Criminally Obsessed — Episode Summary

Episode Title:

Murdaugh Country Mystery: What The Hell Happened To Stephen Smith?

Host:

Anne Emerson

Guest:

Valerie Bauerlein, Wall Street Journal reporter & author of The Devil at His Elbow: Alec Murdoch and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty

Release Date:

March 25, 2026

Overview

This episode dives deep into the enduring mystery of Stephen Smith's death, a case from 2015 that remains unsolved and is closely interwoven with the saga of the Murdoch family in South Carolina. Host Anne Emerson and guest Valerie Bauerlein untangle the facts, rumors, and investigative missteps that have surrounded Stephen Smith’s case for over a decade, and explore why the case is still resonating in the shadow of the Murdoch family's prominence and the wider national conversation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why the Stephen Smith Case Haunts Investigators

• Valerie explains her ongoing fascination with the case (01:19)
  • Despite the many "threads" in the Murdoch saga, Stephen Smith’s unresolved death stands out due to its core mystery and the pain of uncertainty for the family.
  • “There is a young man who was killed and left for dead 11 years ago and we still don't know what happened to him.” (Valerie Bauerlein, 01:26)

2. Failures in the Initial Investigation

• Forensic investigator Kenny Kinsey (star witness in Alec Murdoch’s trial) discusses missed investigative opportunities (02:49—04:00)
  • Multiple agencies showed up, but unclear cause/manner of death led to confusion and lack of coordination.
  • Notable Quote: “There’s a lot of missed opportunities, especially when you’re not sure of cause and manner of death… you don’t get that back.” (Kenny Kinsey, 02:49)
• Consensus emerges that the golden hours for evidence collection were lost, leaving gaps that have never been filled (04:01—04:18).

3. Rumors, Small-Town Power, and the Murdoch Family’s Influence

• The Murdoch family’s name appears in case files "dozens and dozens of times," though no direct evidence links them to Stephen Smith’s death (04:48—06:00).
• Both Anne and Valerie emphasize the challenge of addressing persistent rumors without fueling unfounded speculation.
• Notable Quote: “If I had a nickel for the number of times I was pulled aside in Hampton County and someone I trust said, ‘I’m going to tell you exactly what happened to Stephen Smith’… it was always a different story.” (Valerie Bauerlein, 05:25)

4. Details from the Scene: Physical Evidence and Terrain

• Scene described as remote, with few landmarks, complicating immediate response and investigation. The Murdoch family’s local influence is palpable, even historically (07:10—07:45).
• References to "errors of omission" — not outright malfeasance, but a tendency to pass off responsibility and seek the simplest explanation to avoid complexity (08:49—09:47).

5. Tommy Moore: Victim, Officer, and Witness

• Tommy Moore, a financial victim of Alec Murdoch and a responding trooper at the scene, recalled immediate suspicions:
  • “He just took my money and he knew what that money was for.” (Tommy Moore, 10:54)
  • “The way the body was positioned… so many issues that looked nefarious.” (Anne Emerson, 11:05)
• Culture of fear and power imbalance: Moore admitted to feeling intimidated by the Murdoch family’s reach (11:26—12:34).

6. Murdoch Family Presence after the Death

• Randy Murdoch (Alec’s brother) called Stephen’s father and showed up at the scene, which, while arguably routine in a small southern town, added another layer of suspicion (12:34—15:23).
  • Valerie notes no evidence of direct involvement but acknowledges the "weirdness" of repeated Murdoch presence in the reports.

7. Boat Crash Parallel (Mallory Beach) and Influence

• Historical context: when the Murdoch family stepped in after the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach; patterns of intervention and subtle manipulation highlighted (13:26—14:54).
• Small-town dynamics: Power, reputation, and fear contaminate investigations and local narratives.

8. Dealing with Rumors and Theories

• Both host and guest are careful, citing forensic expert Kenny Kinsey:
  • “Everyone wants it to be tied to the Murdoch family. I saw nothing that would make me even draw an inference that that's to be true.” (Kenny Kinsey, 17:53)
• Emphasis on the Murdoch legacy of fear: “He wanted to be feared. He [Buster] cultivated some of that rumor as well.” (Valerie Bauerlein, 18:24—19:41)

9. What Happened: Piecing Together the Physical Evidence

• Most plausible current theory: Stephen was struck by something protruding from a truck, not a classic hit-and-run or homicide with a weapon (23:06—24:33).
  • Notable Quote: “He was hit by something protruding from a big truck, probably not at high speeds… but I do think there are more than one person that knows what happened that night.” (Valerie Bauerlein, 24:25—25:01)

10. Investigative Dead-Ends & Forensic Disputes

• Disagreements among investigators and pathologists led to confusion and delays (25:44—27:04).
• The early investigation “took a major left turn” due to clashes of opinion and jurisdictional tug-of-war.

