Netflix's Murdaugh Mysteries: A Southern Scandal unpacks the many crimes of Alex Murdaugh. The 26-year-old testified that his fathers demeanour was normal and no different from how he had been earlier in the day. It was last brought back to the KFC menu in April 2014. In the bodycam footage, the disgraced attorney is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts. This is in line with Alex Murdaugh's history of financial crimes. The oldest Murdaugh son, Buster, was the same age as Stephen Smith and his twin sister. In 2015, Smith was mysteriously found dead in the middle of the road, and his death was ruled a hit-and-run, even though other evidence shows that he could have died by gunshot or some other attack. In this episode, we take a trip to Hampton South Carolina, home to the Murdaugh family, and explore the mysterious death of a young man named Stephen Smith. Buster has experienced grief unlike anyone else; both his mother and brother were murdered. Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh left to right. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Doctors prescribe Ozempic 'off label': Is that OK? RadarOnline.com has learned that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has "made progress" in the "active and ongoing" case of Smith, who died in 2015. Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag, Pauls message to his father on 6 May 2021 read. He is accused of buying alcohol for his younger brother Paul prior to the 2019 fatal boat crash. Days after the death of Paul and Maggie, the investigation into the death of Stephen was reopened. He was a known associate and occasional friend of Buster and several interviews in Murdaugh Murders mention cite rumors that the pair had a romantic relationship. Police later determined that both had been shot multiple times with multiple guns. There was no blood. Stephen would not have been in the roadway," said his mother Sandy. Very upset about various sporting events. In 2015, teenager Stephen Smith, an openly gay classmate of Buster's, was found dead from blunt force . After Smith's body was discovered, authorities fielded tips from the community. Sandy Smith, Stephen's mother, released a statement Thursday after a Colleton County Grand Jury indicted Alex Murdaugh on two counts of murder and two gun charges in connection with the shooting deaths of his wife and son. Paul Murdaugh could not make it to the first day of trial in relation to Mallory's death as he was brutally murdered, along with his mother Maggie, on June 7, 2021. There was clearly a Murdaugh tie into the death of Stephen Smith, because if you read the investigatory reports from his death back in 2015, the Murdaugh name is mentioned dozens of times. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Although many in Hampton County claim the existence of a deeper connection between Stephen's death and the Murdaughs, there is not much evidence to back it up. Sandy Smith, Stephanie Smith and myself, we have said all along, we would like to have justice for Stephen, the law firm said. After that, Buster Murdaugh's name kept coming up. He had a sister. There are conflicting reports of what . On July 8, 2015 he was on his way home from school when he ran out of gas. Accident investigators agreed. The Murdaugh family has many skeletons in their closet, some of which have emerged during Alex Murdaugh's murder trial. The case of 19-year-old Stephen Smith is often mentioned in the same sentence on . On July 8, 2015 the body of 19-year-old Smith was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, S.C. Later, coroner Ernie Washington declared Smith had died from "blunt force trauma to the head," likely from the mirror on a passing vehicle, via Live 5 News. He asked if I wanted to go hunting out there again after the murders and suggested I could, said Buster. Meanwhile an attorney named Justin Bamberg began investigating Murdaughs finances on behalf of eight people who claim Murdaugh victimized them. Though Alex Murdaugh and other Murdaugh family members began committing crimes in 2014 or earlier, the inciting incident for their ultimate downfall begins in 2019. Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand in his fathers murder trial on Tuesday morning. Based in Cleveland, Ohio. In a small town, the went to school together and would have known one another. "There has to be something to it, whether indirectly or directly there has to be some kind of tie to that.". The mystery surrounding the fatal shootings at the home of a prominent South Carolina family connects to the deaths of three people and a roadside shooting. At the time of the murders, Mr Murdaugh claims he was spending up to $60,000 a week to feed a 20-year opioid addiction. He had blunt force trauma. In all honesty, the events that unfold tend to prove the point. Bank of Dave: What Happened in Real Life? The nights that followed witnessed the search for Mallory. As part of the reopened investigation, there were plans to exhume Gloria's body to carry out a proper autopsy. Two days later, he announced he had quit his law firm and was entering a rehabilitation program for treatment of opioid addiction. Entertainment; News & Politics; Sports; Health & Lifestyle; Science & Tech; toggle. RELATED: 10 Most Disturbing True Crime Documentaries (& Where To Stream Them). Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Beach fell overboard and went missing; her body was found on March 3 near the Broad River Boat Landing (6). As if this immense trail of bodies and financial crimes werent enough to capture the publics attention, this story has one final wait, what moment to really drive things home. Then people started asking questions about Stephen Smiths case. The Murdaugh family were undoubtedly the biggest names in small Hampton County where everyone knew everyone a point reiterated quite a few times throughout the Netflix docuseries in a possible attempt to justify the numerous perspectives that were available on the central events being discussed. Maybe it was simply incompetence. Murdaugh Murders filmmakers Jenner FurstandJulia Willoughby Nason (previously of Hulus Fyre Fraud) report that theyve uncovered new crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh and are hoping Netflix commissions a second season so they can reveal them. BREAKING. The guns a shotgun and a rifle have never been found. Judge Clifton Newman is said to have issued multiple warnings to several members of the Murdaugh family about their behaviour in court and they were told to move to the back of the courtroom. While he said he wasnt often present for the confrontations, he said he believed his fathers response was usually apologetic. In fact, it was one of the first files I ever received related to this story, Folks said. Buster said that there was a negative reaction in the community in the aftermath of the boat crash and it consumed his mother, making her anxious. In what marks the first time the 26-year-old has ever spoken out publicly about the murders, he recounted the moment that he learned that his mother and brother were dead. The firm built its success in the early 2000s due to a state law that made it easier for plaintiffs to forum shop. A wrongful-death suit filed by Beachs mother named Paul Murdaughs father, Alex, and older brother, Buster, alleging they facilitated his underage drinking. