Bland Richter has a successful history against Alex Murdaugh, others Bland Richter says it will charge no legal fees for this case and will offer full transparency to the public. Smith says that every dollar raised will be spent toward this investigation. The next steps involve a complete forensic download of Stephen's cell phone and other electronic devices, to look at his "pre-death and post-death communications," and an investigative look at his life as a gay teen in a small Lowcountry town - who he associated with, who his friends were, and the circumstances leading up to that fateful night.īland Richter may also look to file a civil suit against local or state authorities in order to get subpoena and discover powers in the case. In petitioning the court, attorneys must show facts and just cause for this exhumation. Smith’s family believes he was murdered, and they want an unbiased look at his body and an accurate determination of his cause of death based on facts, states the release. As of Sunday, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $60,000.ĭuring the Monday press conference, Bland said that the Smith family intends to use these fund for both the exhumation and autopsy, as well as to hire any experts and investigators needed to dive deep into the unsolved homicide.īland also stated that their first step will be to petition the court within a week to ten days for permission to exhume Stephen's body from the rural Hampton County cemetery where he rests. Smith’s mother, Sandy Smith, opened a GoFundMe page in March to raise money for an independent autopsy. State police reopened Smith’s case in June 2021 after discovering new evidence during the double murder investigation. Later, questions were raised about his death during the investigation into the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh in 2021. A new dawn is rising in the Stephen Smith case." "It’s the Smith family’s turn for justice and for real answers about what happened to Stephen," the release added. There was no debris at the scene consistent with hit-and-run death, and contrary to reports that Smith was walking to get gas, his wallet was found in his unlocked vehicle.ĭuring a Monday morning Facebook Live press conference, Bland Richter and Sandy Smith repeated those suspicions and a long-held theory that Smith was killed elsewhere and dumped on the road. Stephen Smith was found dead on Sandy Run Road in the early morning hours of July 8, 2015, and the family has long disputed the ruling that it was a hit-and-run accident based on evidence found at the scene. Hampton County family still seeks answers, justice after Stephen's death
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