Body of teen found near Murdaugh estate to be exhumed
Criminal defense attorney Phil Holloway on the renewed investigation into a teen's 2015 death following the Alex Murdaugh murder conviction.
Alex Murdaugh's eldest and only surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, "has nothing to do" with a new investigation into the 2015 death of his high school classmate, Stephen Smith, according to the Smith family's new legal team.
"Buster is a victim. He lost a mother, a brother, and now his father's in jail," attorney Eric Bland said during a Monday press conference. "Buster, as we know, has nothing to do with this. And whatever is mentioned in the records, that's what investigators are going to look at. But we have no knowledge at all about Buster or the Murdaughs having anything to do with this right now. We're starting with a fresh set of eyes."
Smith, 19, died in July 2015 in what police initially described as a hit-and-run along a rural road just miles from the Murdaugh family's hunting estate, Moselle, in Hampton County, South Carolina.
Members of the public have expressed skepticism about the conclusions reached about Smith's death after Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, at Moselle on June 7, 2021.
Stephen Smith's mother Sandy Smith says she has raised enough money to exhume her son's body. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital/Facebook)
"We've not mentioned Buster's name one time," attorney Ronnie Richter said during the Monday press conference. "This is not about Buster Murdaugh. This is about Stephen Smith. It's about trying to get answers to questions that his mother desperately needs answers for. So there's no reason to discuss Buster at all, and there's no comment to make back to Buster at all. Were going to find out, God willing… what was Stephen Smith’s true cause of death"
MURDAUGH FALLOUT: LAWYERS FOR STEPHEN SMITH'S FAMILY ‘DON’T ACCEPT' ORIGINAL CAUSE OF DEATH
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has reopened an investigation into Smith's death.
A cross marks the spot where Stephen Smith was found in 2015, in Hampton County, South Carolina. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)
The attorneys will be petitioning a Hampton County court for an exhumation and a new autopsy.
BUSTER MURDAUGH BLASTS ‘BASELESS RUMORS’ SURROUNDING 2015 DEATH OF CLASSMATE STEPHEN SMITH
Buster Murdaugh, 26, issued a statement Monday through his attorney, Jim Griffin, denying any involvement in Smith's death.
Buster Murdaugh listens during the murder trial of his father Alex Murdaugh at the Colleton County Courthouse on Feb. 16, 2023. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool)
"These baseless rumors of my involvement in Stephen's death are false," he wrote.
Buster said he has tried his best to "ignore the vicious rumors" about his "involvement in Stephen's Smith's tragic death" as he grieves his mother and brother.
"I unequivocally deny any involvement in [Stephen's] death and my heart goes out to the Smith family," he said.
The Murdaugh family, from left, Buster, Paul, Alex and Maggie on a fishing boat. (Facebook)
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On March 2, a Colleton County jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty in the 2021 murders of his wife and son at Moselle, prompting suspicion about Smith's mysterious death.
Prosecutors say the disgraced lawyer killed his wife and son in an effort to divert attention away from his mounting alleged financial crimes.
