SC - Stephen Smith, 19, homicide, Hampton Co, 9 Jul 2015 *new death investigation 2023*

[Seattle1]

Updated with opinion of Dr. Kenneth Kinsey -- no baseball bat and SS most likely hit at the road scene by passenger side vehicle mirror or ladder.

What do Stephen Smith's injuries tell about the SC teen's death? New findings revealed.

"48 Hours" obtained exclusive access to the findings of an independent investigation into the unsolved death of the South Carolina teen, whose case was linked to the Murdaughs.

www.cbsnews.com

11/26/23

Dr. Michelle Dupre: It split his skull.

They were also able to put to rest some rumors, including the one that Stephen had been beaten with a baseball bat.

Nikki Battiste: It wasn't a baseball bat?

Dr. Michelle DuPre: No. … those type of injuries would cause something that we call pattern injuries, and we don't see that here. … This is a linear fracture — as well as this is here (points to a diagram of the head).

Just as important as what they found, DuPre says, is what they didn't find.

Dr. Michelle DuPre: We didn't find fractures of any part of the body, except for the head. … There was a little road rash, which you would expect.

[..]

Dr. Michelle DuPre: We don't believe that he was placed there. We believe that … whatever happened — happened right there.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey agrees.

Nikki Battiste: You think he was killed right here?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Right there.

A crime scene expert and star prosecution witness in the Murdaugh murder trial, Kinsey worked with DuPre to analyze Stephen's case. He says the evidence at the scene is clear.
Dr. Kenny Kinsey: That's a massive amount of blood. And if he had that kind of injury somewhere else, it wouldn't be that uniform.

Due to their sensitive nature, "48 Hours" created versions of the crime scene photos in which the blood and body are shown as graphics.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: The quantity of blood, the direction of the flow in the road, and then the direction of all … the - the blood on his person — led me to … the only conclusion.

Kinsey's convinced an object attached to a vehicle traveling at high speed caused the single fatal blow to Stephen's head.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Whatever hit him was fast and it was large.

Nikki Battiste: So a hit and run, but an atypical hit and run?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Yeah, very atypical.

[..]

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: And from what I understand from interviewing neighbors, it's been there for well over a decade.

Kinsey theorizes Stephen was walking along the road, trying to flag someone down for help.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: He is walking this direction in the — in the lane facing traffic. … whatever was attached to the vehicle or hanging off of the vehicle … whenever it struck Stephen … he went down in — in this area somewhat on this line (lying in the road as Stephen was found).

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: The vehicle that struck Stephen was coming toward him just like that vehicle in the — photograph.

Nikki Battiste: Like this?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Yes, goin' that direction.

Kinsey says the evidence suggests the driver saw something in the road and changed lanes.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: And sometime before it struck Stephen, I believe it changed into the oncomin' lane …

That's when he says an object from the passenger side struck Stephen.

Nikki Battiste: What kind of object could it be?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: It could be anything. It could be a ladder … hangin' off the back of — a work truck. It could be a extended side mirror … the metal type that you see on some farm vehicles or some larger vehicles.

That scenario matches up with the tip from 2015 involving Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, which Kinsey calls plausible.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: That certainly would be possible … that would be one of the places I would start.

SLED has kept its investigation close to the vest, but Bland and Richter say a grand jury was empaneled and issuing subpoenas.

Eric Bland: They're honing in on specific individuals. And I think there's about five or less that SLED believes has information regarding Stephen's death.

 

[Seattle1]

SLED agent Michael Moscal told the investigator about trace evidence found on Smith’s clothing consisting of around 10 1mm single layer blue paint chips, the report states. Moscal said while he needed more paint chips to pinpoint a particular vehicle, a computer database indicated the paint could be from an industrial tool, dumpster or sign post. He also said Toyota used this particular paint on its vehicles from 1982 to 1988, the report states.

