() — Stephen Smith’s body has been exhumed, according to lawyers for the family of the 19-year-old found dead in the middle of a South Carolina highway in 2015.
Smith’s body was exhumed this weekend for an independent autopsy, according to lawyers representing Sandy Smith, Stephen’s mother.
Stephen Smith’s family has raised more than $100,000 for exhumation and a private autopsy in what his mother described on a GoFundMe page as a “fight for justice,” reported.
“Now I think Stephen can rest easy that SLED and our team are going to do everything they can to find out how he died,” Bland said in a tweet Sunday night.
Seen in this photo is the grave of Stephen Smith in Crocketville, South Carolina.
According to the lawyer, the body was successfully exhumed, transported and a second autopsy was carried out before “transporting it back and then putting it in its final resting place this past weekend”.
“This past weekend, a lot of people, including the mortuary, the coroner, DHEC, the bulldozers and at least 12 SLED officers, planned everything very carefully,” Bland said.
“The biggest thanks go to SLED boss Mark Keel because without him this wouldn’t have worked out. Keel gave me his word and he kept it,” Bland said.
“I would also like to thank Mandy Matney and David Mose who spent the weekend comforting Sandy who was grieving the death of her son,” the tweet read.
State authorities reopened an investigation into the 2015 death based on information obtained while investigating the murders of Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh, has reported.
A pathologist quoted in the initial SLED report states that Smith appeared to have been struck by a vehicle, the responding officer named in the MAIT report cited “no vehicle debris, skid marks or injuries consistent with someone being struck by a vehicle.” A vehicle”.
