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Stephen Smith<\/strong>\u2018s physique has been exhumed for a second post-mortem.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been virtually a decade for the reason that 19-year-old was discovered lifeless in South Carolina, close to Alex Murdaugh<\/strong>\u2018s family property. Stephen was found on July 8, 2015 lying in the middle of a dark country road with gashes on his forehead. Authorities first declared the death a hit-and-run, despite a lack of evidence. But in the midst of the murder investigation of Murdaugh\u2019s spouse and son, the case has taken on a brand new life. The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division<\/strong> reopened the case in 2021. And final month, police confirmed the demise was really a murder<\/a> \u2014 and now officers are off to the races to search out some actual solutions.<\/p>\n Related: First DNA Lab Did NOT Match Knife Sheath To Bryan Kohberger!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n On Sunday, Sandy Smith<\/strong>\u2018s lawyer Eric Bland<\/strong> confirmed her son\u2019s physique was exhumed over the weekend, sharing through People<\/em>:<\/p>\n \u201cI now believe that Stephen can really rest at ease because <\/span>SLED and our team are going to do everything possible to find out just how he died.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He additionally thanked the division for lastly answering Sandy\u2019s prayers:<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot thank SLED enough for making Sandy\u2019s dream of exhuming Stephen and having a second autopsy be done become a reality and her pleas regarding Stephen for the last eight years to finally be heard. The state of South Carolina spent a significant amount of money this past weekend, ensuring a smooth and orderly exhumation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n My companion, Ronnie Richter, and I, as attorneys for Sandy Smith, and on behalf of Steven Smith, want to thank everybody who contributed within the Exhumation, Transporting Stephen, defending and guarding Stephen whereas he was being re-examined, and the second post-mortem being performed,\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Eric Bland (@TheEricBland) April 2, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As we\u2019ve been following, Sandy has been very outspoken about combating for justice for her son. In a letter she as soon as wrote to the FBI<\/strong> to get them to take over the case, she accused Alex\u2019s surviving son Buster Murdaugh<\/strong> of killing her son<\/a> by beating him to demise. She even claimed her household heard from a number of eyewitnesses who noticed Buster commit this violent crime, although he has denied the allegations<\/a>.<\/p>\n The grieving mom additionally mentioned she believed the Murdaugh household might have interfered with the preliminary investigation, however nobody from the distinguished household has been charged within the case to date. That mentioned, their title did reportedly come up within the investigation a number of occasions. There was even some unidentified proof found throughout Alex\u2019s double homicide investigation<\/a> that allowed the case to be reopened in 2021 after it went chilly in 2016. Very sus\u2026<\/p>\n Related: Bachelorette<\/em> Alum Joshua Tylerbest Arrested On Child Porn Charges<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Also, it has now emerged {that a} rape equipment was performed on Smith shortly after he was discovered on Hampton County street to collect any related bodily proof left on the scene. Unfortunately, it was by no means examined\u2026<\/p>\n Cpl. Michael Duncan<\/strong>, the previous supervisor of the South Carolina Highway Patrol<\/strong> who was first in command of the investigation, instructed NewsNation<\/em> final week:<\/p>\n \u201cI did not have an understanding of why it was being ordered. We were not notified until later that it had been ordered. So no, I have no answers for you as to why they would have ordered a rape kit for what would be suspected as a hit-and-run, which it wasn\u2019t, but I will never understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Speaking to People <\/em>final week, Eric Bland confirmed the rape equipment was carried out however not examined. He now believes police will uncover Stephen\u2019s demise was a hate crime, saying:<\/p>\n \u201cIt could be that a bunch of thug kids decide, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re going to beat up the gay kid,\u2019 or it was somebody who felt that Stephen was going to out them. Stephen had told his mother that he was dating somebody of prominence. He was very secretive about his lifestyle. He wasn\u2019t secretive about the fact that he was gay, but he respected the boundaries of people who he had relationships with.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It has been alleged by a number of classmates Stephen and Buster had been romantically linked, FWIW\u2026<\/p>\n On Monday morning, Sandy introduced (through her attorneys) that she has allotted $35,000 from the funds raised on GoFundMe<\/strong><\/a> for use as a reward to these with info resulting in an arrest in connection to Stephen\u2019s demise. Hopefully, this renewed investigation lastly brings this household the solutions they deserve.<\/p>\n The paramount subject right here is to search out solutions for the Smith household. We gained\u2019t cease till we do. EB #JusticeForStephenSmith<\/a> #BlandRichter<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/BXe1R0WOBb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Eric Bland (@TheEricBland) April 3, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Thoughts? Let us know (under).<\/p>\n [Image via Law&Crime Network\/YouTube<\/a> & GoFundMe<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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