Who Killed Stephen Smith? Ten Years With Hope But Without Answers...

Cup Of Justice

Luna Shark Productions

True Crime, News Commentary, How To, Education, News

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2025

⏱️ 87 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We’re taking a break from Cup of Justice to bring you a special Premium episode of Soundbites, typically reserved for LUNASHARK Premium Members. Today’s episode is dedicated to the tragic and perplexing case of Stephen Smith. This episode, from journalist Beth Braden, librarian Kate Thomas, and producer Sam Berlin, aims to review "what we knew and when we knew it" about Stephen's unsolved homicide. Stephen Smith, a bright 19-year-old nursing student with aspirations of becoming a doctor, was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road ten years ago on July 8, 2015. Despite a seven-inch gash on his forehead and blunt force trauma to his head, initial investigators were stumped, and while the coroner believed it was a shooting homicide, a pathologist controversially ruled it a hit-and-run. This episode delves into the details of the investigation while also providing an intimate look into who Stephen Smith truly was: a kind, funny, generous, and studious young man with a clear plan to become "Dr. Stephen Smith". His legacy also lives on through the Stephen Smith Scholarship fund, established to help need-based nursing students. A $50,000 reward is available for information leading to an arrest. If you know something or know someone who knows something, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please send tips to SLED at [email protected] or call 803-737-9000. We invite you to show your support by joining the "Walking With Stephen" memorial event in Hampton, South Carolina, on July 12, 2025. Episode Resources: Sign up for the “Walking With Stephen” Memorial Walk on July 12, 2025 🚶🏻‍➡️ “Who Killed Stephen Smith?” Spotify Playlist 💚 Donate to the Stephen Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund 💚 "News Agency sued over mistaken 'person of interest' in Stephen Smith case. 'We apologized.'" - Greenville News, Feb 7, 2024 📰 “MOTION DENIED - Alex Murdaugh New Trial Hearing With Justice Jean Toal” - LUNASHARK Media YouTube, Jan 29, 2024 🎞️ Tips can be email to SLED at [email protected] or call 803-737-9000 ℹ️ Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium Members⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ also get access to episode videos, case files, live trial coverage and exclusive live experiences with our hosts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more and join with Promo Code "COJ25" for your first month free! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out Luna Shark Merch With a Mission shop at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunasharkmerch.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What We're Buying... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Give yourself the luxury you deserve with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/COJ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns Here's a link to some of our favorite things: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky.app/profile/mandy-matney.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky.app/profile/elizfarrell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky.app/profile/theericbland.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter.com/mandymatney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter.com/elizfarrell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter.com/theericbland⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/cupofjustice/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cojpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUNscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ free email list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/3KBM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Alert: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and happy Tuesday. As y'all know, we don't yet know who killed Stephen Smith,
0:11.6	but I do know that we are determined to hold those responsible for his killing and bungling
0:19.2	of the investigation accountable.
0:22.1	We want justice for Stephen Smith, but also answers for his mother Sandy.
0:27.8	Hello everyone and welcome to a special episode of Soundbites on Stephen Smith on the 10-year
0:34.0	anniversary of Stephen's death. Rather than our regularly scheduled Cup of Justice episode today,
0:40.3	we're bringing you a special bonus episode stemming from our Soundbite series.
0:45.3	Soundbites is where we review the happenings of the previous month
0:50.3	or catch up our premium members on a specific case and the major events and concepts.
0:56.1	Normally, bonus episodes like Soundbites, the corruption watch list, or our premium dives are reserved for premium members.
1:04.2	But we truly believe this episode of Soundbites is so important.
1:08.5	We want everyone to listen and really tune in.
1:11.2	Learn more about our bonus episodes at lunashark.supercast.com.
1:16.5	As you may remember, Stephen Smith was a bright young man, a nursing student at Orangeburg
1:21.7	Tech who eventually wanted to become a doctor.
1:24.7	His friends and family cherished him, and he's no longer with us because
1:28.4	someone killed him on July 8th, 2015, and his mother Sandy continues to pursue answers in his death.
1:36.6	As I was reporting on the 2019 boat crash, I started to see a new hashtag on social media,
1:43.4	Justice for Stephen.
1:45.5	Stephen's story became the focus of the second episode of the Murdoch murders podcast,
1:51.2	which really propelled interest to our international audiences on June 30th, 2021.
1:57.5	The initial investigation into what happened to Stephen was chaotic from the beginning,
	...

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