Stephen Smith's Phone and Tablet Being Unlocked May Help Reveal if Alex Murdaugh Was at Accident Scene: Attorney
South Carolina authorities have unlocked Stephen Smith's phone and tablet years after his death.
Nov. 29 2023, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
South Carolina teen Stephen Smith's devices have been unlocked by local authorities and an attorney for his family believes it will finally shed new light on the mysterious case, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Smith, 19, an openly gay nursing student, was found dead on July 8, 2015, in Hampton County. His death was initially attributed to a hit-and-run, but the investigation was reopened in 2021 and later ruled a homicide in March 2023.
Smith, 19, an openly gay nursing student, was found dead on July 8, 2015, in Hampton County.
"I think between the phone and the tablet, it will yield some information that, close in proximity to when Stephen was killed, should explain: Was he (Stephen) going away with a prominent person, as he told his mother?" attorney Eric Bland said during an interview with NewsNation's Chris Cuomo. "But more importantly, SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) will be able to talk to the investigating officers and confirm whether Alex Murdaugh was at the accident scene."
Smith's body was found not far from where Murdaugh later gunned down his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul.
Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and son in March 2023.
Sandy claims to have witnessed Murdaugh at the scene of the accident eight years ago. "It's very simple. Somebody's going to have seen him there. I believe my client. I don't think she's told one single untruth in this whole process, and she doesn't have an axe to grind with anybody," Bland explained.
There has been speculation the disgraced legal scion's surviving son, Buster, was involved in Smith's death, but he denied the claims.
"This has gone on far too long. These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false," Buster previously fired back. "I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family."
There has been speculation the disgraced legal scion's surviving son, Buster, was involved in Smith's death, but he denied the claims.
Pathologist Michelle DuPre recently said on CBS' 48 Hours that an autopsy revealed Smith was killed by a single blow to the head, which fractured his skull.
She noted that he had a linear fracture caused by a 7.5-inch gash, which suggests he was not struck head-on by a vehicle.
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Sandy claims to have witnessed Murdaugh at the scene of the accident eight years ago.
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DuPre cast doubt on beliefs that he was beaten to death with a baseball bat in a hate crime. "Those types of injuries result in something we call pattern injuries. And we don't see that here," the pathologist explained.
She said there were no signs of a struggle, nor fractures on any part of the body, adding that he did have some road rash. "We believe whatever happened, happened right there," DuPre theorized, noting that her team doesn't believe he was "placed there."
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