Investigative reports reveal search for clues in reopened 2015 hit-and-run case

Bumping link re. blue paint chips

 

[rescuemom]

Updated with opinion of Dr. Kenneth Kinsey -- no baseball bat and SS most likely hit at the road scene by passenger side vehicle mirror or ladder.

What do Stephen Smith's injuries tell about the SC teen's death? New findings revealed.

"48 Hours" obtained exclusive access to the findings of an independent investigation into the unsolved death of the South Carolina teen, whose case was linked to the Murdaughs.

www.cbsnews.com

11/26/23

Dr. Michelle Dupre: It split his skull.

They were also able to put to rest some rumors, including the one that Stephen had been beaten with a baseball bat.

Nikki Battiste: It wasn't a baseball bat?

Dr. Michelle DuPre: No. … those type of injuries would cause something that we call pattern injuries, and we don't see that here. … This is a linear fracture — as well as this is here (points to a diagram of the head).

Just as important as what they found, DuPre says, is what they didn't find.

Dr. Michelle DuPre: We didn't find fractures of any part of the body, except for the head. … There was a little road rash, which you would expect.

[..]

Dr. Michelle DuPre: We don't believe that he was placed there. We believe that … whatever happened — happened right there.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey agrees.

Nikki Battiste: You think he was killed right here?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Right there.

A crime scene expert and star prosecution witness in the Murdaugh murder trial, Kinsey worked with DuPre to analyze Stephen's case. He says the evidence at the scene is clear.
Dr. Kenny Kinsey: That's a massive amount of blood. And if he had that kind of injury somewhere else, it wouldn't be that uniform.

Due to their sensitive nature, "48 Hours" created versions of the crime scene photos in which the blood and body are shown as graphics.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: The quantity of blood, the direction of the flow in the road, and then the direction of all … the - the blood on his person — led me to … the only conclusion.

Kinsey's convinced an object attached to a vehicle traveling at high speed caused the single fatal blow to Stephen's head.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Whatever hit him was fast and it was large.

Nikki Battiste: So a hit and run, but an atypical hit and run?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Yeah, very atypical.

[..]

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: And from what I understand from interviewing neighbors, it's been there for well over a decade.

Kinsey theorizes Stephen was walking along the road, trying to flag someone down for help.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: He is walking this direction in the — in the lane facing traffic. … whatever was attached to the vehicle or hanging off of the vehicle … whenever it struck Stephen … he went down in — in this area somewhat on this line (lying in the road as Stephen was found).

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: The vehicle that struck Stephen was coming toward him just like that vehicle in the — photograph.

Nikki Battiste: Like this?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Yes, goin' that direction.

Kinsey says the evidence suggests the driver saw something in the road and changed lanes.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: And sometime before it struck Stephen, I believe it changed into the oncomin' lane …

That's when he says an object from the passenger side struck Stephen.

Nikki Battiste: What kind of object could it be?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: It could be anything. It could be a ladder … hangin' off the back of — a work truck. It could be a extended side mirror … the metal type that you see on some farm vehicles or some larger vehicles.

That scenario matches up with the tip from 2015 involving Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, which Kinsey calls plausible.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: That certainly would be possible … that would be one of the places I would start.

SLED has kept its investigation close to the vest, but Bland and Richter say a grand jury was empaneled and issuing subpoenas.

Eric Bland: They're honing in on specific individuals. And I think there's about five or less that SLED believes has information regarding Stephen's death.

View attachment 464190

I don't know about anyone else but I'm more confused than ever. So he was killed right there with a fast moving vehicle with something on the side. Not anything swung at him to cause linear crack to his head?? I can dispute that. Many, many years ago, I was hit by a closed fist right between my eyes, just above the bridge of my nose and my skin was split in a line(ar)fashion. A vertical split about 2inches long.
Wouldn't SS move out of the way seeing a vehicle coming at him??? So was he in the middle of the road when hit and just dropped right there?? Or walking against the traffic on side of road and was thrown to the middle?? What was the new news??? If BM or any Murdaugh has been ruled out why keep talking about it in any interview?? Convenietly BM's alibi is his mother and brother who now can't back that up?? Has he ever said that before?? The same 5 or 6 individuals?? So no ruling out or in of those people?? I feel like the investigation has not moved forward much. That's just me though, poor Sandy, wonder what she thinks.

