Following the conviction of Alex Murdaugh for a double homicide on March 2nd, netizens urged for an investigation into the potential involvement of Buster Murdaugh, the surviving member of the once-respected family, in the murder of Stephen Smith.
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Greenville News reported that Buster Murdaugh had been identified as a suspect in the 2015 murder of Smith, who was found dead from blunt force trauma in Hampton County, South Carolina. Although the police initially labeled the case as a hit-and-run, The Augusta Chronicle reported that residents of Hampton County alleged that Buster Murdaugh had been romantically involved with Smith and had killed him to conceal their relationship, which was deemed taboo.
In October 2021, South Carolina authorities reopened the investigation into Smith’s murder, but as of March 2023, no indictments have been announced.
According to Radar Online, Smith was a friendly, good-humored 19-year-old man who openly identified as gay in Hampton County at the time of his death.
Bluffton Today reported that he had recently graduated with straight-A’s from Wade Hampton High School in 2014 and was pursuing a nursing career at Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech while taking night classes.
In an interview with The Guardian, Smith’s mother, Sandy, believed that her son’s sexual orientation had played a role in his death, although she did not name any suspects. She mentioned that Smith had told his twin sister about a fling he had with a boy and that he had a deep-sea fishing trip planned with the same boy in July, which is the month he died. She expressed her suspicion that several suspects, possibly from well-known families in the area, were involved in the murder. Sandy claimed that the individuals responsible for the crime were classmates of Smith and that he was not on the road where he was found dead.
Opoyi reported that Buster Murdaugh has not addressed the allegations against him or his alleged relationship with Stephen Smith. Additionally, authorities have not formally identified him as a suspect in the case.
Source: Educationweb.com.gh