Stephen Smith Crime Scene Photos and 911 Call Under Renewed Scrutiny

Interest in the mystery surrounding the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith has continued to grow, with crime scene photos and a 911 call now under increased scrutiny.

The conclusion of the Alex Murdaugh trial, which saw the former South Carolina lawyer convicted of murder, also sparked further concern regarding Smith's passing.

Smith's death in 2015 in South Carolina was initially ruled a hit-and-run. However, investigators reflecting on the evidence surrounding the incident, as well as his mother Sandy Smith, have since publicly spoken about their skepticism regarding this version of events.

In early March, Murdaugh, 54 was found guilty of killing his wife Maggie, 52 and son Paul, 22, in 2021, after a six-week trial.

Police have now dismissed the suggestion Smith's death was a hit-and-run and are investigating the case as a homicide.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) told the Smith family attorney, Eric Bland, that an unidentified "piece of evidence" related to Smith's death was uncovered during the state investigation into the Murdaugh murders.

Stephen Smith's crime scene photos have begun to circulate on social media after resurfacing as people curious about the case look at HBO's 2022 documentary Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty.

The documentary looked at the details of the family and alleged connections it had with other instances of crime in South Carolina, including the death of Stephen Smith.

In the documentary, the former supervisor of the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Corporal Michael Duncan, explained why he did not believe Smith's death was a hit-and-run.

He said: "It does not appear to be, in my opinion, struck by a vehicle. There were several red flags from the start in this investigation.

"When you have a body that is hit by a car traveling at 55mph, they're going to tumble down the road so why aren't there spots down different areas in the road?"

Smith's body was found lying dead on his back, wearing loosely tied shoes, khaki shorts and a green shirt on July 8, 2015. He appeared to be bleeding from his head.

A 911 call described the scene to an operator.

According to a Fox News report, the caller said: "Hello, I was just driving down Crocketville Road, and I see somebody lying out.

"He's laying in the road. I ain't move him or nothing like that, but somebody's going to hit him. It's dark. Somebody's going to hit him."

When contacted, SLED directed Newsweek to its most recent press release on the issue and did not give any new information on the investigation.

Update 03/30/23, 2:18 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from SLED.