 

[arielilane]

CR is w/Law&Crime Network.

@cathyrusson

10am ET and we will live stream it on our YouTube channel.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

After you all had your pitchforks out for Buster.

 

[arielilane]

Stephen Smith’s phone, tablet unlocked by South Carolina officers

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[Oakie]

Stephen Smith’s phone, tablet unlocked by South Carolina officers

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That requires a twitter login. Will you tell us what happened?

 

[Kakidoll]

After you all had your pitchforks out for Buster.

not hanging mine up yet. No alibi at this point, right? both are dead. AND he didn't need to actually BE there if it was done FOR him.

 

[Kudzuu]

If I understood correctly SS was walking against traffic. That means the vehicle would be in the same lane? If that is correct how did he end up in the middle of the road?

Seems like if a vehicle approached he would get off the road.

I can't think of any scenario where he would be struck by something attached to a truck that would leave him in the middle of the road unless he was trying to flag down the driver.

Someone please correct me.

MOO

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

not hanging mine up yet. No alibi at this point, right? both are dead. AND he didn't need to actually BE there if it was done FOR him.

I don't have an alibi either. Guess I'm a suspect.

 

[arielilane]

That requires a twitter login. Will you tell us what happened?

Link to article. Does this help? Please advise. TIA

Stephen Smith’s phone, tablet unlocked by South Carolina officers

Bland and Smith’s mother, Sandy, believe renewed access to the teen’s electronic devices may reveal key evidence in the case that could potentially provide a link to the Murdaugh family.

“I think between the phone and the tablet, it will yield some information that, close in proximity to when Stephen was killed, should explain: Was he (Stephen) going away with a prominent person, as he told his mother? But more importantly, SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) will be able to talk to the investigating officers and confirm whether Alex Murdaugh was at the accident scene,” Bland told Cuomo.

 

[Oakie]

Link to article. Does this help? Please advise. TIA

Stephen Smith’s phone, tablet unlocked by South Carolina officers

Bland and Smith’s mother, Sandy, believe renewed access to the teen’s electronic devices may reveal key evidence in the case that could potentially provide a link to the Murdaugh family.

“I think between the phone and the tablet, it will yield some information that, close in proximity to when Stephen was killed, should explain: Was he (Stephen) going away with a prominent person, as he told his mother? But more importantly, SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) will be able to talk to the investigating officers and confirm whether Alex Murdaugh was at the accident scene,” Bland told Cuomo.

Thanks. I guess they're still not revealing much.

 

[Seattle1]

If I understood correctly SS was walking against traffic. That means the vehicle would be in the same lane? If that is correct how did he end up in the middle of the road?

Seems like if a vehicle approached he would get off the road.

I can't think of any scenario where he would be struck by something attached to a truck that would leave him in the middle of the road unless he was trying to flag down the driver.

Someone please correct me.

MOO

In the quoted link, Dr. Kinsey opines that SS was likely in the roadway trying to flag down the driver who likely changed lanes when they saw somebody in the road, and the something on the passenger side of the vehicle struck SS.

 

[Seattle1]

That requires a twitter login. Will you tell us what happened?

Sandy questions why it took BM nearly eight years to make a statement about SS's death and that he was at the beach house with his mother when SS was killed.

Stephen Smith’s phone, tablet unlocked by South Carolina officers

“I think between the phone and the tablet, it will yield some information,” attorney Eric Bland told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo.

www.newsnationnow.com

11/28/23

South Carolina authorities reinvestigating the death of Stephen Smith have now unlocked the deceased teen’s phone and tablet, attorney Eric Bland told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo on Monday evening.

[..]

Bland and Smith’s mother, Sandy, believe renewed access to the teen’s electronic devices may reveal key evidence in the case that could potentially provide a link to the Murdaugh family.