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Days later, Alex confessed to scheming his own suicide with the help of an associate, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested Alex's associate, Curtis Edward Smith, for his attempt to assist in a suicide schemed by Alex himself to help his son, Buster, claim $10 million from the insurance company. Smith's body was found in . However, not a penny showed up at the doors of Gloria's family. In fact, even though the trial of Alex Murdaugh is ongoing and fresh revelations about his crimes are being uncovered almost daily, one could argue that Netflix is getting into the Murdaugh game late with its three-episode series, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. San Jose: Home raided as part of explosives and narcotics investigation, Man arrested after explosives found in bag at Pa. airport, Antioch police seek help to ID woman who allegedly fired gun inside store, swiped liquor, Maxwells appeals arguments mirror earlier claims. SLED opening Stephen Smith death investigation based on information gathered in Murdaugh double-homicide case The initial South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) reports released on the. On June 7, 2021, Buster Murdaugh's life changed forever. The latest Netflix docuseries focuses on the series of events that led to the fall of the Murdaugh family legacy, starting from the death of Mallory Beach. But why though? The case was ruled a hit and run and no arrests were ever made. He was destroyed, he was heartbroken, Buster said of his father, adding that he could barely speak. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? I have faith in that, Im optimistic in that. What follows is our best attempt at capturing all of it. Rumors have swirled about a possible relationship between Stephen Smith and Buster Murdaugh. Eric Bland, an attorney involved in several cases connected to Alex Murdaugh, said the scene didnt fit with what Smiths family knew about him. 3-6. Congressman says yes. Long before any of the Murdaugh family's criminal activities came to light, a good friend of Buster's, Stephen Smith, passed away. Yet, the case was left classified as a hit and run. Curtis "Eddie" Smith, who allegedly received about $2m from Murdaugh in the apparent fake-suicide scheme, was charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for his . Alex Murdaugh with defence attorney Dick Harpootlian during his trial. Advertisement. The scandalous saga of the Murdaugh family, one that has already gained much attention, thanks to its twists and turns that will leave the even hardcore true crime follower a little bamboozled, breathes life to this age-old proverb. As previously stated: though this story begins in 2019, Alex Murdaugh has been breaking the law for far longer. Copyright 2023 Radar Media Group LLC. The teenager was found with blunt force trauma to his head, which appeared to first responders as a possible gunshot wound. His death was initially deemed a hit and run but the case remains unsolved. Buster testified that Paul later told him that his gun was apparently lost, stolen, taken and after that his brother would always use his. His car was found down a dark rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina with the gas cap off. I know they were all talking to each other too.. As per the testimony and interviews of Paul's friends, who became surviving victims of the accident that took Mallory Beach's life, Paul drove the boat that they were riding on into the Archers Creek bridge. ALL FREE. Ultimately it was discovered that Murdaugh had embezzled funds from the firm, leading to his dismissal in September 2021. Consequentially, Alex was forced to resign from the law firm, which is now known as Parker Law Group. Stephen Smith's body was found on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County on July 8, 2015. If Alex Murdaugh did indeed contribute to Gloria Satterfields death, it might not be the first time that a Murdaugh killed someone and got away with it. After HBO Max's Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty and ID's The Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty, Netflix has decided to wet its paws with the twisted story of Alex Murdaugh and his family that has attracted the world's attention to Hampton County in South Carolina. Three members of the family had served as district attorneys since 1920. Stephen's body was found in the middle of the road and the . In September of 2021, things werent going well for Alex Murdaugh. The charges against him had varying effects on Paul as per varying accounts of his friends. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is a new Netflix three-part documentary series on the titular Murdaugh Murders. 1. However, the so-called Murdaugh . Richard Alex "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., 26, is the oldest son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh. The 19-year-old nursing student who had been a classmate of Buster Murdaugh at Wade Hampton High School was found dead with a head wound on Sandy. They graduated high school together. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Buster told the court that he had heard his father repeatedly say those five words on the night of the murders. Ron DeSantis explained his feud with Disney in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, saying the corporation helps advance the lefts woke agenda.. Mr Murdaugh, 54, is facing life in prison for the murders of his wife and son. That's the day that his father, Alex Murdaugh said he came home and found his wife, Maggie, 52, and their son, Paul, 22, gunned down on . Mike DeWine said he was impressed with the magnitude of the cleanup efforts he witnessed and by the hard work people are doing. Postal Service will buy more than 9,000 Ford electric delivery vehicles, one year after an initial plan to buy predominantly gas-powered vehicles sparked controversy. As the night progressed, Paul and his friends decided to head to an oyster roast on nearby Paukie Island via a Murdaugh family boat. On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh familys boat with several of his friends on board. . Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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