Stephen Smith GoFundMe raises over $64000 as family of man found dead near Alex Murdaugh home plans to exhume body

Stephen Smith's family has launched a GoFundMe to raise money to exhume his body years after he was found dead near Alex Murdaugh's property. The GoFundMe, which had the goal to raise $15,000 has raised $64,000 at the time of writing this article.

Stephen Smith's body was found early in the morning on July 8, 2015, on a remote South Carolina road near the Murdaugh property. Authorities said that the 19-year-old, who had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, was a victim of a hit-and-run.

However, as they investigated Maggie and Paul Mudaugh's 2021 deaths, authorities uncovered evidence that made them question Smith's death. Authorities believe that the teen's death wasn't accidental and have re-opened the case, investigations into which are still ongoing.

After Alex Murdaugh was convicted for the murders of Maggie and Paul on March 9, 2023, Stephen Smith's mother Sandy started a GoFundMe. The fundraiser was launched so Stephen's family could exhume his body and perform an independent autopsy as she believed her son was murdered.

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Stephen Smith's fundraiser raises over three times the goal amount

Stephen Smith's fundraiser has raised over $64,000 surpassing the initial goal amount of $15,000.

The donations raised are well past the standard rate for an independent autopsy that supposedly costs $7,000. In addition, the fundraiser page also mentioned an hourly fee rate charged by a private medical examiner at about $750 for an hour.

In a statement on the crowdfunding page, Smith’s mother said that she wants to pay for a private exhumation and autopsy. She noted that she doesn't trust the state system as it had initially classified Stephen's death as a hit-and-run, despite there being no evidence to support the claims.

The GoFundMe description reads:

“We feel it's critical to seek a new goal - an independent exhumation and autopsy - and we're launching Justice for Stephen N. Smith with that immediate goal in mind."

It adds that although the state can elect and fund an exhumation as well as a new autopsy, it would be done in the same jurisdiction where Stephen's death was classified as a hit-and-run.

Smith's mother added that they needed a new "unbiased look" at his body and accurately determine his cause of death "based on facts." She noted that there was no debris in the road and that the teen's injuries didn't line up with those of a hit-and-run.

Shortly before his death, authorities said that Smith's car had broken down on an isolated road. This supposedly prompted him to abandon the vehicle and seek help on foot on remote terrain leading to Murdaugh's property.

While authorities suspected Smith's death was a hit-and-run, they also noted that there was no evidence to support the claim. Authorities didn't find any glass fragments from broken headlights or any other proof that is consistent with a hit-and-run.

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The assertion that Smith was murdered was also mentioned in a recent Netflix documentary, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. The documentary highlights multiple mysterious deaths related to the Murdaugh family, including the death of the housekeeper and Stephen Smith.

In the documentary, multiple people in the community alluded to Alex Murdaugh’s eldest son Buster's potential involvement in Smith’s death. It should be noted that while authorities are exploring the circumstances of the case, they have yet to name any suspects.