“I think between the phone and the tablet, it will yield some information that, close in proximity to when Stephen was killed, should explain: Was he (Stephen) going away with a prominent person, as he told his mother? But more importantly, SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) will be able to talk to the investigating officers and confirm whether Alex Murdaugh was at the accident scene,” Bland told Cuomo.

Sandy Smith insists she saw Alex Murdaugh on the scene in 2015.

“It’s very simple. Somebody’s going to have seen him there. I believe my client. I don’t think she’s told one single untruth in this whole process, and she doesn’t have an axe to grind with anybody,” Bland said.

Smith’s body was discovered in the middle of a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina, in July 2015. It was reportedly found a few miles from a Murdaugh family property.

 

[Oakie]

In the quoted link, Dr. Kinsey opines that SS was likely in the roadway trying to flag down the driver who likely changed lanes when they saw somebody in the road, and the something on the passenger side of the vehicle struck SS.

That scenario occurred to me...possible accidental collision from which a cowardly driver fled.

I have a cousin whose younger daughter was hit that way. The collision broke her back, knocked her a good way, and she lay there unconscious until a pedestrian passing by saw her and called an ambulance. Miraculously, she recovered well from the incident, thankfully. She was a ballet dancer, of very small frame, who was remarkably limber, and I think that helped her.

 

[Seattle1]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm more confused than ever. So he was killed right there with a fast moving vehicle with something on the side. Not anything swung at him to cause linear crack to his head?? I can dispute that. Many, many years ago, I was hit by a closed fist right between my eyes, just above the bridge of my nose and my skin was split in a line(ar)fashion. A vertical split about 2inches long.

^^rsbm

A picture is worth a thousand words:

DuPre says the autopsy confirmed Stephen died from a single blow to his forehead, severely fracturing his skull.

Nikki Battiste: That's a big gash.

Dr. Michelle Dupre: That's seven-and-a- half inches, almost. … there would be another gash in this posterior area from hitting the pavement so hard.

Nikki Battiste: It literally split his skull.

Dr. Michelle Dupre: It split his skull.

They were also able to put to rest some rumors, including the one that Stephen had been beaten with a baseball bat.

What do Stephen Smith's injuries tell about the SC teen's death? New findings revealed.

"48 Hours" obtained exclusive access to the findings of an independent investigation into the unsolved death of the South Carolina teen, whose case was linked to the Murdaughs.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Seattle1]

That scenario occurred to me...possible accidental collision from which a cowardly driver fled.

I have a cousin whose younger daughter was hit that way. The collision broke her back, knocked her a good way, and she lay there unconscious until a pedestrian passing by saw her and called an ambulance. Miraculously, she recovered well from the incident, thankfully. She was a ballet dancer, of very small frame, who was remarkably limber, and I think that helped her.

I just lost my brother weeks ago to a hit and run. And the severe injuries sustained to a body being hit and thrown by a moving vehicle are no way comparable to the blunt, skull fracture sustained by SS here. Something at SS's head level struck him only in the the head.

Kinsey's convinced an object attached to a vehicle traveling at high speed caused the single fatal blow to Stephen's head.

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Whatever hit him was fast and it was large.

Nikki Battiste: So a hit and run, but an atypical hit and run?

Dr. Kenny Kinsey: Yeah, very atypical.

CBS/48-HOURS

 

[gremlin444]

I just lost my brother weeks ago to a hit and run. And the severe injuries sustained to a body being hit and thrown by a moving vehicle are no way comparable to the blunt, skull fracture sustained by SS here.

I'm so sorry for your loss. *warm thoughts for you and your family*

 

[EllaMinnowP]

I don't have an alibi either. Guess I'm a suspect.

I’m fixing to do a deep dive on your WS account, and if I don’t find any activity during the relevant time period, I guess I’ll call in a tip.

 

[vls12345]

@Seattle1 , so sorry to hear about the unexpected passing of your brother.