Were Stephen Smith and Buster Murdaugh in a Relationship?

The Murdaugh family has many skeletons in their closet, some of which have emerged during Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial. The patriarch is currently on trial for the 2021 murders of his wife Margaret and younger son Paul, but the disgraced attorney has also allegedly engaged in various financial crimes. Because of this, his other son Buster Murdaugh is also facing intense scrutiny.

In early August 2015, authorities received a tip about Smith and Buster Murdaugh possibly being in a relationship, per Live 5 News. After that, Buster Murdaugh’s name kept coming up. “Another rumor claims Buster Murdaugh and two other boys were responsible for [Smith’s death],” said the outlet. That tip went nowhere.

ABC News 4 also reported that “case files indicated 10 of 18 people interviewed by Highway Patrol had mentioned [Buster] Murdaugh possibly being involved, with some indicating Stephen and Buster may have been in a relationship.” However, when authorities reopened the case in June 2021 and looked into Buster’s potential involvement, police were “never able to formally tie Buster Murdaugh to the case nor track down the original source of the rumors.”

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. Police believe Smith ran out of gas while on his way home from college, though his family questions this.

His mother referenced an earlier instance to Live 5 News where Smith ran out of gas and immediately contacted his sister for help. “He called his sister one night [when] he ran out of gas, and he hid in the woods, and would not come out until he was sure it was her. We know for a fact it was not a hit-and-run. Stephen would not have been in the roadway,” said his mother Sandy.

Sandy then took it upon herself to look into what happened to her son. The damage to his body was limited to Smith’s right side, “from his right eye socket to the back of his head and his right shoulder was dislocated,” she said. Other than that, police found no other marks on his body. He even had his shoes on. She also went to the scene of the crime to take a look around. “No car parts. There was no blood. I walked from where his car was, all the way to where his body was and found nothing at all,” Sandy shared.

Despite grieving the loss of her son, Sandy had a kind message for his son’s killer or killers. “I hope they enjoy their day because we’re going to enjoy ours. I just want to say I forgive you. I don’t hate you. I just want answers.” We hope she gets them.