Buster Murdaugh DENIES ‘malicious rumors’ that he was involved in the death of Stephen Smith after the teen’s family raised $60,000 to exhume his body
- The 26-year-old surviving son of double murderer Alex Murdaugh issued a statement Monday saying the speculation “has gone on too long.”
- Buster, who stood by his father every day during his trial last month, said he wanted privacy “as I mourn 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 rumours” that he was involved in the death of Stephen Smith after the teen’s family raised $60,000 to exhume his body.
The 26-year-old surviving son of double murderer Alex Murdaugh issued a statement Monday saying the speculation “has gone on too long.”
Buster, who stood by his doomed father every day during his trial last month, said he wanted privacy to “mourn the brutal murders of my mother and brother.”
He wrote: ‘I unequivocally deny any involvement in her death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family. I request 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 stood by his doomed father every day during his trial last month, said he wanted privacy to “mourn the brutal murders of my mother and brother.”
Stephen Smith’s family raised $60,000 to exhume his body and announced they would be reinvestigating the teen’s death.
Smith was found dead on July 8, 2015 on a country road near Murdaugh’s property with blunt force trauma to the head.
His family announced that they will exhume his body following renewed attention on the case after Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murder.
Initially, the teen’s death was ruled a hit-and-run, but highway patrol officers have since claimed they did not believe the scene was consistent with a traffic accident.
Patrol officers told state police they believed the teen was murdered, but there was no further investigation.
Since then, two HBO and Netflix documentaries have aired rumors that Buster was involved in a romantic relationship with Smith.
In Monday’s statement, shared by Alex Murdaugh’s trial attorney Jim Griffin, Buster wrote: “I have done everything possible to ignore the vicious rumors about my involvement in the tragic death of Stephen Smith that continue to be published in the media as I mourn brutal death.” murders of my mother and my brother.
‘I love you very much and miss you terribly. I haven’t spoken up until now because I want to live in private as I deal with his death and my father’s imprisonment.
“Before, during and after my father’s trial, I have been attacked and harassed by the media and supporters of this story.
Alex Murdaugh (left) has been jailed for the murders of his wife Maggie (second left) and their youngest son Paul (second right)
In Monday’s statement, shared by Alex Murdaugh’s trial attorney, Jim Griffin, Buster called the claims “baseless.”
Smith was found dead on July 8, 2015 on a country road near Murdaugh’s property with blunt force trauma to the head.
‘This has gone on too long. These unsubstantiated rumors of my relationship 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 request that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumors about me.”
Authorities reopened the investigation into Smith’s death in June 2021 after information was discovered during the investigation into the deaths of Maggie and Paul.
However, they never publicly admitted if there was a link between Smith’s death and the Murdaugh family, despite witnesses claiming there was a possibility of foul play involving Buster.
A Netflix documentary explored their alleged relationship, though Buster declined to comment at the time.
He is believed to be hiding out on his lawyer girlfriend’s property in Hilton Head, and was seen walking dogs on the property several times during the trial.
