The family of a young man found dead on a rural Hampton County road is launching a new investigation of how Stephen Smith died after apparent connections to convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh came to light.

Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced former South Carolina attorney, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after he was found guilty of murdering his wife and son -- the most serious and grisliest of the allegations faced by the scion of what was once one of the state's most influential dynasties.

Buster Murdaugh, the surviving son of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, has denied involvement in the 2015 death of a high school classmate. Buster Murdaugh in a statement to NBC News denounced the “vicious rumors” alleging his involvement in the death of Stephen Smith,

The family of Stephen Smith, who died on a road near the home of the disgraced Murdaugh family, wants to exhume his body to aid in the investigation of the cold case. Now, Buster Murdaugh, the son of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh,

Family of Stephen Smith plan to exhume his body for an independent autopsy as they insist: ‘This is not Alex Murdaugh 2.0’

Richard “Buster” Murdaugh, the surviving son of disgraced South Carolina attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murduagh, has denied what he calls “baseless rumors” regarding his involvement in the death of a teenager killed in his hometown.