Stephen Smith, a teenager who attended school with Buster Murdocugh, died under mysterious circumstances in 2015. Smith was openly gay and his family believes his death was a hate crime.
A new bombshell development in the Alex Murdaugh saga, as the body of a 19-year-old former classmate of Murdaugh's son Buster is being exhumed.
A GoFundMe campaign for Stephen Smith has raised nearly $44,000 to pay for an independent autopsy.
Smith was a teenager who died under mysterious circumstances in 2015.
Smith was openly gay and his family believes his death was a hate crime.
"Our family is so very grateful to all of you who came together to help us in our fight for justice for Stephen," the boy's mother, Sandy Smith, tells Inside Edition. "Thank you for not allowing his story to be swept under a rug."
Sandy says she is hoping this news will give her some answers about her son's death.
"I know my son was beaten to death. And I know that somebody knows who did it and why they did it," Sandy says. "And I just pray that they will find it in their heart to come forward."
Buster attended every day of his father's trial and also testified in his defense.
After Alex's sentencing, one protestor could be heard yelling: "Justice for Stephen Smith, Alex."
That protestor then yelled: "Buster's next, Alex. Your son's next."
Buster and Alex discussed Smith's death in a prison phone call that the two men apparently knew was being recorded.
"So Buster, you know this Stephen Smith thing," Alex says to his son. "Well it has absolutely nothing to do with you or our family or anything.
Buster, 24, knew Stephen Smith from high school.
The young man's death was never ruled a murder and authorities said they believed it to be the result of a hit-and-run, despite a lack of evidence.
There were no tire marks, no broken glass and no other injuries pointing to him being hit. by a car.
Smith's own car was found three miles away out of gas.
"I always thought it was a murder," Smith's mother says.
No member of the Murdaugh family was ever questioned about Stephen Smith's death and no charges were filed.