11. Case Goes Cold, Then Revives amid Murdoch Saga

• The case went essentially cold until Alec Murdoch’s high-profile murder case brought new scrutiny (28:19—29:14).
• There was confusion over whether new information or simply renewed attention reactivated the Stephen Smith investigation (29:59—30:37).

12. Family Impact and the Role of Sexuality

• Stephen’s mother, Sandy Smith, remained the driving force; dismay at insensitive treatment by investigators, including being asked for a DNA sample late at night (31:16—31:58).
• Discussion of whether Stephen’s being openly gay affected the investigation or the crime itself—consensus: possibly a factor in community and investigative attitudes, but limited evidence of direct impact (31:58—33:09).

13. Phone Record and “Big Truck” Theory

• Mark Burkhart, Stephen’s boyfriend, recalls Stephen walking and hearing truck noises before call dropped (34:04–34:36).
• No hard identification of vehicle; prevalence of trucks in region makes leads elusive.

14. Modern Investigative Challenges

• Limitation of 2015 data: No granular cellphone tower records, complicating reconstruction of that night (34:53–35:34).

15. Exhumation and New Findings

• Exhumation of Stephen’s body confirmed original autopsy findings: he died where he was found, killed by a blunt object consistent with "one big blow" (35:34—36:31).

16. Prospects for Closing the Case

• SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) remains tight-lipped ("a black box").
• Potential path to closure: someone coming forward, or cumulative legal pressure on persons of interest (37:31–38:37).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “There are more than one person that knows what happened that night. And eventually, I think we will know too.” (Valerie Bauerlein, 25:01)
• “Everyone wants it to be tied to the Murdoch family…I saw nothing that would make me even draw an inference that that's to be true.” (Kenny Kinsey, 17:53)
• “It’s hard to keep secrets for a really long time.” (Valerie Bauerlein, 24:33)
• “I just would do anything for this mom to find out what happened to her son that she loves so much.” (Anne Emerson, 39:27)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Topic | |--------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:01–01:19 | Introduction to the Smith case and Valerie’s fascination | | 02:49–04:00 | Forensic expert Kenny Kinsey on missed opportunities | | 04:48–06:00 | Murdoch family in the investigative record and rumor management | | 09:47–12:34 | Tommy Moore’s accounts and intimidation by the Murdoch family | | 12:34–15:23 | Randy Murdoch’s role post-incident | | 17:53–18:24 | Expert opinion: no evidence tying Murdochs to Stephen Smith | | 23:06–24:33 | Working theory: Hit by something protruding from a truck | | 28:19–29:59 | Investigation going cold, restarting after Murdoch murders | | 31:16–31:58 | Sandy Smith’s experience with investigators | | 34:04–34:36 | Mark Burkhart recounts last call with Stephen | | 35:34–36:31 | Exhumation findings align with earlier autopsy | | 37:31–38:37 | What would close the case: someone coming forward | | 40:00–41:01 | SLED statement: ongoing investigation, frustration with secrecy |

Tone and Approach

• Compassionate, methodical, and truth-seeking.
• Both Anne and Valerie balance empathy for the Smith family with a rigorous commitment to objective investigation.
• Emphasize the need for patience, clarity, and the long arc of justice in complicated, high-profile cases.

Conclusion

The question of "What the hell happened to Stephen Smith?" remains painfully unresolved. This episode brings nuanced insight, expert opinions, and firsthand perspectives to a case marked by investigative blunders, powerful local dynamics, and the indomitable love of a mother. Both the host and guest maintain careful skepticism in the face of rumors, focusing on what can and cannot be known—and holding out hope that someone will eventually break the silence.

Listeners are left with the sense that resolve is possible, but only if someone with firsthand knowledge comes forward, or if persistent inquiry and legal developments finally bear fruit.