SLED Agrees to Investigate 2015 Death of Stephen Smith as Homicide After Disclosure Call with Chief Mark Keel

The Bland Richter Law Firm is proud to announce that after an extraordinary disclosure phone call with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel, the 2015 death of Stephen Smith is now being investigated as a homicide.

Smith’s body was found on July 8, 2015, and an autopsy showed blunt force trauma to his head and injuries to his arm and hand. The death occurred near the home of disgraced South Carolina attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh.

The State Law Enforcement Division in South Carolina, known as SLED, agreed Smith’s cold case should be probed as a homicide, attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, of the litigation firm Bland Richter, said in statements on Tuesday.

The department first said in 2021 that it would open an investigation into Smith’s death due to new information it gathered as part of its investigation of the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division made the decision in the wake of the Alex Murdaugh trial, in which the former lawyer was convicted of killing his wife and son at the family’s hunting property.

The Bland Richter Law Firm is pleased to have been able to assist in the investigation of Stephen Smith’s death and is hopeful that the investigation will bring justice to Smith’s family. The firm is committed to continuing to work with SLED to ensure that justice is served.