigation
SLED has not specified what evidence from the Murdaugh investigation triggered the reopening.
Reclassification as Homicide and the Second Autopsy
Sandy Smith, Stephen’s mother, launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund the exhumation of her son’s body and an independent autopsy. The $15,000 goal was quickly surpassed, ultimately raising more than $103,000.
Before the exhumation, SLED made a significant move. On March 22, 2023, the agency officially reclassified Smith’s death as a homicide, stating its investigation “was never closed” and “remains a homicide investigation.”1SLED. SLED Provides Details in Stephen Smith Homicide Investigation The reclassification was based on SLED’s review of the original Highway Patrol file and its own investigation, not on any second autopsy.
Smith’s body was exhumed in early April 2023. Dr. Michelle DuPre, a retired forensic pathologist, oversaw the independent examination. Dr. Kenny Kinsey, the forensic investigator who coordinated the review, publicly shared a key finding: Stephen died from a single fatal blow to the head and died on the road where he was found. Whatever caused the injury, Kinsey said, was “fast and it was large.” The conclusion contradicted the original hit-and-run ruling. Kinsey also told reporters he found no evidence linking the Murdaugh family to Smith’s death.
The Murdaugh Name in the Case File
From the earliest days of the Highway Patrol’s investigation, the Murdaugh name kept surfacing. It appears more than 40 times in the official case file. Tips and rumors from community members pointed toward Buster Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh’s eldest son and a former high school classmate of Stephen Smith. A member of the Smith family told investigators that people in the community approached her with allegations about Buster’s involvement. None of the tips produced direct evidence.
Despite those mentions, the Highway Patrol made only one recorded attempt to speak with Buster Murdaugh. An investigator called him, got a full voicemail box, and followed up with an email. There was no in-person interview and no formal questioning. Alex Murdaugh’s brother Randy reportedly contacted Stephen Smith’s father on the day the body was discovered and offered to represent the family at no charge. The speed of that offer struck the Smith family as unusual.
Buster Murdaugh has consistently denied any involvement, calling the allegations “baseless rumors” in a March 2023 statement. He has since filed defamation lawsuits against several media outlets for suggesting he was connected to Smith’s death. He has never been named a suspect by law enforcement.
Where the Investigation Stands in 2025
A decade after Stephen Smith’s death, the case remains an active SLED homicide investigation with no arrests and no indictments. A grand jury was convened in connection with the case and issued subpoenas, but its sealed proceedings have not produced charges against anyone.
SLED has publicly confirmed two persons of interest: Patrick Wilson and Connor Connelly. Neither has been formally accused of involvement in Smith’s death.
Sandy Smith has raised a reward to $50,000 for information leading to the identification and conviction of whoever is responsible for her son’s death. Her attorney, Eric Bland, has said investigators briefed the state Attorney General’s office on the case, a step that suggests prosecutors are evaluating whether the evidence is strong enough to bring charges.