stephen smith south carolina

Details of a recent autopsy of murder victim Stephen Due north. Smith are slowly emerging, simply the Smith family and the concerned public are still waiting for official results and answers in an eight-yr-former unsolved killing that continues to rock the South Carolina Lowcountry and intrigue the world.

The cold case of Smith's unsolved 2015 death, reignited in light of recent events surrounding convicted murderer and accused fraudster Richard "Alex" Murdaugh, has been the subject of rallying cries for justice in contempo months, a cry amplified subsequently his mother, Sandy Smith, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for an exhumation and an independent autopsy of her son, and to hire new investigators and legal representation in hopes of sparking a new investigation.

Smith's trunk was found lying in the centre of Sandy Run Road in rural Hampton Canton in the early morning hours of July 8, 2015, with fatal edgeless strength trauma to the head and other, secondary injuries.

Originally ruled a vehicular striking-and-run homicide in 2015, the South Carolina Police force Enforcement Division (SLED) reopened the example in June 2021 and on March 23 of this year, SLED confirmed to the Smith family that it was officially because the case a murder investigation.

At present, afterward the exhumation and a second post-mortem analysis, here is what nosotros know virtually Smith's autopsy so far:

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Removal of the vault and Stephen Smith'due south autopsy findings

• A spokesperson for Banal Richter, the law firm representing the Smith family, confirmed that the vault containing Smith's remains was removed from Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County on Friday, March 31. For the nigh part, this was washed without alerting the media, said Bland, to protect the privacy of the family.

• The vault containing Smith'southward remains were transported by van and under law escort and protection to Tampa, Florida, where they were removed from the vault and examined, said attorney Eric Bland.

• Bland would not disembalm the exact location, except to say that it was "a facility that specializes in autopsies." A Google search indicates that there are at least three such facilities in that city: Private Autopsy Services, Private Autopsy Florida, and Terminal Diagnosis Inc. - The Autopsy Doctor.

• The dissection was conducted by experts hired by the Smith family: Dr. D'Michelle P. DuPre, Dr. Dan Schultz, and Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney, and viewed and photographed by state police force enforcement. Schultz is the founder of Final Diagnosis Inc. in Tampa.

• The contained pathologists conducted the autopsy on Smith'south remains over the weekend, and the torso was returned to the grave by 3 p.one thousand. on Sunday.

On Dominicus, Sandy Smith posted on her "Justice for Stephen N. Smith Family Page" on Facebook that her "infant is dorsum in his final resting place."

"I now believe that Stephen can really rest at ease because SLED and our team are going to exercise everything possible to find out just how he died," Bland added.

Despite age of case, "full and consummate" autopsy completed

• Despite the age of the remains and the embalming process, the pathologists were able to perform "a full and complete autopsy, equally if he had died yesterday" said Bland.

• Bland said Thursday that all of the autopsy results would be released to SLED "inside the next week or then" and added that the results would likely not be publicly released at this fourth dimension.

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"SLED is genu deep in a robust investigation into Stephen's death and have asked the states non to release the results publicly at this fourth dimension, as this may touch on the investigation," said Bland.

• The autopsy was a success and included Dna tests, Ten-rays, os analysis, and more, said Bland.

• Bland did not know if the cause of death — blunt force trauma to the caput — had been confirmed nonetheless.

• The attorney did not know if any foreign DNA had been found on Smith'southward remains.

• Crime scene forensic skilful Dr. Kenny Kinsey, who was not present at the autopsy but was hired along with the trio of pathologists to behave the independent investigation into Smith'south expiry, told multiple media outlets, including NewsNation and People magazine, that the dissection was a success and yielded new show.

"I do know information technology was a success, they say they did collect evidence, information technology was very skilful documentation, and everybody was upbeat about the information that was nerveless," Kinsey said. "And that'south not always the situation when y'all exhume someone after so many years."

Kinsey went on to say the final autopsy report was not prepare yet, but he said, "I'm very very excited about the written report coming and the pathologists were very upbeat."

SLED investigation

• SLED spent more than $100,000 to provide a security perimeter, armed escort to Florida, and crime scene experts on standby in Florida, in lodge for the autopsy to be conducted and properly documented, said Bland.

"SLED is committed to finding answers on how Stephen Smith died," added Bland.

• SLED has besides located previously "missing" pieces of show, including a rape kit conducted on Smith, his wear, and his blue paint fries institute on his person," said Bland.

• Bland added that the exhumation, transportation and autopsy operation was a "squad effort" that involved a tremendous corporeality of planning from a local funeral home, the excavators, the H.C. Coroner, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, the S.C. Law Enforcement Partitioning, and the team of pathologists and investigators hired privately by the Smith family and their attorneys.

The GoFundMe page was launched in early March and to date has raised almost $125,000 to pay for the private exhumation, independent autopsy, and to fund the cost of a more than in-depth investigation. The Smith family has been disquisitional of law enforcement's treatment of the example from its inception.

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Bland Richter LLP urges anyone with information most the events leading upward to Stephen Smith'southward death to come forward and contact SLED.

The reward of $35,000 is being offered for information that leads to the identification and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Stephen Smith'due south decease.

Bland Richter LLP would like to thank SLED Chief Marker Keel and his team for their hard piece of work and dedication to this case. Bland adds, "The paramount issue here is to find answers for the Smith family. We won't stop until we exercise."

Anyone with information about Stephen Smith's death is urged to contact SLED at 803-737-9000 or email tips@sled.sc.gov.

Hampton County Guardian Editor Michael DeWitt, the Greenville News and USA TODAY Network volition continue to follow the ongoing criminal and civil cases surrounding the Murdaugh offense saga. Follow DeWitt on Twitter at @mmdewittjr and support his local and national journalism with a digital subscription.

Source: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2023/04/06/stephen-smith-autopsy-results-what-we-know-so-far/70087501007/

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