On Friday, six people were injured in a shooting on a South Carolina beach during an unofficial "senior skip day" event attended by hundreds of high schoolers. Five of the injured were around the age of 18, and one was an adult woman in her mid-30s or early 40s. The Isle of Palms Police Department is currently investigating the incident and is urging people to be mindful of their safety and to be aware of their surroundings.
Posts tagged as “South Carolina”
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, challenging former President Donald Trump who is currently the front-runner. Hutchinson has served in various political roles since 1997, and is the first major rival to challenge Trump for the nomination. He made the announcement in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” that aired Sunday and plans to make a formal announcement in April in Arkansas.
Judge Clifton Newman spoke out Tuesday about the trial and sentencing of Alex Murdaugh, a lawyer convicted of killing his wife and son and stealing over $8 million from clients. Judge Newman said he had "no doubt" that Murdaugh loved his family despite committing an "unforgivable, unimaginable crime," and discussed the series of objections he heard during the trial. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of justice and the need to ensure a fair trial for all defendants, hoping Murdaugh can find peace despite his conviction.
Idaho has become the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment due to a nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs, with Republican Governor Brad Little signing a bill allowing execution by firing squad. Pharmaceutical companies have largely barred executioners from using their drugs, prompting other states in recent years to revive older methods of execution. One Idaho death row inmate has already had his execution postponed multiple times due to the drug scarcity, and the new law is expected to take effect on July 1, 2020.
An estimated 3,000 people attended the largest auction ever held at Liberty Auction in Pembroke, Georgia, which featured items from the Murdaugh family's Moselle estate. The family were referred to the auction house after Alex Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife and son. The auction was a success, with many items selling for more than their estimated value.
The Bland Richter Law Firm has successfully advocated for the 2015 death of Stephen Smith to be investigated as a homicide by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). This follows the Alex Murdaugh trial, in which the former lawyer was convicted of killing his wife and son, and the firm is committed to continuing to work with SLED to ensure justice is served.
SLED has announced an investigation into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student, as a homicide. The investigation was opened in June 2021 after learning new information while probing the Murdaugh murders. The agency has not announced any connection between the two cases, and is asking anyone with information to come forward. The Smith family's lawyers are hopeful that the investigation will bring closure and justice for Stephen.
The family of Stephen Smith is petitioning a court to exhume his body, discovered in July 2015 in South Carolina, for a private autopsy to provide answers about what led to his death. The effort has nothing to do with the family of Alex Murdaugh, and Buster Murdaugh, the older son of former attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, has denied any involvement in Smith's death. The family's GoFundMe page is seeking a new, unbiased look at Smith's body to determine the cause of death.