Family of Stephen Smith Raises Funds to Exhume Body and Seek Answers in 2015 Death

Last week, the family of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old who was found dead in the middle of a South Carolina road in 2015, announced their intent to exhume his body. This comes almost two years after state authorities reopened a probe into his death based on information learned while investigating the murders of Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh.

The family has raised about $60,000 to put towards the exhumation and a private autopsy in what his mother described on a GoFundMe page as a “fight for justice.” She does not believe that her son was the victim of a hit-and-run and that exhuming his body for an independent autopsy could determine his actual cause of death.

Authorities have not announced any suspects in the case, but the family believes that exhuming the body could provide more evidence for the investigation. In the GoFundMe page, Smith’s mother wrote that “we need a new, unbiased look at his body and an accurate determination of his cause of death based on facts.”

The exhumation is expected to take place in the coming weeks. Smith’s family is hopeful that the autopsy will provide them with the answers they have been seeking for years. They are also encouraging anyone with information about Smith’s death to come forward and contact the police.