"48 Hours" investigates cold case of Stephen Smith | Forensic Files

48 Hours got exclusive access to the findings of an independent investigation into the unsolved death of Steph Smith
the 19-year-old gay man was killed in South Carolina in 2015 and his case went unsolved for years in 2021 the
high-profile murders of Maggie and Paul murau stirred new interest in Smith's case disgraced lawyer Alex murdaugh was
found guilty of killing his wife and son now Steven's mother Sandy is working with a team of lawyers and experts to
find out what happened to her son Nikki bati reports for this week's 48 Hours when Steven Smith was found dead
on a country road on July 8th 2015 his mother Sandy was convinced it was no accident do you believe Steven was
murdered I do the medical examiner ruled it a hit and run but retired South Carolina Highway Patrol lieutenant
Thomas Moore says the scene told a different story did you see any signs of a hit and run no ma'am none any type of
debris any kind of glass car parts Steven's car was 3 miles away I thought it was staged like his body was staged
in the roadway it looked like somebody had hit him in the head with some kind of object early on rumors began to swirl
that the mylls Were Somehow involved the myll name comes up dozens of times in the case File by late 2016 the case went
cold all I want is peace and no one what happened to my son in June of 2021 the murders of Paul and Maggie murall
reignited interest in Steven Smith's case somehow someway in the murder murder investigation a new thread was
opened up into Steph Smith attorneys Ronnie rter and Eric Bland are now helping Sandy Smith find answers we are
aware of no evidence today that would suggest that any mdll played any role in Steven Smith's death our primary
function right now is to have that body assumed have a true independent set of eyes look at it and tell us once and for
all what really happened to Steven Smith they brought on forensic pathologist Dr
Michelle Dupri who says Steven died from a single blow to his forehead literally
split his skull and split his skull and oddly there were no injuries to his body
to indicate he'd been hit headon by a vehicle forensic crime scene expert Dr Kenny Kinsey was also hired Steven was
somewhat right here both experts believe Steven died on the spot neither thinks the scene was staged there was a
significant amount of blood at the scene too much for him to have been killed someplace else and then transported
there after examining all the evidence they reached a surprising conclusion how confident are you that you know what
happened to Steph Smith that night I'm as close to a degree of scientific certainty as I've ever
felt Nikki batist joins us now good morning first of all what what was the conclusion of the forensic crime scene
expert I hate to do this to you but you will have to watch 4 hours to find out the conclusion but I will say sy's team
of independent experts did turn over its findings to local law enforcement and I
will say this the scene where Steven's body was found was so odd remember this death was ruled a hit and run his shoes
were still on and they were Loosely tied that's really really unusual for hit and
run to still have your shoes on and it's been reported that Steven's cell phone was found on his body but police didn't
say what was on it can you tell us anything about that that information still has not been made public we do
know that sled the South Carolina law enforcement division does have his phone and his tablet presumably like we've
seen in so many cases that those devices have information about where he may have
been who he may have been with who he may have been communicating with in the moments before his death so that'll be
critical so uh Stephen's mom has been trying to get to the truth about her son for eight years how is she doing Sandy
Smith we a lot of time together talking on camera and off is remarkable she really has been the lead investigator in
her son's case she wanted me to thank everyone for the support and kindness and I will tell you she will not give up
until she has answers now true mom there you can see she's Inc yes well you can see Nikki's report Stephen Smith a death
in mura country tomorrow night at 109 Central right here on CBS and on Paramount Plus

"48 Hours" investigates the unsolved death of Stephen Smith, who was killed in 2015 in South Carolina. The 19-year-old's case went cold for years until 2021 when the high profile murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh stirred new interest in his case. Now, Stephen's mother, Sandy, is working with a team of lawyers and experts to find out what happened to her son. Nikki Battiste joins "CBS Mornings" with a preview of her report.

Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth feature reporting. "CBS Mornings" airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and stream it at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.

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Brief Summary

Sandy Smith seeks answers in her son Steven's unsolved death, with new forensic evidence challenging the hit-and-run ruling.

Key points

The Unsolved Death of Steven Smith. An investigation into the mysterious death of 19-year-old Steven Smith, ruled a hit and run.
New Evidence Emerges. Forensic experts reveal shocking findings about Steven's death, challenging the hit and run ruling.
Sandy Smith's Fight for Justice. Sandy Smith has been tirelessly seeking the truth about her son's death for eight years.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Do you believe Steven was murdered? I do.

Sandy Smith expresses her belief about her son's death.

0:46WatchNov 24, 2023

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