Shocking New Revelations After Mysterious Body of Teen Who Was Found Dead Near Murdaugh Home Set to Be Exhumed

Alex Murdaugh's murder trial may be over after a jury found the former South Carolina lawyer guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at their multi-million dollar hunting ranch in the low country of the southern state. However, the family's legal problems, accusations against them, and suspected involvement in other crimes are far from nearing an end. While it never really came up in the trial, rumors of the family's potential involvement in the death of Stephen Smith, a young gay teen who lived just miles away from the Murdaugh family, was heavily examined in multiple documentaries about them. Initially declared a hit-and-run, Smith's case was reopened in June 2021 – the month Maggie and Paul were murdered. This week there has been a major development in the case. 

Stephen Smith's Body Was Found Near Moselle and Declared a Hit-and-Run

Smith was found in the middle of Sandy Run Road outside of Hampton Country on July 8, 2015. At the time, investigators determined that the openly gay teen had run out of gas and was walking to find a gas station when he was struck by a car in the early morning hours. 

Randy Murdaugh Was Reportedly the First to Call His Mother, Sandy

Even before the police called Stephen's mother, Sandy Smith, to confirm the death, she received a call from Randy Murdaugh, Alex's brother, who told her he was going to help her – something she wasn't initially concerned about but later on found suspicious. 

Some People Have Speculated About Possible Foul Play

However, according to multiple sources, police received a number of reports from people who had heard that Alex's son, Buster Murdaugh, and his friends may have been involved in Smith's death. However, there was never a conclusive link. Other experts have maintained that it wasn't a car that killed Smith and that he was assaulted. 

Smith's Mom Started a GoFundMe

Smith started a GoFundMe to get justice for her son. "We feel it's critical to seek a new goal – an independent exhumation and autopsy – and we're launching Justice for Stephen N. Smith with that immediate goal in mind. While the state can elect and fund an exhumation and new autopsy, it is our understanding that it would be carried out at MUSC, where his death was initially classified as hit-and-run despite no evidence to support it," she wrote on the page. "We need a new, unbiased look at his body and an accurate determination of his cause of death based on facts. There was no debris in the road, and his injuries were not consistent with a hit-and-run."

She Needed $7,000 to Conduct an Autopsy

"We have learned that an independent autopsy will be approximately $7,000. In addition, a private medical examiner must be present from the start of the exhumation through the examination period at a cost of approximately $750 per hour," she continued. "It is a huge expense, but we are hoping that with your support we can make this happen and finally get the answers we need. If you can give, we thank you for your generosity. If you cannot give, we would appreciate you sharing and praying for justice for Stephen."

RELATED: Inside Alex Murdaugh's Maximum Security Prison: Single Cell, Constant Surveillance, and Lonely Meals

The Account Raised $40,000 and Now His Body Will Be Exhumed

According to  WYFF, Smith's family has announced that his body will be exhumed for an independent autopsy after raising $40,000 on a GoFundMe page. "Our family is so very grateful to all of you who came together to help us in our fight for justice for Stephen. I could not have imagined when we began this fundraiser that it would take off the way that it did. Thank you for not allowing Stephen's story to be swept under a rug," Sandy wrote.

RELATED: Alex Murdaugh Files to Appeal Convictions. Here's What Can Happen Next.

Smith's Mom Said the Jury Who Convicted Alex "Done Excellent"

Sandy has never outright accused the Murdaughs of the crime but expressed relief that Alex was finally behind bars for the murder of his wife and son. "That jury done excellent. They seen through the lies and a Murdaugh is finally brought down," she previously told The Post. "Now that this case is back over, they can get on Stephen's case full-time."