Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of a rural Hampton County road in the early morning hours of July 8, 2015. Initial responders thought he had been shot because of a severe head wound, but an autopsy later described blunt head trauma consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle and the death was ruled a hit-and-run. The scene reportedly lacked typical collision evidence such as skid marks or debris, and Smith’s car was located about three miles away, out of gas, with his wallet inside.

The case sat cold for years until June 2021, when the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reopened the investigation amid scrutiny tied to the Murdaugh family; the Murdaugh name appeared repeatedly in the 2015 file. In March 2023 SLED reclassified Smith’s death as a homicide, his body was exhumed for an independent autopsy funded by public donations, and a grand jury has been convened. Authorities have named two persons of interest, Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, after a claim that Wilson said he had been in a vehicle with Connelly when it struck Smith; both men face unrelated charges. A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

If anyone knew Stephen, his movements that night, or has information about the road where he was found, please come forward.