Buster Murdaugh DENIES ‘vicious rumors’ that he was involved in Stephen Smith’s death after teen’s family raised $60,000 to exhume his body
- The 26-year-old surviving son of double-murderer Alex Murdaugh released a statement Monday saying that speculation ‘has gone on far too long’
- Buster, who supported his father everyday during his trial last month, said he wanted privacy ‘as I grieve over the brutal murders of my mother and brother’
- ‘I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family,’ he wrote
Buster Murdaugh has denied ‘vicious rumors’ that he was involved in Stephen Smith’s death after the teen’s family raised $60,000 to exhume his body.
The 26-year-old surviving son of double-murderer Alex Murdaugh released a statement Monday saying that speculation ‘has gone on far too long.’
Buster, who supported his doomed father every day during his trial last month, said he wanted privacy to ‘grieve over the brutal murders of my mother and brother.’
He wrote: ‘I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family. I am requesting that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumors about me.’
It comes after Smith’s family announced last week that the body of the 19-year-old nursing student would be exhumed for a private autopsy.
Buster, who supported his doomed father every day during his trial last month, said he wanted privacy to ‘grieve over the brutal murders of my mother and brother’
Stephen Smith’s family raised $60,000 to exhume his body, and announced that they would be looking into the death of the teenager again
Smith was found dead on July 8, 2015, on a rural road near the Murdaugh property with a blunt-force trauma injury to the head.
His family announced that they will exhume his body following the renewed attention on the case after Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murder.
The teens death was initially ruled a hit and run, but highway patrol officers have since claimed that they did not believe the scene was consistent with a road traffic accident.
Patrol officers told state law enforcement that they believed the teen was murdered, but there was no further investigation.
Since then, two documentaries by HBO and Netflix have aired rumors that Buster was involved in a romantic relationship with Smith.
In the statement Monday, shared by Alex Murdaugh’s trial lawyer Jim Griffin, Buster wrote: ‘I have tried my best to ignore the vicious rumors about my involvement in Stephen Smith’s tragic death that continue to be published in the media as I grieve over the brutal murders of my mother and brother.
‘I love them so much and miss them terribly. I haven’t spoken up until now because I want to live in private while I cope with their deaths and my father’s incarceration.
‘Before, during and since my father’s trial, I have been targeted and harassed by the media and followers of this story.
Alex Murdaugh (left) has been jailed for the murders of his wife Maggie (second left) and youngest son Paul (second right)
In the statement Monday, shared by Alex Murdaugh’s trial lawyer Jim Griffin, Buster called the claims as ‘baseless’
Smith was found dead on July 8, 2015, on a rural road near the Murdaugh property with a blunt-force trauma injury to the head
‘This has gone on far too long. These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false.
‘I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family.
‘I am requesting that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumors about me.’
Authorities reopened the investigation into Smith’s death in June 2021 following information uncovered during the investigation into Maggie and Paul’s deaths.
However they have never publicly admitted if there was a link between Smith’s death and the Murdaugh family – despite witnesses claiming there was a possibility for foul play involving Buster.
A Netflix documentary explored their alleged relationship, though at the time Buster refused to give a comment.
He is thought to be holed up at his lawyer girlfriend’s property in Hilton Head, and was spotted walking dogs at the property several times during the trial.